Final Game of Season Ends in Another Victory

Hartest and Coldham Hall  248 for 6


B Atkinson 118, D Hodge 36, M Roberts 35, S Faires 27 Not Out


M Willingham 4-18


Tendring Park 100 All Out


M Willingham 33.


Hodge 3-28, B Atkinson 3-4,


Jack Armstrong 10-1-36-1 Today


Jack Armstrong 141.4 - 25 - 485 - 18  Season.


Jack ended up as the leading wicket taker conceding 3.43 runs per over. The reason his figures are on the website is the fact he is off to Canada soon and this is an acknowledgement of his feats this season with the ball as an opening bowler who instigated many a victory when tying down the opposition opening key batsmen with searing pace and effort.


We will miss Jack the Man being about more than his very clear stats he contributed for Hartest and Coldham over the past few seasons. Good Luck Jack and hope to see you back in that favourite shirt again sometime in the future.


PS His batting this year was his best ever, scoring his maiden 50 at Woolpit with his Dad at the other end was a "nice touch" and his quick scoring plus his demeanour from a distance bore his nickname for this season "Beefy" after Sir Ian Botham, and sometimes the way he played it may have been him in the middle, Good Luck Beefy from all the team and club members, visit as  often as you can, oh his batting this season was;


15 Games played, [the most by any player] with 12 innings, 3 of which were not out, scoring a total of 346 runs, including 2 fifties, [top score of 60] with an average of 28, and he hit 4 sixes plus took 4 catches, so maybe we will miss his cricket as well!! Well done Jack on a great season.


Now back to today's game, [stats for everyone else will be on the End of Season Dinner with awards on the 24th January, pencil the date in, Rosie Roberts has kindly taken over the mantel of organiser for this prestigious event as big as the Oscars, pencil the date in the diary now!!] the Captain won the toss and decided to bat.


There was a bet between Mark Roberts and Ben Atkinson on who would between them score the most runs, they were both going to open, the Captain had been telling the Webmaster of his desire to score 99 runs to make his 1000 runs for the season and score a century where he once scored 99 before the game was abandoned for bad weather, a big ask to predict a century before you even get to the ground but confidence has not been as issue this season.


The pair took the game responsibly and scored quite freely with Roberts just edging the scoring front early on, however the huge park and lush grass made many shots that would have gone to the boundary pulling up well within the playing area.


Tendering Park had already been condemned to relegation where Hartest and Coldham were in a solid 4th position, Tendering started with ten men then another young lad turned up, they were carrying many injuries on the pitch which hampered the bowling options for the home skipper.


Roberts finally went being cleaned up by De Alwis for 35 and the score on 78, with Ben Atkinson winning the bet as he went past Roberts score plus his fifty went unnoticed as he found a good rhythm and the middle of his bat frequently.


David Hodge then came in and took a bit of time to get in but the ultimate professional he is just did, and then accelerated along with the Captain.


Tendering strangely brought on Marcus Willingham to bowl who was by head and shoulders the best bowler and gave Ben Atkinson a scare being dropped behind by the wicket keeper, [something that happened a lot in the second innings, more later] but at the halfway mark he was not to know that he had got to 93 and 152 for 1 as a team score.


Captain Ben Atkinson was then dropped in the mid wicket area which wasn't an easy chance but a chance nevertheless, he struck another boundary shortly after to make the 99 runs required for his 1000 runs, the next ball he struck deep out to long on and a player under it should have taken the catch but this season is "Atko" year, he dropped it and a big cheer plus ovation from the side lines as the 100 came up.


Five huge sixes plus ten fours in his innings which was finally ended by Willingham in swinging bowling for 118, he returned to the pavilion to a rapturous applause from his team mates and Tendring Park fielders, great effort, great performance.


Jack Armstrong was to replace the Captain but didn't last long in his final innings, again that man Willingham was causing the damage, also Hodge was caught but the Tendering skipper for 36, and both Charlie Long, Peter Richards did not trouble the scorers for to long both falling to Willingham.


Steve Ryder and Shaun Faires steadied the ship and with Willingham bowled out the two of them hit the bad balls and ran like the wind, the wind being them out of puff, the field was set back so there was a lot of two's and three's in the final flurry of the innings, which Shaun got as many runs today as all season plus not out with 27 and Steve backed him up with an unbeaten 17 as the 40 overs was up, the score 248 for 6.


Tendring park tea was very good, will miss them next season but the openers that man again Marcus Willingham and the Captain  R Woolston set about trying to keep up with the run rate with Jack Armstrong bowling his pace and David Hodge his guile the other end.


To be brutal the Tendring Park had little resistance left, especially when Willingham could only watch and wonder, then laugh as his thick edge chipped up flew towards Peter Richards the legend who was not even looking or aware until he heard a shout of catch it, he did, and Willingham left he battle field with 33, having already lost the captain they did look a bit beleaguered.


Steve "Teflon" Ryder was having a bit of a mare behind the stumps but after all that he did take the catch that dismissed the number three batsman De Awis for one run, the last wicket for Jack Armstrong.


Only Collins showed some resistance but that was plagued by some good fortune with a few drops behind and wickets fell regularly and the Skipper seeing this gave a few people a bowl, the most effective was spinner Nick Rutter who took a wicket and the green pitch helped his day's work.


Sam Holder had so much swing in his bowling that the wide balls did mount up in one over but he also took a wicket a catch behind to Ryder.


The Captain came on and with his form the way it is he took a few wickets at the end, even Roberts chipped in as the youngsters came in, the runs had long since dried up.


The final wicket came in the 36th over when Charlie Long took a simple catch to end the Tendering innings and stay in Division three on 100 all out.


There was more action as the team pushed Rosie Roberts car to bump start it before the team all got changes and went to the Crown pub, sat outside in the cool end of the day going through the day's play and the season, how quick it has come and gone, more memories made, some friends departing for new shores, drinks, laughter, comradeship, perhaps not wanting it to end but as the night got black, the boys had to leave town and depart, everyone gave Jack a hug, a date was mentioned for the cricket dinner next year.


I have many stats, and we all had stories or things to remember but from last season not winning a game to being competitive in all the games and gone from strength to strength with a few new players whose criteria is they are nice guys, can play cricket, all get on to whatever level of player you are then you can call yourself a Hartest and Coldham Hall Player.


Well done the Captain, he has done a fantastic job this season with all the help from his team, won 9, lost 7, 2, postponed.


See you at the Dinner, more details to follow. 24th January 2015.


Webmaster.