Hartest defeat in thriller Game

Stowmarket 178 All Out


S Lilley 33.


Carter 4-35, Rutter 2-20,


Hartest and Coldham Hall CC  172 All Out


Melville-Ross 45, M Roberts 31, C Long Not Out 27, N Rutter 10.




Sunday - rain, just lately the rain came and for a while the game was in doubt but the forecast was for clear skies and sunny weather in the afternoon.


The Captain lost the toss and Stowmarket decided to bat, with there team out on the tiles they had drawn lots for batting positions so a few variations began but Stowmarket got off to a brisk start scoring 41 before the first wicket went in the 7th over a smart catch from Ryder at square leg off the bowling of Dickie Pearson.


The wicket fell shortly after with a sharp catch from Roberts to dismiss Codd off the bowling of Vice Captain Richard Carter.


The danger man Watling came in and on his previous four innings against Hartest and Coldham scoring centuries in each, Carter bowled him for a small score of 6, continuing the good work Pearson was doing in his ten over spell with a caught and bowled, the over before.


Pearson did have two catches dropped where Carter was finding fielders who could hang onto the catches today, but the Stowmarket score had slowed up dramatically, 92 for 5 at drinks.


Charlie Long and Carter came on and continued the second half of the Stowmarket innings and when Long settled down and found his rhythm plus taking a caught and bowled to dismiss Griffiths for 26 the end seemed nigh for Stowmarket.


The game for Hartest was then lost as it turned out in the end when 14 year old Lilley came in and batted very well with the tail, using up the overs even coming down the wicket to attack the bowling.


Ironically, in the opening game of the season he batted early and most of the innings which as it turned out cost Stowmarket the game as he found it difficult to score but today the record book was put straight, he found gaps and played some unfortunate for Hartest some very good shots.


Those 33 runs made the difference as the Stowmarket total got to a creditable 178 all out on a wicket that was good for batting but equally so gave the bowlers something in the right areas, especially spin as Nick Rutter took two wickets for twenty.


Tea was from Steve and Zoe, and thank you to them both for providing an excellent tea, although Steve got out of washing up duties as he opened the batting with Josh Borley.


J Trye was quick but his radar was off and A Johns was unorthodox
deliveries of spin gave the batsmen a lot of questions to smack it of respect of do neither and get bowled, the latter happened to both openers and when the openers were dismissed the inform Captain smacked a six and a four before slicing one up in the air to give Johns 3 wickets and the score on 55, only Mark Roberts fresh off his 69 for the Suffolk gents earlier in the week showed some class plus his reverse sweeps keeping the scoring well above the rate required but wickets were falling.


Roberts was very ably supported by the very fine batting of Rupert Melville-Ross who was elegant personified with some cracking shots with lovely touches for singles to keep the score going.


Roberts had a mad moment [I know hard to believe] and his excellent innings came to a close caught for 31.


Charlie Long scratched about trying to find his form and he found it, he played very well and another contender for man of the match with his delicate play and supported Rupert Melville-Ross but as the two were beginning to see perhaps a match winning partnership , Rupert was ran out for a super 45.


C Watling whose bowling was so economic earlier in the season proved it was no fluke he was very difficult to get away and very accurate, but Long had the measure of him but Carter, and Dave Armstrong [nursing a bad back] both fell cheaply, 139 for 8.


The excitement was building although Stowmarket was in the box seat but the pendulum was changing as Dickie Pearson had a flurry and chipped into the hands of Blake, so did Mark Atkinson, the score 157 for 9.


Nick Rutter, not necessarily known for his batting was inspired with a bit of good fortune and with Charlie Long in fine form the unlikely win was ever becoming more real, run by run, near miss by near miss had the small crowd plus players on and off the pitch either cheering or sighing.


Three overs to go, seven runs to win, a small bit of hesitation after playing so well led to a run out and gave Stowmarket a victory by six runs, an absolutely super game which was not marred by the result as it was an exciting game played by both side in fantastic spirit and good fun.


Nick Rutter contributed with 10 runs his personal best for a while and Charlie Long finished the game 27 not out, but those few runs that Stowmarket got at the end of their innings was ultimately the undoing of Hartest and Coldham Hall this week, but the fun and general banter was excellent as always.


Next week the Vice Captain takes charge as skipper is away on holiday but he is getting the side together before he leaves these shores so please get back to him with availability as soon as possible, Richard will take his troops to play Thurston away so come and support the team.


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