Cold Defeat at Stowmarket

Hartest and Coldham Hall CC  185 All Out - 37 Overs


Hodge 71, Pearson 59,


J Trye 4-28.


Stowmarket CC  187 For 4  - 37 Overs


D Watling 56, K Haynes 48, S Lilley 40 Not Out.




Coldest ever Cricket match and to say not many from either side were enthused would have been an understatement but the game at Stowmarket the first league game of the season was on!


Having lost the toss, Hartest and Coldham Hall were asked to bat first with Hodge and M Atkinson venturing out to the artic, I mean the middle to start the innings.


Atkinson was dropped, scored two and by the time the score had reached double figures left the area with hail still in his ears.


Peter Richards joined Hodge and took the score to 23 before Richards was going for a short walk......... back to the pavilion for 4 runs.


The Captain joined Hodge and departed quite quickly for 6 then Armstrong similarly for a single run.


42 for four and the game looked destined for an early finish but Pearson and Hodge took the score to 135 with Dickie Pearson scoring a rapid 59, mostly in boundaries, 9 fours plus three sixes in one over.


Hodge was ever stead farce as the quality he is every year and passed his fifty by this time with Richard Carter who scored a very good 20 including a big six, but had lost Hodge for a superb man of the match 71 runs.


Shaun Faiers, new player and rookie Robert George, plus a distinguished  Jake Rutter all played well for no practise matches and supported Richard Carter until his demise for a creditable 20.


Nick Rutter was last man out in the 37th over leaving Jake not out and the final total of 185 which given that total before the game we would have bittern the proverbial hand off even though par score probably would have needed to be about 240.


Tea was good, and it was inside from the bitter cold where more layers were being found to put on as this weather was far from enjoyable, however 11 Michelin Men took to the field, flat caps, Del boy Carter, Rodney Rutter, couple of bobble hats, coats under white jumpers, hoping the picture of how cold it was maybe coming into your minds.


The nemesis D Watling and K Haynes opened and credit to Stowmarket this early in the season the pitch was excellent, for batting and Watling didn't really look in trouble at all, moving the score on without to many problems from our bowlers, Pearson, Del boy Carter, even Davis Hodge, nothing doing except the score was increasing steadily not rapidly.


Enter Dave Bobble Hat Armstrong, best bowler of the day and getting the prise wicket of Watling caught by Hodge a very good catch as he had to jump to get hold of it, considering he had the average amount of jumpers as everyone else did, [5] he clung on well, Watling departed for 56 but not as in his last four or so innings of over a hundred including a double hundred last year in the same fixture.


95 for 1 became 110 for 2 as Armstrong had Hawes caught for 10 a good catch from Pearson diving forward to hang onto the ball.


Nick Rutter came on and bowled well, steady and tightly plus in a slightly bizarre fashion had the other opener Haynes caught behind by Ben Atkinson the skipper after taking an almighty smack at the ball which flipped up vertically up over his head and into the waiting gloves of the skipper.


Two youngsters were at the crease, a small glimmer of victory appeared as both were bogged down by tight bowling from Armstrong and Rutter, the thought of bowling the whole team was unlikely but the overs were mounting up and 143 with ten to go plus both tied down seemed a micro chance of getting a surprise victory.


The home team players watching felt this as they encouraged them to run at every opportunity but credit to Hartest and Coldham Hall the fielding for a first game in atrocious conditions was exceptional, a credit to the boys throughout the whole innings.


S Lilley though a young lad grew in confidence even with Hodge coming back Lilley played very well for a young lad, no doubt a lot of effort in games in previous seasons showed a mature unflustered approach to win the game along side his partner George Tillbrook.


37th Over the game was up, Lilley scored the winning boundary leaving him unbeaten on 40, his partner also not out on 18 runs.


Considering the conditions the bitter cold the game was probably better than most thought it would end up, the Stowmarket team were very friendly and in good nature plus giving their young guys a good chance to gain from their experiences which will hold them in good stead for the future.


Hartest and Coldham however for a first game showed plenty of character and good fun in the bitter weather, having spoken to the farming weathermen the forecast is not good and the pitch is still some way from match ready, the boys if the weather forecast is correct may have great trouble in preparing it for the first home fixture next Sunday.


Well done the boys who played especially Jake Rutter who stepped in and found a new player in Robert George who showed enthusiasm plus brought the average age down a tad, just a tad mind you. 


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