Captain Scores 197 not out and still ends with Defeat.

Hartest and Coldham Hall CC      257 All Out

B Atkinson 197 Not Out, N Rutter 18, P Richards 6.

P Barker 3-31, Gill 3-81,

Brettenham CC 258 For 3

Gill 113 Not Out, J Swift 70 Not Out.

Roberts 2- 66, Long 1- 43.

A late call off from snake bite allowed myself to play as a better than nothing due to double vision playing with a patch or looking like Captain Jack Sparrow minus Parrot, or other variations on jokes, but what it did allow me was to see an amazing innings from the Captain.

The Captain won his first toss in a good while so with the heat an easy decision to bat first, the facts are the facts and numbers do not lie, the team was not at it's strongest with holidays, snake bite injuries, work commitments etc.

Dickie Pearson and Mark Roberts when to face up first but Roberts out LBW for 5 and very soon after Pearson for 4, then Captain Ben Atkinson had not scored when he was joined by Charlie Long, but sadly Charlie was out bowled by Westcott for 2.

Niall Hannan hung around but all to briefly for 2, and the score was 27 for 4, it looked like a four O'clock finish, top four gone, not a lot in the hen house but Jordan Marlow did hang around with the skipper who was scoring most of the runs but sensibly but quickly as he does.

The pair put on 51 partnership when Jordan was bowled for 4, then Peter Richards scored a 2 and a four before being caught and bowled by Brinkley, the score 90 for 5, it was about this point the skipper who already reached his fifty began to take a likening to the aerial route, sixes flowed, no chances given in his entire innings.

Peter Richards was second top score with six, a sorry state really, but he skipper was plundering, on a regular basis, 14 sixes, 15 fours plus an all run four, along his journey as the song goes by Leo Sayer, "his a One man Band".

Steve Ryder looked set but he to was given out LBW, and Jake Rutter got not many but took the team to another batting point when he left the fray at 129 for 8.

Nick Rutter, promoted from 11 to ten because of the half sighted Webmaster was the other player who will remember the afternoon with great affection, he had not scored a run this season and not only did he beat that marker, he went onto make his personal best of 18 runs scoring three fours but on top of that looked very comfortable even though the skipper was taking the larger portion of the strike.

The skipper had passed his ton as Nick arrived at the crease, single handedly making a game of it, but it was to get even better, the pair put on a 105 partnership in a smidgen over ten overs, the skipper was on fire, scintillatingly awesome.

Sadly Nick just getting over his personal best was caught out which brought the half blind man out, now I can assure you it is not easy with depth perception and another 23 were put on by the skipper protecting dead eye dick, but he could not manipulate a single off the last ball and M Atkinson was to face a whole over, survived 4 balls but the fifth got him when he chipped up to be caught, the sad part was the skipper was just three runs short of a definite double ton.

He walked in undefeated on an amazing 197 not out with great applause from both sides and hand shakes from the Brettenham players for a final total of 257 all out but batted for 39 overs, a fantastic effort.

Tea was very good and thanks go to Charlie Long and Dickie Pearson, top marks, more than their combined batting scores!! 

At this point a special mention of the superb pitch, over 500 runs were scored toady, testament of how good it was just by the numbers but you could see a lot of work had gone into it and a special mention to Nick Rutter, Dave Armstrong and Peter Richards, super effort.

After tea and not blessed with bowlers who are bowling with confidence but a score to defend did not get off to a great start, Steve Ryder pulled his Achilles heel and only completed one over, so Pearson and Long opened up the first few overs, with Gill and Ormes scoring freely with a combination of good shots and not the best of bowling but on a wicket which left little margin for error, otherwise you were despatched.

The skipper tried to change the bowling around, Roberts came onto try and stem the flow, but it was Long who got Ormes to play on to his stumps took the first wicket but the total was 84 in only 11 overs, runs were leaking way to fast.

Roberts got Baton to sky one and Niall "safe hands" Hannan took the catch, 92 for two, a break through, two quick wickets, followed by a third when Roberts bowled Bleninsop for not many, the chance to take the game perhaps.

Gill was still in on 36 when he was joined by Swift, this partnership was not broken and played very well, always ahead of the run rate required, looking  confident as the runs flowed, however, although a couple of half chances for catches were spilled late on when realistically the game was over, the Hartest and Coldham team didn't have much luck with decisions, the Brettenham team had there own umpire, with three shouts  two Hartest and Coldham players given their marching orders, in the second innings, six Hartest and Coldham shouts, none given, so a bit unfortunate in that respect.

The winning runs were scored in the 36th over, by then, Jordan Marlow, bowled well, along with Ben Atkinson who came from behind the stumps to bowl as we were a little short in that department today plus Nick Rutter did a good job, the wicket was like a road, played well and in due respect Brettenham won the game, Hartest and Coldham Hall would have got away with it simply because the  Captain had an amazing knock.

The game finished about 8.10 pm, we had sunshine, cloud, humid heat, rain with sunshine, rainbow, we had it all, some excellent cricket, two personal bests from Nick Rutter and the skipper Ben Atkinson, some of us did not perform as we could have but were privileged to be there and see it, cricket won toady.

Next home game is in a couple of weeks with Mark and Rosie Roberts doing teas, however more concerning already is the game next week away at Brockley, serious problems with raising a team so please if your available or know anyone who can play then get in touch with the skipper.

Webmaster