In the absence of Adam Rixon this week this is my take on Saturdays game at Hawk Green.
After a tough start to the season for the 2’s we headed to Hawk Green with a number of regulars missing due to the bank holiday weekend looking for our first win.
Hawk Green batted first, so we opened the bowling with a mix of youth and experience with Harry Coles and Higgy, Harry getting the breakthrough in the first over bowling their opener for a duck, Higgy then removing the other opener LBW also for a duck. Harry added another and Higgy 2 more leaving Hawk Green struggling on 53-5, a double bowling change of Irfan and Maltman saw spin at both ends and Hawk Greens lower order tried to go big but continued to lose wickets as both picked up 2 wickets leaving them 89-9 and with only ten players their innings was over. Our fielding was good again with some good catches from Sohail and Stan as well as others. Bodies were put on the line to stop any boundaries with myself suffering a minor grazed elbow and a nettle sting.
So with 90 runs to win Matt Downs and Wayne Bradick opened for us, unfortunately Downs nicked behind early on so Billy Thompson came in at three and got himself going with a great lofted drive straight back over the bowlers head, Wayne also started finding the boundary as the pair moved the score past fifty before Wayne was bowled for 18. Sohail came in next but was caught at mid off and we were 59-3, Stephen Monk came in at five on the back of some good early season scores and hit his second ball for a 4 and breaking his bat in the process. Billy was looking in good touch and and made them use various spare balls as he lost one ball which got stuck in a tree and another which clear the protective fence and we think cleared the house as well on his way to a first of hopefully many fifty’s this season, he finished 59 not out off only 48 balls including 8×4’s & 3×6s, Monk with 8 not out to see us to our first win of the season.