Lining up vs Scaynes Hill 1s for the first time in league cricket the 2s knew they would have to be at their best to maintain their good start and a good performance last Saturday led to 30 points.
On what looked a decent deck Scaynes Hill lost the toss and BHCC skipper Matt Charman looked up rather than down and with some cloud cover elected to bowl. Chris Markham and George Parker opened up for SHCC and we knew both were good batsmen and a cricketing arm-wrestle ensued between them and Akeem Ifill and Bobby Barnes. Four good cricketers going each other was good to watch and Parker looked in good nick but was first to blink as Barnes had him trapped LBW for 12. The dangerous Nick Wright came and went as Akeem (2-26) bowled him with the slightest touch onto off stump. However the next wicket was emphatic as the same bowler with a genuinely quicker ball sent Markham’s offstump cartwheeling. At 30-3 SHCC looked in a bit of trouble as Tom Jenkins and Sam Jeremiah looked to rebuild. It was a genuinely good contest at this point as both batsmen in differing styles looked in good nick vs some good bowling. They advanced the score into the 50s before Martyn Box replaced Bobby from Lower Church Road and bowled a surprised Jenkins round his legs. Skipper Charman brought himself onto bowl at the other end and was soon rewarded as Jeremiah missed with a sweep to go LBW and SHCC five down.
At this point batsmen Saul Dolby and Senthil Palaniappan took it upon themselves to try and up the run-rate. The latter blocked a few then launched a huge six off Charman to deep midwicket. When he tried it again luckily for us he miscued to a good catch by Maskell at long off. Two more wickets to Charman (4-9) in the same over and BHCC sensed it could be over quickly if we bowled well, and Boxy (2-18) took out Dolby and Masky then took the remaining wicket with SHCC all out for 88. An excellent bowling performance.
In reply we made a shocking start, as SHCC bowled well to take out Teddy, Akeem and Curly to leave us reeling at 8-3. Punter followed not long after to leave us four down but luckily Martyn and Lewis showed the older players how to do it and looked relatively untroubled taking us to tea without further loss, 48-4. Both were batting beautifully together, great to watch.
After an amazing Ursula Pummell tea the teams waddled out to the middle stroking their bellies and the game carried on in much the same vein. Both Box and Mamoany looking very comfortable reducing the required runs. It was a surprise given how they had played when firstly Boxy gave his wicket caught and bowled and a few overs later Lewis yorked himself going back when should have been forward but most of the work had been done by them. Matt Charman and Jack Smart then took BHCC over the line six down without further worry for the win and 30 points.
A good win for the boys, with a comprehensive bowling performance then a strong response to losing early wickets especially by the young lads. Boxy gets MOM for his wickets and runs but Lewis was a more than able partner when we needed him.
Onto another local derby with our friends at HHCC on Saturday. Gary Honeysett the HHCC veteran (loves to read these) said he is going to play and smash the BHCC skipper onto the Clair Hall roof. Wickers will be stationed just in front of the stage door ready…