30/7. Old Californians. Cancelled. Rain.
24/7. A very hot late July evening in Spelthorne found HL hosting local rivals Staefa, the return fixture. HL batted first and runs from Ibby, Steve and Kieron got us off to a good start. Later runs from Wendel (29no) and Parky (20) had HL finishing up on a decent 152/7. Jim was run out with a direct throw having not faced a ball and Doc went for a golden. In response, HL took a wicket with our first ball, a repeat of the our previous meet. Staefa found it hard to score runs against tight bowling, finishing up all out for 109. 3 wickets for Chris, 2 for Ian and 2 run outs.
16/7. Winning the toss and being 38/5 in the 6th over wasn't quite the plan. However, Paul (42) and Kieron (37) steadied the ship, HL finishing up on a credible 137, all out, in the 20th over. Phoenix were already 3 down for 27 by the 4th over. HL bowled and fielded well and at 10 over mark Phoenix were on just 62. A couple of expensive overs and 2 well set chaps who got 50's took it to the last over where Phoenix needed just 3 runs. Defeat for HL was sealed with 2 balls remaining. An exciting close game, very hot, and defeat was disappointing after all our efforts.
14/7. Warm, but slightly cloudy day in NW London, with a few supporters out to watch. Oppo won toss and batted first, one opener got a 50 and a few other chaps chipped in, including their keeper who got a few at the end, finishing up 241/8. A below par score, but the team bowled well and 3 wickets each for Chris and Liam. In response, not the best of starts, 86/4 at one stage. One of their chaps taking a blinding catch to dismiss skipper Eoin at deep point. However, Ben (84no) and Jos (59) built a partnership, but the run rate continued to increase, leaving 15 needed off the last over. Frantic hitting and running, 2 needed off the last ball, but Mark was run out going for the 2nd, for the game to be tied. Super over required, Ben and Jos out there again, hitting a six, and a deflected off the bat bonus 4 to post 15. New kid Jofra tasked to bowl; a wide and a 6 meant oppo needed 2 off the last ball. A great throw in from Jason meant a run out and the super over was also tied. However, by virtue of scoring more boundaries, the team were declared the winners.
What a game, it ebbed and flowed throughout the day, with many pivotal moments. Perhaps the best limited overs game ever? A World Cup final, in England, at Lords, and England World Cup Winners! A fantastic tournament, and some amazing fielding, batting, bowling displays by some seriously top players. Well played NZ. Apart from a little wobble in the group stage, England were the best all round team at the tournament and deserved winners....(NZ 241/8, 50 overs, ENG 241ao, 50 overs. Tie. Super over; 15 a piece, Tie.)
11/7. The scorecard doesn't make happy reading. GSK 200/5, HL 70/8. Stand in skipper Swainy carted off to A&E with a broken hand before he had a chance to bowl allowed GSK to add 80 in the last 5 overs. With 2 top batters, including Wendel, missing in action, and morale down, HL lost by 130 runs. Jim got 2 wickets, and only Alex and Jim made double figures batting, just.
4/7. GSK have done an Old Trafford and turned the wicket 90 degrees. Almost works, but a short boundary behind the bowler into the tennis courts, which GSK made good use of. The first few overs went well for HL, 3 wickets for 30. Then 2 guys let rip, 100 run partnership and both retiring once they got to 50. We did take 9 wickets, but went for 170 in the process. In response we were 90 from 9 overs, above the rrr, but already 5 down. The last 10 overs yielded just 44 runs as we lost by 36 runs. Wickets from Chris (3), Ian and Swainy (2), Kieran the only one with runs with his 53no. First defeat of the season, and back there again next week for more pills, thrills and broken fingers…
3/7. Harrow, cancelled by oppo.
27/6. The Water pressure was low in Spelthorne this evening as Thames Water CC dripped to 105/6 from their 20 overs. HL made heavy weather of the chase, leaving it to the last over for Phil to hit the winning runs. 2 wickets from Chris and runs from , Neil30no, Alex25no, Swainy21no, Phil14no. Arguably an evening where a much better game would have been had had we won the toss and batted first.
19/6 v Superstars. Rain and train strikes. Cancelled. Click here for the Superstars CC website
11/6 v Old Californians. Heavy rains the previous 24 hours couldn't dampen the excitement of the first clash of the season between HL and OC's. The groundsman had done well to ensure the game went ahead with both teams undefeated in 2019. HL batted first, lost Paul in the first over, but Steve (17) and Swainy (37) battled on with a 59 run partnership. Wendel entered the scene in the 11th over, hitting a solid 56no, with 22 coming from one over, including 3 big 6’s for HL to finish up a respectable 140/5 from the 20 overs. We counted at least 7 dropped catches, including Wendel twice. By now it had become quite murky, and with some light drizzle, but tight bowling from Ian (2/21) and Chris (2/14) had OCs at 69/4 from 13. A direct throw by Swainy from mid off left their skipper stranded yards out, effectively the end as OC's fell short by a whopping 30 runs, HL's bowling and fielding, and that one over from Wendel, the difference this evening.
6/6 v Staefa. Our local oppo were on the back foot from the word go, losing a wicket first ball of the evening. With 4 wickets for 1 run from Adrian and 3 from Ian, it wasn't looking so good for the home side at 57/7 from 10 overs. An opportunity to use 9 bowlers had Staefa posting a mildly competitive 122/9 from the 20. HL knocked the total off with 15 balls remaining, 5 down, with Adrian 36 and Jim 28no the run scorers. A very similar score line to the week before. Phil somehow managed to go to the wrong ground, 15 miles away, but somehow got to the game having just missed 3 overs.
30/5 v Harrow. New location and mostly a new team. Harrow batted first. 50 from 10 became 129/7 from the 20overs. HL bowled well, Bicky on a hattrick with his 2 wickets. Apart from one batter who scored 51, Harrow didn't seem to totally endorse the 2020 concept, failing to take quick singles and rotating the strike. With our line up, the target seemed below par and this was fortunately the case as runs flowed from Swainy28, Immy30, Alex25no and Jim20, winning with 14 balls to spare. West Harrow Rec seems very similar to Roxbourne Park, fantastic to see HL veteran Phil back after 8 years away and to see Immy and Parky making guest appearances. The Kingsfield Arms the chosen establishment to celebrate the win and, as it happens, our 400th game. 45 times we have now played Harrow, since 1992. We currently top the leader board 23/20.
And on the same day as England beat SA, opening game of the ICC Cricket World Cup in England. 10 teams all play each other, semis and then final on Sunday 14th July. An ODI every day for the next 5 weeks...
22/5 v Chelmbridge. Cancelled.
16/5 v Phoenix. HL 99 all out, Phoenix 99 all out. Incredible scenes, reminiscent of SA and AUS in the ‘99 World Cup semi as the game finished as a tie! HL chose to bat, confident with our very strong top 6 of Waz, Keiron, Swainy, Wendel, Neil and Adrian. However, from 86/3 at the 10 over stage we slipped to 99 all out in the 17th over, losing our last 7 wickets for just 3 runs as Sanjeev, their spin bowler and 50th birthday boy, took 5 wickets for 1 run. (Only Kieron30, Waseem26, Wendel18 with runs)
In response, Phoenix got off to a positive start, but with tight bowling from Ian, Adrian and Paul, the runs dried up as wickets regularly fell, with only 47 on the board at the half way stage. Scroll on a few overs and with 18 balls left, 3 runs needed, and with 3 wickets remaining, and with very little hope, on came Kieron to bowl. 15 balls later including a bowled, a caught and to finish a Jontyesque run out from Paul, the match was tied with 3 balls remaining…. The start of my 25th season with HL, this great game never ceases to amaze me, cricket was the winner this evening.
9/5 v Richmond. Cancelled RAIN!
