Our last game, v Hatfield Heath CC was rained off, bringing 4 months of Hounslow Leisure cricket to an end for 2016. Highlights included wins against the toughest of oppositions Wandsworth, Old Californians and GSK, within the space of 7 days in July. Stats, and AGM to follow..
V GSK. 1/9/16. The last midweek game of the season found HL in Boston Manor for this 18/18 clash. The heroics of our previous game v GSK a month ago, however, couldn't be repeated as we lost our last 7 wickets for just 21 runs, folding to 89 all out, even missing out on 4 overs of batting. Paul (32) and Steve (24) scoring the bulk of the runs. Paul, Wendel and Swain picked up a wicket each, but GSK easily knocked off the total with 7.3 overs to spare.
Leisure players were out in force last night (30/8/16), either playing or spectating, at the annual Hounslow Navigators v Hounslow Mayors charity match, held at the Indian Gymkhana Club. The Navigators thought 149 was very gettable at half time, but hopes were soon dashed as we slipped to 11/5 within 5 overs. HLers Adam, Wendel, and Paul mustered 2 runs between them, but Steve showed some resistance with 25no at the end for the team to finish 50 short on 98, 8 down. Despite the result, and some dodgy umpiring decisions, the Mayors charities were up by £400 on the evening.
V Richmond Yorkers. 25/8/16. Hot and humid in Sunbury for our last home game of 2016. Scoring just 131 to post a score felt 20 or 30 too light and indeed proved to be the case. HL were 67 from the first 10, but unable to kick on in the 2nd 10, finishing up on 131/7. 25's from Noman, Steve and Extras, and Jim smacking a couple of handy 4's in the last over. Richmond were 82 from the first 10 and continued to knock it around, recording a rare win, with 15 balls to spare. Shafiq and Swain both bowled well for their 2 wickets each, but Richmond the better team on the evening.
V CWofA. 17/8/16. The away fixture at Chessington on a scorcher of an evening. Lovely setting, blue skies, 25 degrees. Just perfect for a game of cricket. Unfortunately, some bright spark next door chose tonight to have a bonfire. However, HL didnt mind a little smoke during the game as we blazed our way to 160/7 from the 20. 49 runs from Wendel, including a dot and 5 4's in his first 6 balls, and 2 rather large 6's. Swainy, who was well up and running with 21, went Ape, as he was run out, a result of a joke call from Wendel. Alex, Paul and Steve chipped in with quick runs at the end. In response, WofA were 65/3 from 10, but HL kept it tight in the field and with the ball, all the bowlers taking a wicket each. With 30 needed off the last over, and Chris Burton at the crease, an HL win was never in doubt. (CWofA 131/7)
V Ealing Engineers. With a full team of HLers at the ground early and raring to go, hopes of any repeat of the memorable epic clashes with Ealing of recent years were dashed when the oppo turned up an hour late with just 5 players. Rather disappointing but as the game must go on, a 15 over, 8 a side, 30 and retire game was finally started at 6.45pm. Highlights included an Alex 30, 2 wickets for Rick (Hardeep being one of them, stumped by Steve), 2 catches for Swain, including Paul, bowled by Leo, Noman catching Waseem. Don and Olivia played, and Mike umpired. We made the best of a frustrating situation and for the record, if it really counts, HL lost by 8 runs (120/4 v 112/6), the defeat sealed in the fading light, Paul bowling Wendel with 15 still needed from 11 balls.
V GSK. 2nd game this week and the BIG one. GSK are strong and very competitive (they have kit with their names on and do pre match knock ups) and HL haven't won this fixture very often in recent years. Tonight, with superb batting from Waseem and Adam, we did the business. GSK batted first, got off to a blistering start, 50 from the first 5. Wickets started falling, and as did the run rate. Despite a flurry of runs the last couple of overs, when we could have kept it to under 150, GSK finished up on 166/9. Still a good score, but could have been 200 odd at one point. Wendel took 3 wickets, Adam took 2 (off his first 2 balls), and Leo, Ian, Swain and Paul chipped in with 1 apiece. 2 catches and a stumping for Steve. We needed a solid start and Wendel (19) and Waseem (53no) duly obliged. Wendel fell, caught on the mid off boundary, having hit a massive 6 over the tennis courts the previous ball. Waseem batted extremely well but had to retire once he'd got his 50 (5 6's, 3 4's), only for Adam to take over the mantle with a forceful 53 (before he had to retire also), including 6 4's and 2 6's. 20 needed off the last 3, became 5 from 2. Steve and Alex (15no) there at the end, HL winning with 8 balls to spare. Jubilant scenes and pizza in the club house. Including the Windsor game last Sunday, in which most of us were involved, and HL beating Wandsworth last week, its been 4 wins from 4 in an almighty week of cricket.
V Old Californians. HL don't need motivation when playing OC's, but when the oppo mention before the game that they have won all their 10 games this season, then HL really have no option but to try to make it 10 from 11. Overnight and morning rain had threatened to spoil the game. Despite the new covers not being used, the rain stopped at lunch to give just enough time to reasonably dry out the wicket. OC's reckoned their best bet was to put us in. Leo was out for a golden, but Waseem (35) and the returning, and chomping, Wendel (78), his first HL innings in nearly 2 months, put on a tasty 127 partnership with plenty of boundarys, including an 18 from one Terry over. Paul then ran himself out without facing a ball, but Swainy (29no) and Burton (12no) kept the momentum going to post a competitive 163/4. OC's got off to a decent start, ahead of HL at 10 overs, with both openers getting 40's, despite easy drops from Waseem and Swainy. Rick took both out, and a third, for 3 for 30, after which the OC innings fell away. A catch and stumping from tonights keeper Waseem, and a couple of runs outs. Wendel had OC skipper Dan caught behind for a duck, Leo bowled Terry and Knobby caught one, for HL to finish up winners by 30 runs. A satisfying win indeed.
Breaking news. Sunday 31st, Magdalen bowl Windsor Great Park out for 45, and win before tea, by 6 wickets...4 wickets apiece for Ian and Hooky.
V Wandsworth Planners. Showers and sun on Wandsworth Park this evening as old rivals took the field for the 22nd time in 24 years. Despite a lively wicket and tight bowling from Ian, Wendel. Paul and Swain, the outfield was fast and the boundarys short as WP racked up, an under par, 141/5. 2 Wickets for Paul, and a stumping and catch for Nigel, guesting behind the stumps. Leo and Waseem opened up for HL and made a partnership of 95 before Waseem was bowled for 39. Leo scored the winning runs in the 16th over, and notched up his maiden Leisure 50 with a 4 in the process. Wandsworth a little under strength this evening, but a solid performance from the Leisure...Rick turned up half an hour late, having gone to the wrong venue...
Magdalen CC on Tour to Kings Lynn, Norfolk 2016. Sunshine, beer and cricket against 3 great oppositions, in fantastic settings, Thornham, Hockwold and Castle Rising.
V CWoA. An epic 3 hour game fought out in the scorching heat of Sunbury this evening ended in a tied result, with 117 runs a piece. HL batted first with Paul (39no) and Waseem (34no) the two main contributors (the other 9 scoring 21 between them, including goldens for Adam and Steve, skittled out by the Pathak boys, who took a combined 6 wickets for 25 from 7 overs). With 118 needed for victory, and 10 needed off the last over, CWoA, despite 2 wides, couldn't score the 1 run needed off the last ball to clinch victory, a tie being the appropriate result for the evening, taking into account Hounslow having 17 players on the pitch and also some scoreboard and last over rules confusion. 2 wickets for Swain. Thanks go out to the Navigators for making up the numbers, to Alex for not being able to count to 20, and to Will for bringing his Tower of Mayhem to Sunbury this evening...
News: Hounslow Navigators play the Hounslow Mayors XI, Tues 30 August, India Gymkhana, Isleworth.
V Chelsea Cobblers. New fixture, and new venue. South Park, Fulham. HL too strong this evening, as CC were reduced to 90/8 from the 20, and duly knocked the total off with over 6 overs to spare. 3 wickets for Swainy who looked almost quite fearsome on this uneven, poorly maintained LBHF recreation ground wicket. 3 wickets for Rick, who took the pace off, and 2 for Paul. A shaky 30/3 at one point, but sensibly knocked off by Adam (36no) and Swainy (19no) with plenty of drinking time to spare...
Blast from the past: June 2003 when Hounslow Leisure played Hounslow Homes in a one off at Trailfinders. Leisure won by 16 runs, Jonny Walker taking a couple of wickets, Robert scoring his all time high of 22, and aussie Rowan scoring a 50.
V Harrow Planners. Our 400th game ended in a 142 run defeat, our worse ever, as HL crumbled to a miserable 81ao in less than 15 overs, chasing a mammoth 223 set by Harrow. Limited Hounslow bowling resources and a fast outfield, but a fine 119no from opener K Patel, and 48 from Wiggan, enabled Harrow to post a rather competitive 223/2 from 20 overs, the highest score we've ever conceded in a 2020. A rate of 11 an over is no small task, a challenge we failed to rise to this evening, Swainy (13), Alex (18) and extras the only ones to make double figures. Harrow now lead the honours board 19/18, having played 39 times since 1992 (1 tie and 1 abandoned game).
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| HLCC June 2016 |
V Superstars. 10 years of playing Superstars ended in a low scoring, last over defeat this evening, with just a total of 215 runs scored. Batting first, facing tight bowling, HL mustered a rather light 107 runs for 8, Waseem (32) and Will (10) the only 2 to score double figures. A fine deep catch by SteveP dismissed the rampant Superstars opener with 46 on the board. With reduced bowling resources, HL did well to take it to the last over, Superstars needing 9 to win, and duly completed with a wide and 2 4's, with the loss of 7 wickets. A 2 wicket maiden for SteveM and 2 wickets each for Leo and SteveP.
V Ealing Engineers. Leo (23) and Waseem (42) in a 50 run opening partnership, with chip ins from Alex, Swainy (30no), SteveP and wides, helping HL to 177/3 from the 20. Always in control despite 95 runs off the last 10 overs, Ealing finishing up 36 runs short with 141/5 in response. 3 wickets for Paul.
V Pheonix. Cancelled...rain...
V Thames Water. HL won the toss and batted. 85 at the half way mark, finishing up on 137/7 from the 20, with a rather dismal 14 coming from the last 5. 25no's from Waseem, Alex and Wendel, HL had to be sharp to defend. 88 at the half way mark for TW, 4 overs from Rick for 7 runs squeezing the oppo. 20 needed off the last 2, TW finally falling 7 short, 8 down, for a HL win, in a very tight and tense game. 3 wickets each for Ian and Wendel. A few Ashford CC players on both sides this evening, all 22 players batted, and true HL sportsmanship shown as a key batter, caught on the boundary rope, literally, was recalled, and a 6 conceded.
V Old Californians. Cancelled - rain, wind, cold....
V Harrow Planners. At last... the season gets underway for proper. With no time to relax from his journey... Knobby... run out, for a golden duck, second ball of the innings. 1 for 1. 17 overs and a 149 run partnership with Noman (32) later, Imran was next to go, having scored 85, including 4 consecutive 6's in one poor chaps over, helping HL to 163/3 from the 20. Harrow wickets regularly fell, and despite a couple of quick fire 30's from the oppo, the total was never under any threat, Harrow all out for 120 in the 17th. 3 wickets for Rick, 2 each for Shafiq and Imran, and 1 each for Leo, Ian and Paul, 2 stumpings for Mike.
V CWoA. Cancelled. Morning/ lunchtime downpour.
V Elmbridge BC. Cancelled.
Sad news. Alan Smith, a previous Leisure player has recently passed away. Incredibly, he started playing cricket in his 60's, very tall and lean and was an immaculate opening bowler with his line and length, and would often bowl his 4 overs for not very many. Batting; very correct, but perhaps suited to the longer game. A gentleman, a wonderful artist (I visited his exhibition of paintings one time at Chiswick Town Hall), and a cricket lover. He last played for Leisure in 1998, a game on Lampton Park in his honour, by which time he had retired to the south coast.
V Hounslow Navigators. 2016 has started. Won toss, opted to bat. 135/1 from 18 overs (Waseem, Wendel, Lux 25no's). Navigators win with 6 balls remaining, 136/2, both for Noman, a catch from Knobby. Great to be back on a pleasant early May evening.
