1st XI vs Hampton Wick Royal
Saturday, 9th August 2003 - League
NLCC vs Hampton Wick Royal
NLCC:
A Hart (Capt.)
T Gibbons (Wkt.)
I Johns
R Swann
J Russell
J Godfrey-Wood
P Mills
T Wakeford
R DeVilliers
B Wakeford
T Amedee
NLCC – 263-4 dec. (47 overs)
Hampton Wick Royal – 160 all out (43 overs)
On Wednesday, most of the first XI had been warned by their diehard skipper that they would most likely be fielding first on the weekend, so as to be in the best possible position to force 10 points out of this crucial fixture. Saturday comes, there’s 30 degree heat and one player is stuck on the M4. To say there would have been a few words said had the skipper gone through with his promise would be a major understatement. Thankfully, common sense got the better of Mr Hart, and he elected to bat on a fast but flat Hampton Wick pitch. Due to regular opener Richard Swann being stuck in traffic, Jamie Russell was asked to open with Ian Johns, and they got NLCC off to a solid start, putting on fifty runs before Russell fell caught behind chasing a wider delivery for 23. Jack Godfrey-Wood then came in and played some fantastic cricket shots before being bowled for 23 while attempting a rather ambitious straight, lofted drive. Johns, meanwhile, was in ominous form as he picked off singles and put the bad balls away. His previous innings in a friendly was 144 vs NLCC’s President’s XI, and his previous league score was 133 against Highgate. Here he again excelled to reach a third century in as many weeks, scoring 103. His was an innings of exemplary technique and application in energy-sapping conditions. NLCC knew they had to post a large total and he stood up and took responsibility. Other contributors were R Swann (32*), who will forever rue the day he was stuck on the M4 while his partner in crime got a bat on a flat belter at Hampton, and Tom Wakeford, who flailed his way to 23 not out. The total of 263 in less than fifty overs took the winning draw out of Hampton’s scope, but on this pitch the win was never impossible.
The Brothers Wakeford opened the bowling, and bowled in somewhat contrasting styles. While Ben raced in and hit the pitch as hard as he could short of a length, his younger brother bowled too full and ‘kissed’ the pitch (as well as the middle of the opener’s bats). Tom Amedee soon replaced him, and preceded to make the ball ‘talk’, bowling from his high action he was able to exploit a now slightly breaking up pitch to the full. Wakeford, meanwhile took two quick wickets from short-pitched deliveries in a hostile spell in the still blistering heat. Amedee also picked up a couple, and more importantly, with the varying bounce he was achieving, put it into the batsmen’s minds that they were no longer batting on a flat track. Mills, in his new career as an off-spinner, also found the right areas to extract turn and bounce, and put pressure on the Hampton batsmen to play some risky strokes. He fully deserved the couple of wickets he picked up, and it will give confidence to both Patrick and the skipper that NLCC now have another bowler to turn to when the seamers aren’t firing. After a much needed break Ben Wakeford picked up where he left off, bowling with pace and aggression to the end, continually beating the bat (or the head). His final haul of five wickets, though a great achievement, does not reflect how much of an effect he had on this game as he made every batsmen work hard to keep both themselves and their wickets intact.
Finally NLCC broke their six-week duck and picked up the 10 points here, and they were the deserved victors. Unfortunately Harrow Town, their rivals for the second promotion spot, remain eight points clear, but they only narrowly avoided defeat against basement-boys Old Actonians, so NLCC can take heart that they are in the better form.
MoM –
Batting : Ian Johns, followed up his maiden NLCC league century (133 vs Highgate) with another in his next league innings (103 vs HWRCC)
Bowling : Ben Wakeford, bowled with pace and aggression on the hottest of days to take five wickets
Carrying the Kit :
Batting : Richard Swann, missed out on a big opportunity by taking a wrong turn on the M4.
Bowling : Tom Wakeford, bowled like it was a wet green-top in May.
Report by: Fishmonger