Washington Cricket Club - 40th Anniversary Year

Yet the early part of the afternoon gave little indication of how the match was to develop.

Washington had first bat on a wicket that was green and damp after the miserable weather of the past few weeks, and a slab of steel grey cloud sat like a lid over the ground all afternoon encouraging the bowlers’ hopes of swing.

Pick of the attack was 12 year old Zinzan who swung the ball appreciably at a decent pace. With the score on 13 he got rid of Matthew Cragoe (7) and later returned to grab the prize scalp of Tony Harris (75), ending with 3-35 in 9 overs.

After their early loss, Washington’s top order consolidated, and the score moved on at around 5 an over. Holding it all together was Harris who played a blinder, cracking memorable shots all round the wicket and collecting quick singles avidly between times. He had his luck – this is a man you do not drop behind the wicket twice!

Harris shared in a series of partnerships, adding 52 with a strangely subdued Pete Demetri (21 – ‘not my kind of pitch, mate’), 20 with David Gluckman (6), and 51 with Sir Garfield Evans (21 before he ran himself out).

But this signalled a blip in Washington’s hithero serene progress. Zinzan was reintroduced to the attack and promptly got rid of Shaun Phelan (1) and then Harris, plumb as you like in front of middle. Although the young Calthorpe bowler did not manage to complete his hat-trick, Taran Persaud (2) and Agar Burton (1) then departed quickly to leave Wash teetering on 143-7.

It took some firm blows from skipper Justin Gurney (37) and Marty Bock (11 not out) to allow Wash their respectable tea-time declaration.

Calthorpe’s reply never got going. A smart run out by Bock and Harris in the very first over was followed by a rapid tumble of wickets: Richard Jones, extracting bounce and a little movement, picked up 2-6; Bock, billowing in like a Beaufort Force 10 from the Highgate End, grabbed 4-18; the extraordinarily underused Cragoe got 1-2, and Shaun Phelan bagged 1-3 in 5 accurate overs.

Had it not been for an excellent stand of 64 between Jenkins (37 not) and Nagler (30), it would all have ended earlier than it did: as it was, that moment arrived when Gurney accepted a return catch from Zinzan and wrapped the innings up with the total on 97.

So ‘revenge’ for the Wash, and plenty to talk over in the bar afterwards. As skipper Gurney said afterwards, it was ‘a good win against hospitable oppo’: Calthorpe get another crack at Wash in September.

Wash: Gurney (c), Harris(+), Demetri, Cragoe, Gluckman, Evans, Phelan, Persaud, Burton, Evans, Jones.

Man of the Match: Tony the Kiwi – good batting and decent keeping on a rough old pitch

Packing the Kit: Agar Burton – get a new watch mate! Game starts at 2!