Washington Cricket Club - 40th Anniversary Year

'Scoop' Cragoe reporting:

Washington crashed to a second heavy defeat of a Bank-holiday-weekend-to-forget at Southill Park on Sunday.  The home side overhauled the target of 148 for the loss of just one wicket – the heaviest reverse Wash have suffered against Southill.

The Washington cause got off to a bad start when skipper Aff Naseem was obliged to withdraw from the starting XI.  In his absence, Shawn Hill took command on an authentic spring day:  the sun shone but the warmth of the last few weeks had gone – it really felt like an early season game and anyone who had two jumpers wore them.  

Wash batted first on a decent track but soon discovered that cricket is a great leveller. After the glories of last weekend, they got off to an indifferent start this time round.  Hill was back in the hutch for 0, bowled by one that stayed low, and returning Kiwi Tony Harris played some trademark shots but holed out at cover when he was on 7.

With the score at 20-2, Wash were vulnerable, but there followed an excellent partnership of 75 between Mike Turner and Glenn Matthews which steadied the ship.  Both players defended carefully when the ball merited respect, but when it didn’t they really hit it hard.  Before the game, the talk had been of needing 220-250 to be competitive:  Turner and Matthews looked like they’d take the Wash there.

However, shortly after drinks, Matthews (45) came down the track to one and was stumped, and the innings went into freefall.  Turner (36) was unlucky, trapped lbw on the back foot to a short ball that stayed very low;  Ash Cruikshank (4) was then the victim of some bad calling which saw him needlessly run out.

There were still plenty of overs to go, but Wash couldn’t arrest the slide:  Peter Kloss (4) tickled an attempted cut to the keeper;  Clinton Dugmore (0) took a swipe at one that wasn’t short enough for the shot and was bowled;  Will McDonagh (0) was stumped; and Russell Pendry (0) was bowled between his legs. Four wickets had fallen with the score stuck on 119.

The hosts allowed Washington to field an eleventh batsman, and Hilly came out to pound 18 useful runs before being caught.  Matt Cheviot remained 15 not out.

The mood at tea was sombre, and the first 10 overs of Southill Park’s reply did little to lift Washington spirits.  Dugmore (0-54) and Hill (0-12) bowled with plenty of pace, but Southill openers, Humphreys (53) and Chamberlain (42), played well and negotiated the opening salvo.

Kloss (1-35) replaced Hill at the pavilion end and bowled with great subtlety; it was he who eventually made the breakthrough, having Chamberlain caught at long on by Hill. 

Hill kept shuffling his ten-card pack: McDonagh (0-13) bowled a very tight spell from the far end, and saw a sharp chance go down at point; Pendry (0-10) came on right at the death but enjoyed no luck.

So Wash went down by 9 wickets.  After the game Hill said ‘We never had enough runs to put them under any kind of pressure and that was the key’. 

All parties will be looking for a good response from the Wash next weekend!

Man of the match:  Glenn Matthews – excellent batting, clean glove-work, and chirpy toasting in the field!

Packing the Kit:  Matt Cheviot for destroying Klossie’s car and ruining Ash’s Bank Holiday!