Washington Cricket Club - 40th Anniversary Year

Washington scraped a draw against Hadley Wood Green on Saturday. On a slow, damp pitch, where both sides found scoring hard work, Wash were set a target of 121 for victory. They finished on 51-8, with Neil Martin and Eric Stoughton stubbornly batting out the final deliveries, surrounded by Hadley Wood fielders who clearly sensed victory right up to the wire.

The afternoon began promisingly enough for Washington. Skipper David Gluckman won the toss and, having elected to field, saw his bowlers perform impressively. With Mick Kennedy (0-17) and Neil Martin (1-27) in fine form, the home team had only 31 on the board after 20 overs, with openers Bilmen (11) and Bolt (7) back in the pavilion.

When they tired, Peter Kloss (1-29), Eric Stoughton (1-16) and Gary Malcolm (1-25) kept up the pressure. They were well supported by the fielders, notably by Brad Hitchcock, who made his debut behind the stumps and looked like he was born to it.

Tight bowling and good fielding kept Hadley Wood in check: after 30 overs, they had scored only 53; after 40, a round 80.

In the last 10, however, the home side adopted a more aggressive outlook, running more daring singles, and the 40 they gained in this period allowed them to declare at tea with a respectable 120 on the board.

Washington’s reply never really got started, as Hadley Wood opening pair Randall (2-13) and Turner (2-12) made light work of the sluggish wicket. Dennis Edwards (0), Nick Taylor (1) and Hitchcock (3) all went cheaply, and when Matthew Cragoe (14) played over a straight one and Kennedy (1) was stumped after an audacious foray down the pitch, Washington were in dire straits at 25-5.

At this point, the captain himself came in, determined that Washington’s season not begin with consecutive defeats. For the best part of 20 overs, Gluckman offered a straight bat to everything Hadley Wood could throw at him, accumulating 5 runs in the process. He found solid support from Taran Persaud (1) and Peter Kloss, who played some crisp shots before falling for 6.

When Gluckman gloved a sharply lifting ball to slip, however, Washington’s goose looked to be cooked. It required the steady nerves of Messrs Stoughton (1 not) and Martin (5 not) to ensure that Wash’s season began with a semblance of decency.