Honiton Cricket Club - 2nd XI v Whimple CC - Match report

Honiton 2nd XI commenced the second half of their season on Saturday, July 3 in similar fashion to the first half, with a game against Whimple, this time at Ottery Moor Lane, and a backdrop, at least in certain less reputable quarters, of a doom-laden weather forecast.

Fortunately our own beloved national meteorological service had come up with something rather less ominous and as it turned out a lot more accurate as the teams were able to play to a conclusion without interruption – a rare event in what has by and large been a soggy summer of squelch. Still, it's been good for the mushrooms, as the outfield and foraging pensioners bore testament.

To business. Honiton's skipper Jon Hext managed to scrape together a successful win at the toss and despite the wet and inevitably slow outfield, had little hesitation in electing to bat first.

The absence of regular stalwart opening bat Richard Potter (he of the Christine Wozniaki forehand, coincidentally during Wimbledon fortnight), had prompted the necessary inclusion of some geezer or other called Kieran Conway to bolster the batting, fielding and bowling…. Not that the bowling was a particular issue with nine potential front liners in the side.

It was runs on the board which had proved tricky in recent weeks, with the lower order repeatedly needing to weigh in to post a semi competitive total. The balance of this week's side once again looked somewhat bottom-heavy, with Blackwell and the veteran Brinsford the only two players in the lower eight able to claim Devon League half centuries on their CV.

So Hext and Groves set about building a platform as they glacially evolved to 30 for no wicket in the 12th over. Hext even managed some runs off the bat but eventually succumbed to Fenner's straight-onner for 14.

The old familiar pattern nearly repeated itself as Conway was dropped first ball by a sprawling keeper as he flashed at a wide delivery. Thereafter, Conway didn't look back, and had little reason to, as the ball tended to find itself mostly in an arc between mid on and square leg. Never one eschew the bucolic in favour of the stylish, Conway was repeatedly able to moose the Whimple change bowlers into the car park, threatening most vehicles with several pounds worth of improvements and scattering the mushroom gathering pensioners at long on.

Groves, meanwhile crabbed along as only he can, until, in the 19th over with the total on a less than confidence-inspiring 55, he was caught for 23 (1 four, 1 six), heralding the start of the snake like tail, in the form of the snake like Ostler.

The tail, it turned out, proved not to be an issue, so long as Conway was facing, which he largely was for the remaining 21 overs. The stats tell their own story as the 3rd wicket put on 45 (Ostler made 2 from 11 balls before poking a return catch to Brown), the 4th put on 51 (Blackwell 7 from 23, bowled by the ultra loopy Brown), the 5th added 10 (Smith caught and bowled by Syner for a blob) and Riley "I'm definitely getting a ton today" Burgess adding 2 to the 6th wicket partnership of 18 before having his timbers splintered by Nessling.

The Burgess boast of a ton did come true, however, in a manner of speaking, because it was he who was at the non-striker's end when Conway brought up his century. Not that Conway particulary needed nursing through any nervousness as he bludgeoned the hapless Whimple attack into the middle of next week and the elderly fungi foragers marvelled from a safe angle.

Craig Mudd made an unbeaten 4 from 6 balls as the unbroken 7th wicket stand added 41 in three overs, 27 coming from the final over as Conway finished on a dazzling unbeaten 145 (13 fours, 10 sixes) and Whimple finally knew the target they would be chasing (221 at a smidgeon over a by no means improbable 5.5 per over).

The Whimple reply didn't begin in the most auspicious manner, as Brinsford's first ball after returning from an injured hammy, a straightish, good length delivery around off stump was edged behind to Haysom who made no mistake with the catch.

After Blackwell had bowled his first from the petanque end, thing's didn't look a whole lot better for the visitors in Brinsford's second over as Lennox, presumably beaten for lack of pace, lifted another good length delivery to mid-off where the circling, predatory Hext was waiting to pouch the chance.

Things got decidedly more comfortable for the batting side after that as Kalann Nessling and more particularly the bristling Murray-Watson looked to put in a serious attempt on the target, looking to put the bustling Burgess and the sanguine Ostler under pressure (both bowlers, fittingly, given the state of their Daz doorstep challenge failure trousers, operating from the compost heap end).

Brinsford's typically parsimonious opening spell came to an end as he was replaced by Hill, whose first ball was edged to slip where Groves, diving to his left couldn't cling on. One, however felt chances were always just around the corner.

The Honiton fielders scurried, dived and limped around the field, as, despite some big blows the required run rate began to edge towards 8 per over.

Nessling's am-dram 'butter wouldn't melt' act failed to convince anyone, least of all the umpire as he edged Hill's outswinger behind and Haysom calmly took his second catch of the day to make it 44-3. But the big gun, Murray-Watson was still there, threatening to poop Honiton's party until Hill's murderously quick off cutter ripped back to take out off stump and send Whimple's main threat back to the shed for 36.

Ostler was implored with a typical degree of elocution by Groves and Conway to bowl it 'more flightierer' with the Honiton off spinner eventually obliging and Bonnor-Morris being tempted into an injudicious swing. Groves himself made sure he got his name in the papers by holding a simple loopy offering at slip as he elbowed keeper Haysom out of the way.

Confusion reigned for the 6th wicket as both batsmen felt the urge to be at the same end of the pitch, Burgess whipped in a 30 yard throw from cover and Haysom had a cup of tea and a rum baba before whipping off the bails to make it 68-6.

Mudd didn't do the Whimple chances many favours with a four over spell from the old folks end, conceding just six runs, but it was Will Smith, in only his second game, who decided enough was enough as he curtailed a last ditch attempt at belligerence from Randall, with a ball which clattered into the base of middle stump. Smith then followed up two balls later to casually snaffle a return catch from Lee Nessling and the fat lady began to gargle with the score on 97-8.

The wickets column gained a third entrant in the over when Anderton and Syner went for a highly optimistic run and Mudd swooped from extra cover to score a direct hit at the striker's end.

Batting hero Conway was given final dibs at the last wicket pair with his mercurial left arm spin and after the stragglers had had some fun in adding a further 18, causing Hext to threaten to bring back the proper bowlers, Conway finally induced Brown into hitting the ball to slip, where the amorphous shape of Burgess was waiting gleefully.

So in the end, Whimple came up 104 runs short and Honiton bagged the 20 points they needed, from a good all round performance in the field (Brinsford 2-6, Smith 2-12, Hill 2-16), but a decidedly lopsided one with the bat.

As ever thanks to our sponsors, MKM, and to the adoring Honiton fanbase of three OAP mushroom pickers and a squirrel.