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This time, the "official" game against Old Woking (the previous meeting was through the C.C.C.) on a blazing hot day with only a few clouds for respite. It showed as all bowlers struggled to find any consistency. The innings wore relentlessly on and proved fatal when we dropped young T. Collin early on in his innings, eventually going on to make his maiden Century.
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A Club Cricket Conference game on a drying pitch after some serious rain in the previous few days. West End took to the field in overcast conditions, Mike Hills bowling well and quick from his first ball. Opener Dignby hit with purpose but Ben Pudney closed his account with a great catch just inside the rope. Apart from a few late flourishes Royal Ascot finished on 92 with just under an hour to go.
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On this overcast day, WECC batted first. The damp ground contributed to some erratic bounce, sometimes the ball would hold up, at others it would skid through. Consequentally, both Matt Balkwill and Jay Stephens found it difficult to get the ball away, the runs only starting to flow with Kev Cheeseman and Mike Hills at the crease. Hills went on to make exactly fifty, his second in two weeks. Then a long shower came across, slowing the runs with it. Did West End score enough? Mike Hills and Howard Turner bowled quite economically, Turner cleverly removing three of Brookwoods' top order. First Willis, then Salmon put up scoring resistance, giving cause for concern. Salmon was eventually caught off Barrett. As at Tilford, any of four outcomes was possible at the start of the final over: win for either side, a tie or a draw. Longley appeared to hit the final delivery of the day onto his foot, which bounced up to be caught in the slips who all went up for the appeal. Did it bounce off his foot? It was getting difficult to see, the Umpire of course must give the benefit to the batsman. The result a draw, but a very satisfying draw at that. Top of page |
Despite the "flaming" weather, funfair music and Fire Tenders' sirens, Captain Matt Balkwill won the toss and elected to bat. Tight bowling from Smith kept the runs down and removed Howard Turner for 4 in the third over. Kinsella was tighter still: 12 off 8 with 6 maidens. Matt was struggling but Big Jay Walliker's powerful hitting once again came to the fore, the patnership with Matt worth 98. After Walliker was stumped on 63, then Balkwill was caught having made a gritty 41. Only 11 more runs were added making a final tally of 146. Hills and Turner bowled well, the latter taking the first Pirbright scalp and Hills the next. However, the pace kept going as they set about Craig Weston. At the other end Barrett kept a tight reign on things picking up 3 crucial wickets when it mattered, one a quite brilliant catch by Weston to dismiss Vernoum. Smith and Oakley looked like getting the runs until Barrett bowled Oakley in the final over. Tired with the heat, a catch went begging deprived a five-wicket haul for Barrett. Just one single was scraped through for a tie with all honours even. A fine match for all concerned. Top of page |
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With
nothing to lose West End went out to try for the runs, a good strategy as playing for a
draw is like waving a red rag to a bull here. Jay Walliker (left) scored two massive sixes
in his 61 and was ably supported by Howard Turner, Jay Stephens and Kev Cheeseman. When
Big Jay was out however, the pace slowed as the home side re-applied pressure with some
tricky bowling for us to navigate. Not-outs Dave Lamb (13*) and Adrian Barrett (0*)
steered us through to a respectable draw. 
A
rain shower part-way through didn't help proceedings making the ground a touch more
slippery and the bounce slightly uneven. Adrian Lamberth once again opened WECC's innings
with Captain Matt Balkwill (left) and became the only casualty. Matt and new partner Steve
Cave batted cautiously beating the bad balls when the bounce didn't beat them. Later,
Steve magnanimously left the strike to Matt whose winning boundary shot also gave him his
half-century. 
The
view across Tilford Green is one of the most painted scenes in the South of England and
rightly so. However you need plenty of runs with short boundaries easy to come by down the
hill toward the river. WECC went in first, scoring a decent run-rate but losing wickets
regularly, reaching 58-5by the 16th over. Now we looked toward all-rounder Mike Hills
(above) to consolidate our position. He didn't disappoint, scoring his maiden 50 and
putting on 79 with Adie Lamberth. His wicket eventually fell on 86, 70 of which came from
boundaries.
Despite Howard
Turner removing Grogut early on Tilford kept up the run-rate, wickets falling but
infrequently. No.3 Smith survived more excellent bowling from Turner but once his eye was
firmly in started to let loose. Sadly, he retired hurt on 61 unable to continue even with
a runner. But the runs kept coming and roughly at the required rate. Mike Hills and Craig
Weston (above) were now bowling and kept at it until Tilford's batsmen started faltering
and falling, Hills taking three wickets. Vaughan belted the ball hard past bowler Weston
but Turner got to it, it then bounced out but a dive saw him clasp the ball within a
whisker of the ground. Tilford battled on but their last wicket was claimed by Craig
Weston on the second ball of the very last over to give us a memorable
win.