Welcome to another edition of Wizzy News – our weekly roundup of news and events at Wisborough Green Cricket Club. If you missed last week’s edition please click here

Training on Friday evening

Training for the various age groups as follows this Friday :

• Under 5,6 and 7 : Training has finished for the season
• Under 8 and 9 : Training has finished for the season
• Under 10 : Training on the Green at 6pm
• Under 12 and 14 : Informal Training on the Green at 7 pm
• Girls : 6:30pm – 8 pm

Memorial Sunday

As Bank Holiday weekend approaches so too does a special day for the club. A day where we come together to remember some of the former heroes of Wisborough Green Sports. On Sunday the 25th we will see the second annual Ken Vickery XI vs Malcolm Spiers XI and if last year is anything to go by it should be a great family day.

As Steve Calder Smith rightly reminds us regularly – we are merely custodians of this great club, a club that has been playing since at least 1740. So – this day is about taking time to celebrate with friends and family whilst we remember those that gave up lots of their time to make WG Sports and the cricket club what it is today!! We all now play a part in making sure the club continues to be a great place where people will enjoy playing cricket for years to come.

Please click here for a stroll down memory lane as Club Captain Dan Vickery trawled through some old scorebooks dating back to the 1960’s ….

Honours Boards

Its always special to see a Wisborough Green name on the County Honours Board. Congratulations James Rainford

Congratulations to all the players who feature on the Club’s Honours Board this week most notably some of our younger players who featured prominently with the bat.

Seniors End of Season Dinner

The Seniors End of Season Dinner will be taking place on Friday 27 September at the The Sir Roger Tichborne pub in Alfold – please make a note in your diaries. Places are limited so please book early.

Upcoming Fixtures

Lots of senior games coming up again this next week – good luck to all our teams

• First X1 are away to Ram on Saturday at 1pm
• Second X1 are at home to Littlehampton on Saturday at 1 pm
• Women’s Team vs Billingshurst on Sunday morning at 10am
• Sunday is Memorial Day – Vickery X1 vs Spiers X1 at 1:30 pm

Please click here for all of our age group fixtures on the ECB’s Playcricket website. Fixtures are also listed in our official Fixture card, copies of which available in the Pavilion. You can also download an electronic copy of the fixture card by clicking here.

Team selections for this week

Match Reports

First X1 vs Bognor

• Redemption day had finally arrived – and oh did it taste sweet, some might say too sweet!
• WG welcomed Bognor and were seeking a win to rid the memories of the bitter defeat we put ourselves through at their place
• Another toss lost and we were again asked to bat
• Vickery and Stevie strode to the crease – Stevie effectively performing a U-turn and returning to the pav without scoring
• Out came Tommy (18) and with Vickery (50) got WG to 60 before Tommy snicked off – that was the first time he was out in 4 innings and over 200 runs scored (a good innings that Tommy!) 
• Willbo came and went as quick as Stevie – also without troubling the scorers
• Oscar was caught sitting on his bat as Vickery wanted to press for runs and WG were a little unfortunate to find themselves 80-4 
• Junior joined Vickery at the crease with us very much in need of a partnership – though it wasnt to be as Vickery toed a full toss to midwicket. 
• After a nice flourish from Junior (31) and a decent knock from the reliable Hugo (15) wickets began to fall
• Kleiny (5) dents a car first ball only to bowled by his third
• Joey (4) unlucky to be given by an apologetic panel umpire after smashing a sweep shot into his pad
• This left WG 164-9 and bought together DJ (22*) and Griffiths (11)
• The pair would assemble a much needed 36 for the final wicket stand – bringing up the 200 Dave celebrated by skying the first ball of the final over – 200 all out
• A below par score with the outfield quickening, but there was some nice contributions, particularly the 40 from Extras (second top scoring)
• The wickets were shared among the bowlers – who other than a lot of really wide balls generally bowled a decent enough line and length
• Another excellent tea by the Farm Shop (I’m honestly not paid to plug them!)
• WG showed their keenness – continuing the warm up whilst the batters were ready to take guard……but we wanted to be ready and ready we were!
• Bang – 1 for 1, Junior bowls him – here we go boys
• Bang – Bognor fight back, Broad and Woolnough put on a quick fire 38, meaning WG are needing a breakthroigh
• Bang – Kleiny takes the biggest catch of the day, removing the dangerous Woolnough, dropped down from Bognor 1s after scoring 86 (all season!)
• Bang Bang – Junior and DJ combine to remove two in two balls – Bognor now 58-4
• Back in tut shed – Griffiths bowls Broad with a ball Ben Thatcher would be proud of – Dave unleashing a cutting send off (not that anyone understood what he said)
• Bang – Junior bowls another and Bognor are realing at 70-6
• Bang Bang – Vickery this time with two smart catches – one off Junior and one off Willbo to remove the skipper and extinguish the last hope Bognor had of winning
• Pop pop – Hugo cleans up the tail
• Bognor dismissed for 126 – a 74 run victory, which was a bigger margin than that of either innings at their place! 
• Bring on Ram………

Please click here for the full scorecard

Dan Vickery – Captain

Second X1 vs Crawley

Wisborough 2’s headed over to everyone’s favourite ground, Southgate Park Crawley. Memories of victory for both the 1’s and 2’s are hard to come by, so the team knew it was going to be a tough challenge. But spirits were high coming off a string of comfortable wins, and what looked like a good pitch (for a council-run deck) made Farmer’s mind up to have a bat.

It couldn’t have started any worse when Alex was judged LBW first ball of the match. Raff joined Tarnie at the crease and was watchful, the new ball popping off a length and keeping low from the same areas. Saddique was enjoying himself, Khizer from the other end was just bowling straight – while wearing a pair of black joggers to distract the Wizzy batsmen. ‘Its just not cricket’ rang around the ground.

Raff saw one pop over the shoulder of his bat and then the very next ball shot on to his stumps. Enter Captain Farmer who, after discussion with senior pro Tarnie, agreed that seeing off the danger-man Saddique would be the key to a good total. The ball continued to leap off a length and Captain Farmer was taking more hits than Johnny Depp, but ate them up until Saddique’s final over when a ball spat off a full length into his chest, followed by a shooter to uproot his off stump. As you might imagine, a few loud words were had at the direction of the pitch….

Enter young Matt Ritchie, who calmly saw off the final three balls of Saddique’s spell. He finished with a respectable 9 overs 21 for 3. But it was then just a one man show, which would start in style with back-to back-boundaries facing the new bowler. Matt was dropped on 18 and 19, the bowlers and fielders realising their errors, and raised his bat for a fine 50 in a flash. Meanwhile Tarnie who had been very watchful, continued to put away the bad balls as per usual. He too was put down twice. Ritchie kept on flailing and the ball kept going further and further into the woods. The pair put on a fine hundred partnership, before Tarnie was run out coming back for a second – luckily the Olympics were done, as he would definitely not qualify for any sort of sprint… Yet another fine 50 though for the in-form Chairman.

At 140/2 the Green had recovered spectacularly, and Juan joined Matt who had hit the ball into his knee and was hobbling around. The pair pushed on for the last 10 overs, and Matt reached the magical 100 with a fine blow over cow corner, finishing on a good 107 not out, Juan was 26 not out, and the Green 230/4. A very useful score.

Tea was taken. With the Emerald Sports Club in view and tunes pumping out, it wasn’t the normal tea setup we were used to. But with 11 men fuelled and Juan’s crisp selection devoured (only one flavour, sponsorship of the Hundred had taken its toll), the team was keen to to keep the Green winning streak going. Wolfie and Joshie opened up. Wolfie was uncharacteristically inaccurate while Joshie did what Joshie does, however the Crawley batsmen do know how to swing from the hip. So it was going to be an intriguing battle, Joshie bowled two perfect maidens to start before removing the Crawley captain’s off stump. Wolfie had been hit for a for a few big blows but uprooted the leg stump of the other opener who had made a quick start, and the first danger man had gone: 39/2 off around 8 overs.

Farmer brought himself on, was soon into his stride and nipped one back to trap the number 4 in front: 60/3. Harry Maggs came into the game and bowled with his usual accuracy, however with his height didn’t get as much of a variable bounce. The Crawley players hoicked him across the line, and started to do the same with Farmer. After an outburst of frustration moments (he never hit it Peter) Farmer removed the wicket keeper batsman: 92/4, but the rate was still a good one so wickets were key.

Ritchie replaced Farmer but only lasted 3 balls before his knee flared up so Raff came on and his first ball almost took a great caught-and-bowled. Raff got his reward with a wicket a few moments later, and cleaned up the number 7. Harry was into his last over and Crawley’s remaining hopes seemed to be with the swashbuckling Khan who moved on to 35 at a rate. He launched one high into the Crawley smog, Farmer sprinted around from long on to cow corner to pluck it out of orbit with one hand, jubilation to the Green as Maggs was lifted into the air. It wasn’t too late for a bit of Vorster magic as he removed the tail, and still time for Phil to upstage Harry.

Sadly for Phil after a fine run out the way he upstaged Harry was to go for a caught-and-bowled, but tripped over the stumps and hit the deck. I have seen Peter Klein’s finger move very quickly in the past, but for a split moment even he wasn’t going to intervene where the stumps almost ended up.

Phil got up, dusted himself down and finished off the game in style, with a caught-and- bowled (well watched this time).

Crawley 170 all out. A complete team performance from the 2s.

Super Charlie Maunder may be in rehab for a week with all the uneven bounce he had to deal with behind the stumps. And it would be rude to leave his name out of the report.

A beer at the wonderful Emerald City Inn, With three games to go, the Green 2s are showing all the heart, courage and brain to go right up that table.

Please click here for the full scorecard

Jonny Farmer – Stand in Captain

Sunday X1 vs Sussex Disability X1

The most anticipated Sunday fixture of the season so far brought a rematch of last year’s classic between the Sunday Supplements and the Sussex Disability XI. To all intents and purposes – this was Josh Dixon v Wisborough Green. At 7am Mick Hollands received a text from Josh, stating he’d be getting him out for a duck. For months Joshy has been taunting any Sunday player, belittling them, making them doubt their cricketing abilities, all with the aim of being on the winning side on August 18th. Sometimes he said he’s be taking 5 wickets, sometimes 7. Probably score a 50 too. And who would doubt him? Josh always believes he will take 5 wickets. His MVP stats don’t lie. A team with Josh Dixon in it, is better than the team without.

On this occasion then, Wisborough were without. However, the Dixon house has more cricketers on its shelf. Will and Jack would be our secret weapons, while Tarni (who was in the original line up) volunteered to spend the day umpiring at square leg – possibly to avoid the possibility of facing his middle son. The rest of the team saw Sunday stalwarts Mick Hollands, Oscar Warmington, Chris Marshall, Wolfie Finger and Phil Maggs joined by eager youngsters Harry Maggs, Hector Dawson and Josh Braddock. Matt Ritchie, fresh from his Saturday century, took the gloves in a step to becoming the ultimate allrounder.

The captains strode to the wicket for the toss and agreed a bespoke format for the game. 35 overs each, but if either side were bowled out within their allocation, they could bring batmen back in to complete the full 35. Sussex lost the toss and Wisborough elected to bowl.

Wolfie Finger and Phil Maggs opened the attack. This was a good battle from the first ball. The two Sussex openers looked tidy and played sensibly, while Wolfie and Phil teased and tempted them. Eventually Phil struck with a short ball that was hooked straight onto leg stump. Harry Maggs took inspiration from his father and removed the other opener LBW.

Will Dixon bowled a great line and length and was decidedly sharp. When the ball nipped off the seam and nicked the outside edge – the normally lightening reactions of Chris Marshall at slip sadly eluded him. Sussex scored at a decent rate and Wisborough kept nagging without much luck. Eventually Marshall made up for his earlier tardiness by snaring 3 wickets in as many overs. Which brought the aforementioned Wisborough Demigod to the crease. Josh Dixon, resplendent in full Sussex ODI blue, stode to the middle like a Gladiator. His sword a short handled willow blade, he took guard. Peter Klein spoke into his beloved walkie talkie “this is where the game really starts”.

Time for a bowling change. Marshall and Maggs off – Dixon and Dixon on. To bowl at Dixon. The Dixon officiating at square leg praying against a stumping call that would reveal a favourite son. A fifth Dixon was busy bringing out drinks. If the Dixon dog could have kept wicket, I’d have been searching the pages of Wisden to see if six family members was a record.

Jack stepped up first. His loopy leg spin would bamboozle seasoned pros, but not Joshy. Whack! Runs. And again. Every shot drew cheers from his Sussex team mates. (Every Wisborough player was also secretly willing on the club’s most popular character, despite the desperation to get him out). Will took over from the Ken Vickery End, demonstrating his off spin. Josh smashed his younger brother for runs on the on side. The half century he promised, was 43 runs closer. Eventually Will turned a ball further than Warne to Gatting, and Josh’s off bail was removed. The battle was over, but the war just beginning.

Sussex batted well, and some huge sixes interspersed some tidy bowling. One pull left a seam mark on the bonnet of an unfortunately parked car. Josh Braddock – too young to play in the senior Saturday leagues, took two Sunday wickets that suggest he’ll be more than ready when he can. Wolfie, Phil, and Harry all took wickets. Hector’s four overs went for just 12. Even Mick Hollands had a over. He didn’t fancy a second. After 35 overs, 12 wickets had been taken and 187 runs scored.

If there’s one thing a Sunday fixture requires, it’s a top quality tea, and this one didn’t disappoint. Also a Dixon affair, there was a tremendous selection of sandwiches (egg mayonnaise, ham, cheese and pickle) prepared by Trish and Tarni. Strawberries and a quite scrumptious cake made this a most welcome offering.

Jack and Oscar Warmington opened the batting. The bowling was of a high standard. There is a reason these chaps are representing their county. Oscar started well but succumbed on 3. Jack (who seemed to have eaten Popeye’s spinach if the guns and levers on him were to go by) looked to be building an innings. Sadly after three boundaries he missed a straight one and was back in the shed. Mick Hollands batted nicely until his nightmare came true and Josh removed his off stump. Matt Ritchie found that his century the day before was hard to replicate and the rest of the batting petered out. Will scored a quality 47 but the rest were single figures. The opportunity was there for some batsmen to walk to the crease for a second time. Jack and Oscar faired better on their return, with 20-odd each. Harry, Josh B and Hector each gained experience at the wicket with a double innings. There was a danger of Mick Hollands having to bat again, but with the prospect of getting out to Joshy twice in a day a reality – Tarni called stumps.

And so, a game that promised so much, lived up to it’s expectation. Around 25 wickets taken in 70 overs, the scores were 187 to about 140(ish). Sussex Disability proved worthy winners and Joshy did himself proud with his ever present smile lighting up the Green. He didn’t get his 7 wickets, but as promised – the wicket he did take was his friend Mick Hollands. Job done.

Spotted out and about

That’s it for this week.

If there is anything we need to know you know where to find us.

Have a great cricketing week 🏏😊

Cheers

Wizzy