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
A fantastic weekend of cricket with the history books having to be rewritten with a new record score for senior cricket in the history of the club (according to Play-Cricket stats) , a new record breaking partnership, a maiden century for one of our younger players and a 61 scored off a mere 17 balls. What a weekend of cricket …
Training on Friday evening
Training for the Juniors has sadly finished for the season
Honours Boards
It’s not often that we have two player’s names appearing on the Sussex cricket League’s Honours board – even more special that we have someone topping the board by some margin. Congratulations Jonny Farmer and Harry Hunter.
Congratulations to all the players who feature on the Club’s Honours Board this week
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
Upcoming fixtures on what is sadly the final weekend of cricket of the season :
- First X1 are at home to Rustington on Saturday at 1pm
- Second X1 are away to Barns Green at 1pm on Saturday
Team selections for this week
Match Reports
First X1 vs Pagham 2nd X1
Wizzy had Pagham away – a team who have managed to loose all their games this year, so confidence was high in the changing room.
Skip won the toss (rare occurrence ) and elected to bowl first. The idea being to get back early for Danno’s 40th further adding to the excitement.
JR (James Rainford) and Hugo opened the bowling as always and started off beautiful as always. JR picking up the first caught behind by a lovely catch by Will C, adding to tough competition for a position in the slip cordon. Hugo bowled their number 3 cheaply shortly after. Pagham’s opener showed some resistance due to the law of averages in hitting the middle of the bat, backed up by the fact he broke two in his innings. His luck did not last as he was dismissed caught behind for 36. The Wiz fielded and bowled strongly with the help of mediocre batting displays to put Pagham in difficult positions. We had them 9 down for 122 runs when Nick Klein performed an act that could only be due to match fixing or his eagerness to have a bowl. The simplest catch at cover when down, a moment both teams enjoyed. Pagham ended on 127 off 27 overs after being bowled out.
A different opening pair came out for Wisborough, Steve (opening veteran) and Nick Klein (whacks it). There had been much talk about Nick opening the batting due to his ability to score quickly, and Saturday was the day! He proved the skipper right with a 6 off his first ball into Pagham football club. He started as he meant to go on and supplied a devastating barrage to the Pagham bowling attack. He gifted the local pub and houses with cricket balls, also showing his generosity as a cricketer. This went on for 17 balls where he scored 61 runs, winning over runs and some hearts. It was fantastic to watch and setup well for a thrilling story at the party later in the evening. Both Wills contributed with 20s and allowed Wisborough to win by 6 wickets.
A very enjoyable and satisfying day
Will Dixon – Captain
Please click here for the full scorecard
Second X1 vs Pagham 3rd X1
Only one storyline worth paying attention to on the Green this week as the 2s strolled to victory over a depleted and already relegated Pagham.
I am sure that not many people need to read the match report to know that Farms had a good day out with the bat and Harry joined him and knocked off his maiden hundred for the club. A glorious feat of run scoring, both of them faultless, hitting a range of proper cricket shots all over the park as they piled on a massive stand of about 280 for the second wicket.
Toss lost and invited to bat with a long batting line up oozing quality and class. Franny and Farms opened, scoring freely at 7 and over for the first 7 or 8 overs. We knew it was a good day when Chris opened his account with a delicious clip backward of square leg to open his account. Chris “missed a straight one” with the score on 50 odd and then it was beautifully rural combination of Hunter and Farmer to take things through – just think if Butcher and Cook had been playing…
Credit where credit is due. Both batted beautifully – Farmer all Tourettes and nervous energy, Harry languid and loping. Both peppered the boundary both sides of the square, both running hard till the end. Farmer out for a magnificent 175 with 2 balls to spare. Harry unbeaten on a magestic 123 at the close. Jack Dixon contributing a creditable 8 no off two balls at the end. 348 for 2 off 40.
Tea taken. Darkness ensued. Everyone slightly lost interest in bowling. It was an efficient if not beautiful display in the field – Joshy marking his card with 3 fer, Ran Dawson bowling tidy seamers and Frank looping a few up into the slot. Tom Dawson was a hound in the field all afternoon. Harry Hunter cemented his superiority and demonstrated his ruthless streak by running out the 14 year old/ 3rd team debut/ almost highest score ever on 49 – leaving the rest of the team somewhat aghast… but hey, never give them any sense of hope Harry.
Good game for us. 30 points in the bag. Very slim chance of promotion mathematically possible, but a great day for the club, Farmer, and Harry. Couldn’t be more delighted for them both and to be there to watch the veteran and the youth impress and either ends of the club careers (!).
Up the Green.
Team: Tim and Monty Palmer, Jack and Josh Dixon, Chris, Farmer, Harry Hunter, Ran and Tom Dawson, Wolfie and Frank.
Scored by Susanna Braddock and Umpired by the great Peter Klein
Tim Palmer
Please click here for the full scorecard
Many thanks to Chris Marshall for some great pics
Sunday X1 vs Crawley
A healthy competition for places in the Saturday league sides, suggested there was demand for at least one more Sunday fixture. A few messages on Facebook later, and a friendly against Crawley had been arranged. My offer of a classic Wisborough tea was politely turned down on Halal grounds, but they were more than happy to travel to us. The draw of playing on the hallowed turn on the Green was enough.
Toss lost, local rules established, Crawley opted to bat first. 35 overs per side would be rotated after 5 overs from each end. Wisborough’s Sunday Supplements were the usual mix of eager juniors, seasoned 2nd teamers and one or two of the elite from the 1st XI.
Wolfie Finger and Josh Dixon opened the attack, alternating from the Ken Vickery End. An early strike from Wolfie (good take from Phil Maggs) left Crawley at 6-1. What seemed like 15 minutes later, they were on 80. Zubair Muzaffar Bhat, clearly a man in a rush, lofted and crashed the ball to all parts of the Green. At one point he had made 48 out of his team’s total of 56. Wolfie finally snaffled him for 62 when he missed a straight one. Phil Maggs took the next man down for a duck, while Chris Marshall opened his wicket account from the other end. Crawley had three very good bats, who each made 45+. Tight bowling and good catching ensured the batmen at the other end struggled to get going.
Josh Dixon was very effective up the hill from the Pavillion End, taking 2 wickets. Buddy Edwardes, Harry Maggs and Josh Braddock (a combined age of just 38 making some of us feel very old), bowled with great maturity and accuracy. The fact they are bowling on a wicket a few yards longer than they are used to shouldn’t be under-estimated. Wolfie Finger had a very productive 35 overs in the field, taking 2 wickets and 2 catches. Whenever I’ve played with Wolfie, I’ve noticed the how ball follows him around. Fortunately he catches anything that comes near him. Chris Marshall took 4 wickets, while Phil Maggs and Harry Hunter a wicket each.
The tea was a Marshall effort, half measures due to the opposition having already eaten. Tune mayo, ham and mustard, cheese and pickle were appreciated, but the introduction of egg mayo with a bit of bacon was the crowd favourite. Pigs in blankets (although festive), was a welcome newcomer. Raspberries and ice-cream especially for Peter Klein. The pièce de resistance were some scones – freshly baked by Harry Maggs. Top tier.
I decided to open the batting myself, with James Rainford. I liked the idea of walking to the wicket with my cricketing friend, and it would be nice to see if I could still bat. Turns out I can’t, and before the end of the first over I was walking back to the pavilion alone. The only thing that stopped me throwing my bat in the air, was the realisation that there was plenty of tea to be eaten. I’d held back before as I anticipated lots of quick singles. But no…… Tragedy had struck.
In the short few minutes that I’d walked to the wicket and back, some unnamed teenagers had managed to kick a football through the top window at the back of the pav – shattering glass over every remaining sarnie. I like a bit of crunch occasionally but this was too much. Crest fallen, I got the Dyson out and wondered if my morning spent filling sandwiches could have been better spent.
Back to the cricket. Oscar Warmington had started crashing the ball around for a quickfire 20, before falling to an absolute screamer of a catch. Tim Dent looked solid until he was bowled for 4. Harry Hunter and Harry Maggs both batted nicely for 16 a piece, while Phil Maggs chipped in with 7. All the while James Rainford was having a lovely time at the other end. Having last years 1st XI captain in our ranks, was a coup, and he didn’t disappoint. A pleasure to watch, and equally valuable for the young players to learn whilst batting with him. A particular highlight was a flick of the wrist 6 over midwicket. It started to look as if a third Wisborough century on the Green that weekend was coming, before JR holed out to cow corner for 80. A fantastic innings, and shows why Sunday cricket is so enjoyable for all levels.
Josh Braddock looked most at home in senior cricket, despite his tender years, while Buddy Edwardes also demonstrated his potential as a batsman. Both reached double figures. With one ball remaining, Wisborough needed 4 to tie the game. The fairytale ending wasn’t to be and Buddy and Josh Dixon scampered through for a single. Without doubt though – cricket was the winner. A thoroughly enjoyable game played in the right spirt by both teams (Crawley even calling one of our players back after being given run out). If only there hadn’t been glass in my cheese and pickle.
Chris Marshall
Please click here for the full scorecard
Many thanks to Chris Marshall for some great pics – again ..
A blast from the past
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