5th July 2025 - HBCC 2nd XI vs Whitley Bridge CC (A)
1st Innings:
For the second week running, the Bridge won the toss, and stand-in captain Kent put us into field. Initially, the Bridge were made to field with 10 men, with Andy still in transit. Alex opened proceedings, with a maiden to get us up and running. With Farzan missing from the team, Mick Mountain had the responsibility of taking the new ball from the other end. Their opener then got into his stride, hitting a few boundaries and putting pressure on the bowlers. However, you can't keep Alex down for too long. It proved to be one shot too many for their opener, as he was bowled for a quick-fire 26. Shortly after, Mick also got amongst the action. A leading edge went high into the air, and was expertly taken by Mick for a caught and bowled. Dan Allatt came on as substitute fielder, as we needed to plug the gap left in the field. Their number 4 came out with positive intent, striking a boundary on his first ball. He continually eyed up the leg-side boundary, however, Josh Hartshorne was bowling tight lines and lengths, having come on to replace Alex from the top end. This lead to Josh's first wicket, with the batsmen flailing at one outside-off, which took the outside edge of the bat. Captain Kent gobbled up the chance at first slip, which is becoming a common theme these days.
With a young team being fielded by Whitley Bridge, the pressure was on their last recognised senior batsmen to hold the innings together. Despite some small contributions around him, wickets began to fall regularly. For awhile he was patient, but Alex wasn't giving him a sniff. Full and straight, he got his man for a well-made 39. Intent to minimise any further damage, the Bridge were able to restrict the home side to 123-9, with the wickets being shared across three bowlers. Alex got 4 wickets, Josh got three, and it looked like we were going to be able to bowl the opposition out for a relatively low score. Leo took three good catches behind the stumps, and assisted in a runout following good fielding in the ring from Mick Mountain. Ian and Andy both bowled good spells, without much luck. However, much like last week, the final partnership was full of frustration. Their seasoned captain played superbly, alongside the final junior batsmen, who played an equally important role in putting on around 40 runs for the last stand. Finally, we got the breakthrough, with Smales Jnr pouching a good low grab off Mick M's bowling.
It was slightly disappointing to let things slip at the end, however, with a good batting line-up and a fast outfield, we were still confident we could chase down 164 to win.
2nd Innings:
Mick and Leo got things running, with a solid start in the opening overs. Unfortunately, Mick had to depart for 10, having been caught in the ring on the leg-side. This brought Alex to the crease, looking to steady proceedings and build a big partnership...and he did just that. Leo played some glorious looking shots, both off his legs and through the off-side, as he looked untroubled for most of his innings. Likewise, Alex played beautifully, dispatching any loose deliveries all around the ground. The partnership continued to grow, and Alex brought up a fine 50, with a cheeky single down to mid-off. A much needed knock for the team, providing a strong platform to build from. The 100 partnership came up soon after, with the youthful pair showing their worth once again, all but taking the game away from the home side. Disappointingly, Leo fell narrowly short of his half century, and had to depart for 42, having been caught well at slip. Andy batted well, and was the beneficiary of 4 overthrows, much to the delight of the rest of the team. A quick single was taken, and a frustrated throw to Alex's end went away for a boundary. A moment that signified the beginning of the end for the hosts. With the win in sight, Andy was dismissed for 13 as one of their youth bowlers’ patience was rewarded. Despite some chirp from the field, Al silenced the opposition, with a magnificent straight drive that flew along the carpet for four. It was a shot which had the crowd purring in delight. Smales Jnr finished with a flourish, pulling a four to finish proceedings. A chase of 164 is no mean feat, and the top order made it look routine, with exceptional batting from the dynamic duo of Alex and Leo.
Man of the match this week has to go to Alex, who dazzled with bat and ball. He picked up 4 wickets with his bowling and batted with class to finish 86*, hitting 13 boundaries. He rode his luck on a few occasions, but capitalised on any chances he was given. A special mention has to go to Leo, with some exceptional keeping and batting which helped the team enormously.
Top of the league awaits next week as the Bridge travel to Notton. Can the team make it five wins in a row?