Southwick Wanderers Cricket Club

Hammerwood vs SWCC - Sunday 26th July 2009

The Wanderers deliver Hammer blow at Hammerwood

The Wanderers proved too strong for Hammerwood despite fielding only ten and two being of the fairer sex, Gemma Manvell and Jan Ryan both of whom became one of the lads during the 2hrs 15mins in the field………..

An overcast and drizzly day at the picturesque home ground of Hammerwood CC was the setting for an entertaining encounter.

Jamie lost the toss which meant the home side put themselves into bat to set the Wanderers a target.
As Jamie was struggling with his back, Jez donned the gloves to allow John to open the bowling with Lukey.
Luke and John kept it tight in the early exchanges before John struck with a short,rising delivery that snicked Colin H’s bat through to Jez for an easy snaffle behind the sticks.

At 13-1, this brought to the crease Aneya who with Bob P at the other end started to increase the scoring rate markedly, riding his luck a little along the way. Bob P meanwhile was striking the ball firmly and straight finding the short boundaries with regular ease.

A change of bowling brought Taylor and Dave F together to try and remove one of them but it was to no immediate avail. Jamie then came on to provide the ‘shock and awe’ tactic to proceedings with a 3 over spell, but it was the wily old campaigner Dave Field that finally broke through, bowling Bob with a beautiful inswinging Yorker that ripped out his leg stump!!, well it bent it back a bit anyway….

He ended on a very creditable 71 and laid good foundations for the rest of his team to build a very competitive total. Jimmy was next to go skipping down to meet a Taylor delivery that had extra flight and turn that completely bamboozled him leaving Jez the honourable task of smashing the stumps to smithereens. He departed for 9.

The following over, it was Aneya’s turn to get foxed, this time by the swing of Dave, leaving him stranded down the wicket, and giving Jez another stumping. Jockey was excitable at the crease and his innings included a succession of aerial blows that were uncharacteristically spilt by the usually assured hands of Dave “Errol” Noakes at midwicket and then the following ball a looping hook was put down by the single hand of Taylor.  

He eventually went, heaving one high and deep to long on where John steadied himself to take the first of two excellent catches. Jockey shuffled back to the pavilion with 14 to his name.

John’s second catch removed Mark B for 15 with an athletic dive forward to pouch a low cut at short point. It could have been a very different result had he missed it. Thankfully for the Wanderers and John’s teeth, he didn’t……

The Hammerwood innings fizzled out to total 170 runs which was thought to be competitive on an ever dampening pitch.

During the ever bountiful tea that is now legendary at Hammerwood, Jamie organised the batting order which was considered strong on paper.  

Martin Malpass and Dave Noakes took to the wicket to begin the Wanderers response. They wasted no time setting about the Hammerwood bowling. Martin in particular struck some mighty blows to the straight boundary, three of which carried for 6 and threw in some uncompromising pulls to the square leg boundary. Dave “Errol” Noakes played the perfect partner for Martin rotating the strike and pitching in with the occasional brutal blast of his own.

The two amassed over 100 runs in a very entertaining partnership and looked a fair bet to carry each of their bats to see the Wanderers home. Martin, however went first for a brisk 65 pulling a ball that got a bit big on him splicing it to short mid wicket for an easy catch. He set the tone with his 8 fours and 4 sixes with the total on 108-1.

Jamie joined Errol to contribute a very quickfire 13 runs before getting caught in a similar fashion to that of Martin. There was still a quiet confidence that the Wanderers would get the required total quite easily, however it started to wobble slightly when Errol fell to a sliced drive which looped into the grateful hands at gully.

Two fresh batsmen John and Jez on nought needed to knuckle down and get the job done. John Bird wasted no time in smashing his way (and his car) to within a comfort zone that meant only 30 runs were required at 20 overs. It was achieved with 16 overs remaining. John fittingly scoring the winning run accumulating 35 lightening quick not out runs. Jez chipped in with 9 not out, and the Wanderers won by 7 wickets.

Special thanks to Gemma and in particular Jan for turning out at the last minute (literally told as she was climbing out of the car!!)

Well done to the Wanderers for recording another win.