A very under strength Huncote team turned up at title contenders Stoke Golding with ten men. It had been a very wet week and the wicket showed signs of poor preparation time being spent on it. Silk as he has done regularly this year won the toss and made an interesting decision in fielding first. Now many would say that on a wet wicket you should always field first but not when a wicket changes as much as this one did on Saturday. Not that Silk knew this would happen though. Another point to think about is that we have been very poor when chasing targets recently so maybe we should abandon this negative play and win the toss and have a bat occasionally.

Anyway to the action TK opened one end with Twiggy back from injury the other. There was a bit of interesting bounce but apart from that not much in the wicket early and the SG batsmen were scoring at a quick rate. Poor old Twiggy was replaced after 5 overs and Betty started by carrying on in the same form chucking down some interesting deliveries, which were despatched. After one such interesting delivery the ball was temporarily lost and with the spare Betty broke the partnership with a sharp caught and bowled. Now wickets started to fall as the run rate began to drop, Betty grabbing two more and TK weighing in with one. Anyway SG got going again soon and eventually after their 47 overs and some poor catching (Betty) they reached 176 for 9.

A poor tea was taken and Huncote took their turn to bat. Jamie back in the first team for the first time this year opened with Silk, The pitch by now had become very lively and the ball was leaping and dying from any length. After Silk had been hit in the grill, chest and hand he played one onto his stumps for about 6 runs. 3 overs later and Jamie was out for his second duck in a row. Ross came in hit his usual lusty blows before getting out for 20. PK didn't add much to the board and it was down to the lower order to get the runs after Betty also departed. Mitch and TK rallied before Mitch was bowled for 26 a good score but he seems to get carried away every week and give his wicket away in stupid ways.

Webby came to the crease and he and TK managed to push the score past 75 to earn Huncote a batting point before TK was caught behind going for a cut for 18. In came Twiggy and pulled a four then pulled a two before hitting a tracer bullet through mid on for four. This took the score to 101 and another batting point. Unfortunately Huncote could not add to this score as first Webby was caught at slip the DK was out the same way first ball.

A very disappointing result for the boys from Huncote, but with 10 men what can you expect. We need to improve for next week or a good season will be ruined. 

MOM this week no one deserves it maybe the fat left hander for Stoke Golding who thought he was good got hardly any runs and couldn't bowl either!! What a loser!!

Huncote Sunday team once again emerged victorious in this hastily arranged fixture at home to Anstey. A game played in excellent spirit started with Huncote batsmen Ian Crossley and Jamie Smith taking to the field after Peter Kirby had once again won the toss.

Two left arm over bowlers greeted them and as expected a wet wicket led to very slow bowling, as the ball bit into the track at every pitch mark. This did not slow sown Crossley and Smith though who raced a long at 4 an over, with Smith hitting some big shots over mid on. Crossley playing as fluent as ever kept ticking along and the score had moved to 59 before a bowling change did the trick.

Smith was caught plumb in from, attempting a pull to a ball that did not bounce as he had hoped, but a solid 21 runs. The pinch hitter Adie Smith was sent in, but was bowled early on for nought. Tim Kirby came in to steady the ship, as Crossley continued to score at will. It was Ian Crossley though who was next out for an enterprising 50 exactly.

Al Sommer came in and joined Kirby scoring steadily. Kirby was soon caught in the slip for 11 and the score was looking reasonable good already over the hundred mark with overs to spare. This is where Huncote are strong batting all the way down, and Sommer was joined by the quality of Swann. Sommer was working in singles but forging a good partnership with Swann, running a number of extras and over throws.

Sommer was out, shortly followed by Swann for 9 and 12 respectively. Then came the excitement, Brewin smashing the ball to all parts, Carl Sommer dropping and running and the score raced to 186-6, with Brewin 29 not out and Sommer 19 not out. A tough score on a slow, wet wicket. Teas were once again a high standard, but the melons did not appear as popular this week.

JW Smith and Swanny opened the bowling against some impressive looking openers and the score board ticked over at around 3 and a half for the first 16 overs. Adie Smith then had a dart, as did Carl Sommer, but the openers for Anstey continued on their slow and steady way, but always behind the asking rate.

Skipper Peter Kirby then decided to throw Crossley on down the hill to much complaint, along the lines of "he's bowling the wrong end", "the wind is blowing the wrong way", and "we all seem to know best but in fact are usually wrong". A wicket fell the second ball Jamie Smith catching in thew covers. The other opener followed in Crossley's second over well caught by Frazer Hubbard at mid off.

Sommer added his name to the book, before the Frazer Hubbard show started, ("but he should be bowling down the hill") as he picked up 3 wickets for 14 runs off his four overs. Tim Kirby got his name in the book, bowled, and some comedy bowling by Pete Kirby with some big air being shown meant Astey finished on about 130 for 7, a long way from Huncote's score. Mention too to Brewin who's keeping standing up is a little suspect!!

Mom : Frazer Hubbard, great bowling, great catching.