Match Report

Hasting and St Leonards Priory III v Isfield 2 June 2007

Hastings won the toss and elected to bat .

Hastings 227-8 dec (48 overs) 14 pts.

Isfield 228-4. 28 pts.

Isfield win by 6 wickets.

 

 

If, when going for the same catch, Emile Chasseaud and Huw Williams had collided instead of the gut wrenching near-miss then the result would have been very different on Saturday. Both players, running at full pelt, with their eyes fixed on the skied ball, had started 40 yards apart and Huw's softly spoken call of 'mine' was absorbed by the distance between them. At the last possible moment, Emile did a shimmy that a Welsh rugby player from the 1970's would have been proud and allowed Huw to take a superb catch without the accompanying physical disfigurement.

 

Earlier the Hasting's skipper had won the toss and much to Healey's surprise and delight, elected to bat. Maybe he was judging that Isfield were a bunch of spineless losers and he would have been right going on some of the previous matches this season. Unfortunatley for the home side, the visitors had got their heads in order and were determined to fight this time.

 

The pitch was sloping and damper at one end as a result, the outfield had long grass and short boundaries. To one side there was a bloody great communication mast with a myriad of aerials to ensure that everyone received a good dose of radiation topped up by the strong sunshine, to the other a building site.

 

Chris Saunders, who had earlier been disinterred from Uckfield General hospital mortuary to play, took the top end with Martin Fellows the bottom aided by rope ladders. Both bowled well enough but it was Fellows who took the first wicket with an LBW as he struck the batsman on the foot with a full toss.

 

Huw Williams replaced the tiring wicket-taker and almost had success straight away, unfortunately the chance fell to the still puffing Martin at short-leg who did an impression of a man trying to catch an invisible balloon whilst stage diving. The result being that the batsman scored a few more runs until Mark Farley took a good catch off the same bowler.

 

Considering that Isfield only had ten men, runs came slowly and wickets fairly regularly but after the drinks break Hastings started to accelerate with some good clean hitting. Unable to defend the short boundary the total got to 227-8 after 48 overs when Hastings declared leaving an hour and a quarter plus 20 overs for Isfield to chase the runs.

 

Tea was partaken in a state-of-the-art pavillion as the players from the lowly 8th Division watched the Sussex League clash between Hastings II and Lewes Priory II on a ground as big and as flat as the Oval.

 

Jim Healey and Emile Chasseaud opened the rep[ly and greatly helped by the ball repeatedly shooting along the ground and going for 4 byes. With the score at 37 Healey went for 6, playing back to a ball that he should have played forward to. In strode Huw Williams and he and Emile put on 107 before giving a simple catch to point on 47.

 

Emile rode his luck with two dropped catches but kept going at a good rate despite having to change his bat due to it being cracked.

 

Chris Saunders, promoted to number 4 still had his bowlers head on, took a wild swipe at an inswinger and was bowled for a duck. He was replaced by Mark Farley who had a different head on every ball, (sometimes two). Desperately trying to run himself out, he failed and in the process notched up 19 invaluable runs.

 

Tim Knight joined the fray just in time to see Emile make his ton and then hit the winning runs himself.

 

Beers were partaken in the clubhouse and relations between the teams were cordial. Lewes Priory could only draw their game. Their thirds can look forward to a hard time next week.

 

jh