Just a quick message to say well done to the 1st XI players who helped gain a promotional spot in Division 3.

We could have won the division if it was not for another team pulling out before playing the top of the division side!

Saturdays game was another destruction by the Welford fielding side reducing Warfield to 93-10 in 30 overs with Nick Piggott (Welford Keeper) being their top scorer with 22 byes!! But we'll let him off as teas (taking half way through our innings) were spot on.

We then score the required amount in 20.1 overs with John Westbrook scoring another half century to bring his League run aggregate to 289 and putting on a combined partnership of 85 with his brother Spike, Herro and Will. Will, who joins John (and Bala) with the most amount of Ducks in a Season after playing a defensive shot about the line of the ball - doesn't he know that there is no bounce at Welford!! With new boys Praneet and Pratheesh seeing off the remaining 6 runs with ease. It was then straight down to the Rising Sun for jugs ahoy (an not just because the skippers wife was there!!).

So another League Season is over and all I can wait for is indoor nets to start, mainly to get away from Nappies and early mornings!!

Thanks again to all who have played this season and made it as successful as it was (11 wins, 1 Draw and 2 losses) especially to the guys who have joined the club this season. (The 3 P's - Praneet, Pratheesh, Pradeep (welcome back), and not forgetting Dipin).

The League awards night is on the 21st October, please let me know if you are wanting to attend.

Thanks

Slothy

Sunday 7th August.

With Farnham Royal sending Herro a text at 6.00am Thursday morning the race was on to get a fixture. Hurst were the first to come back Thursday afternoon quickly followed by Burnham, Stoke Green and Finchley. Now why the Hurst game was selected, when in the last 3 years they had scored 300+ and twice around the 280 mark I have no idea but I guess the writer just took the first offered game.

Herro, Will and Ross Collington (making his Park debut) arrived at the ground, which was locked, at 12.45 just as the heavens opened. We gained access to the ground just after 13.00 the rain had stopped but the ground was very wet. Hurst skipper seemed confident about the game taking place but was disappointed that the groundsman had not put on the covers. HOWEVER the game started close to the scheduled start time of 14.00 with Park taking to the field…with Jurgo being congratulated by the majority of the team for deciding not to bat when clearly it was going to rain again....NOT!

Park, traditionally light in the field started 1 down with Pratheesh delayed, saw the opener run out by a good throw from Ross off the second ball and the Curly bowling the number 3 off this 4^th ball….7-2. Pratheesh arrived on the field after the 3^rd over and the runs started to increase. In stepped Herro for the 9^th over immediately bowling a wicket maiden, bowling the Hurst captain behind his legs for 13: 51-3. Now in prior years Welford have eased off at this point and Hurst have taken the initiative racking up massive scores. Well there was no lifting this year with Pratheesh coming on but the runs still flowed. At drinks Hurst had moved onto 108-3 with the other opening reaching his 50 from 4 byes..(don’t ask, it gets worse). Dipin came onto bowl but hurt his shoulder after two overs so was replace by junior Herro. In his 1^st over the opener skied a ball over Pratty’s head, he turned, seemed to make the distance but the chance somehow when down via his hands and then head. Pratty turned up the pace in his next over and neither batsman seemed to be able to cope. Wills next over saw the open get the thickest of edges to Tom behind the stumps who actually stopped his stumping attempt (with the batsman down the track) only to find he was somehow not given out caught behind. Major blackness from both Jnr. Herro's. Pratty now steamed in for his last over (still not at full pace due to the conditions) duly removing the openers off stump for 79. The dark clouds were now coming closer to the ground and with the returning Cale conceding only 5 runs from his final 3 overs things were slowed down nicely. A flash of lightning, the immediate clap of thunder and rain pelting down the players rushed from the field with Hurst guys quickly getting the covers on.

Tea, with a large amount of Egg and cheese & ham sandwiches filled a hole quite nicely but the square was also filling with water and despite the sun coming out. Jurgo went out the square and shook hands with the Hurst skipper, game over. With 33 overs gone and 167-4 on the board, you felt the game was nicely balanced…but hay ho.

Blue stripe…well Shrek did seem to have it in for Jurgo having received the award from him last week; with nominations being dominated by Michael Carter's size and Jurgo’s various misdemeanors including not batting and thus making us all get wet fielding. However; for breaking a fence bar whilst climbing back into the ground..... it did go to Jurgo

After Parks winning streak on Sundays came halt last week against Challow, Welford soon got back to winning ways with an emphatic win over Harwell. The day started well as the Skipper won only his 4th toss of the season, and decided to have a Bat. With some late drop out's ( no surprises one was George Thornton for the 3rd week running, least i turn up when still pissed!) the Skippers batting line up had to be changed drastically. So being forced to open the batting Galbraith and Brooks made up the opening stand which lasted a tad longer than the week before, but again Galbraith went early after being clean bowled after some shoddy footwork for 13. This wasn't all bad as we soon found out. In came Shrek who batted superbly well with brooks putting on a 133 partnership. This came to an end when Brookes was bowled off a dubious ball... Was it over waist height? The two umpires (Galbraith and W. Thornton) looked blankly at each other before Galbraith raised the finger with Brookes walking on 44. Welford's latest recruit Louis came to the crease, With Young Herrington searching for his 'first non-fiddled' ton. On 98 Will hit a straight drive down the ground which looked to be an easy 1 but risky 2, but Will knowing he was running to the non-danger end, waddled back for the two needed for his ton, not even considering the safely of his team mate who was scampering back like Billy Wizz to save his own ass. Thankfully due to a bad throw Louis just made his ground and saved Shrek's blushes. Will soon got himself out 106 when he tried to hit a big heave-ho and was clean bowled. A couple of the lads thought Will's mum should be punished for missing his maiden (non-tipex) ton by telling her he got out on 99 her face was a picture. Will then quite happily joined in on the act.... until he slipped in "I should have got a 150 against those £$%7 bowlers, 106 just isn't good enough" (head growing even bigger) and it took Denise a few seconds to click before going in to a joyful slapping frenzy. Park continued to pile on the runs with Sharif getting 22 and others joining in with bits and bobs. Park ended there 40 overs on 239-8.
 
After showing Harwell how to do tea's properly (well done to the Herringtons) the Park promptly took to the field. After the Skipper told the opening bowlers of his wish of having the game over within 25 overs, Harwell's inning's started in a circus style fashion. James opened from the bottom end, with the 1st ball straying down leg, the batsman tried flicking it of his legs only to glove it in the air which dropped safely in to a gap and with most of the Park players watching the calamity of the batsman.... both batsman in the same crease... now something isn't right here... Herro (who else could it be) happily under armed it to James and he took off the bails. Not only had the Batsman been run out in his first bat for 9 weeks without facing a ball, he was then forced to run for the incoming batsman, poor man. Park then started picking up wickets on a regular basis. Barrett picking up another soon after, when the batsman drove the ball straight to mid-off. Galbraith then took some brave pills and put on the fielding pads and helmet... just before the first ball was bowled with Galbraith standing within peeing distance of the bat he remember he hadn't got his box in. (Editor - what he would need it for is anyone's guess!) James then picked up another wicket by clean bowling Harwell's number 3. As that wicket fell Galbraith bolted off to get his box in, and was soon back in to that silly place. Curley Cale soon got in on the wicket taking action and cleaned bowled another one of the visitors batsman... "explitive1 + explitive2 pitch" being his reply, yes sure it was after we posted 239 on it. Harwell then had a big hitter come in who had is little bit of fun punishing the bowlers and putting them all over the Park, and also nearly killing that stupid man in that silly position. Will Thornton then joined the attack picking up a neat 3-fer, which also started with a run-out, Will bowled it down to the opposing captain who edged it down to third man, and the silly fella thought he could get 2, not when Sharif is about. With his bullet arm throw straight to tom's gloves (for a split second thought it was Spike who had thrown it in) who duly took the bails off. Before Herro clean bowled the ******* who nearly killed me. Harwell were on their last legs when again Herro clean bowled the number 11. Harwell had been bowled for 93 within 22 overs. A Comfortable 156 run win.
 
Blue stripe this week was award by Jurgo (again). It was a very lame effort of giving it out I must say, but the can was giving to the youngest Herrington for back chatting to the skipper.

 

Welford Park vs Woodley, Saturday 23rd July 2011

"Accept the challenges so that you may feel the exhilaration of victory."

Prologue

Preamble

The Match

Needless to say we sped up a tad after that. John was showing off with even his gentlest nudges racing for 4, and Monica enjoyed a diet of short and wide stuff. Their best bowler was an intriguing leggie, and John enjoyed him so much that after two fours and a single in four balls he said “well bowled fella” without a hint of irony. To be fair, neither of the fours was a bad ball, John was just in that mood.

In the 9^th over Monica brought up his fifty, with John following shortly after, and in 10.3 overs John hit the winning runs. 117 for 0 in less than eleven overs. Not bad really. It was just after 5 o'clock.

The Blue stripe went to Matt, ostensibly for late reactions and pointless diving in the outfield, but I suspect he brings it on himself by choosing never to smile...