Gaieties CC beat Hoddesdon CC by 39 runs. (Scorecard & match video)
Grateful to James Schneider for this match report:
The setting was familiar: Hoddesdon cricket club, nestled in the heart of Tottenham-supporting, Lea Valley suburbia: but the format of the game, played between GCC and our hosts for perhaps half a century, was alien to HCC's young captain. GCC's chair and stand-in captain with Tim holidaying in Devon/Dorset set him straight.
Hoddesdon is usually a belter. A 500-runs-plus-in-a-day sort of pitch. The top order of the Judge, Robin Hayley, the remaining Schneider and Laurence were licking their collective lips. The first over passed without incident, as HCC's mullet-sporting Aussie pro bowled six outside the off stump, mainly left well alone by an unflustered Hayley. The opening bowler from the other end provided a different challenge: extremely slow, from the hand away-swing. That dross provided enough temptation for our top order to press the self-destruct button. Waddington LBW, Schneider caught at cover and Perry bowled (followed by an exaggerated pointing at the pitch and demanding of the local spectators whether it had been covered overnight when walking off). GCC's crossword-playing spectator, Sophie Nazemi, tried to reassure a grumbling Laurence that the ball had "done a bit" and he shouldn't be too upset with himself.
8-3. In real trouble, especially as we'd travelled with only ten players.
Charlie Moore - left toe pointed down the track, front knee slightly bent before trigger movement crouch, bat held high as if imitating baseball before coming down perfectly straight - and Robin Hayley, who calmly blocked and left the pro while playing the golden-armed wicket-taker wisely from the non-strikers end, were tasked with building our innings. If Moore had any anxiety about his A-level results due next week, he didn't show it with the bat. Classical offside drives off the front foot were joined by graceful punches of the back foot.
Drinks were taken with the score on 73 - Moore on a near run-a-ball 49. Hayley was more than content to play the anchor role into the second half of the innings, announcing at drinks he would carry on as before. He did not, taking the next over for two fours and a large six over midwicket. In the next over, Moore hit his tenth boundary to get to 50.
Shortly after bringing up their hundred partnership, Hayley was dismissed for 40. The innings crumbled. Wickets fell regularly, with Moore runout and only Tarek Choueiri offering any resistance. 151 all out.
Hoddesdon got off to a steady start against GCC's opening attack of Burton - metronomic as ever - and Smout, sporting an Eminem-style peroxide blond top, much commented on by his own catchers (references to Stan, Marshall and 313). One opener was lured into a false shot by Burton and offered up a steepling high catch to Jack Palmer at mid off, which the fielder gratefully hung onto.
In came their Aussie pro, who was in no mood to hang around. Laurence entered the attack to battle pro to pro. The first over was won by the Aussie, who made off with three boundaries. Then, playing his second game for the club, Charlie Rogers stepped into the attack to take the mullet man's onslaught. First ball the Aussie pushed back to the bowler. The second, he dispatched over his head for a one-bounce four. The third, he advanced down the track and flat batted it straight out of the middle. Like an Exocet missile, the ball charged straight at Rogers in his follow through. It smashed into the inside of his right forearm and into the left hand: a most stunning catch. It all happened so fast that most players on the pitch didn't even know what or how it had happened.
Roger's moment of brilliance earned him a pulsating, multi-coloured and immediate inflammation on his arm, the champagne moment and, as we will see, the turning point of the match. 77 for 1 was now 77 for 2 and the men of Gaieties were in with a shout.
The next 8 wickets fell for just 36 runs as Laurence took seven, five clean-bowled, in a masterclass of wrist spin bowling. Hoddesdon didn't stand a chance.
In the end, a comfortable win by 39 runs in a game we were always a long way behind until Rogers's champagne moment.
