Scorecard

Harpenden IV v St Albans Cricket Club 3XI on Sat 30 Jun 2018 at 1pm
St Albans Cricket Club Won by 40 runs

Match report After a week of blistering temperatures, St Albans IIIs travelled to Harpenden for a vital fixture against their local rivals. With a strong XI - availability at a season high - the team took some confidence with them on the journey north.

The St George’s School ground has a history of dry wickets, but Saints were bemused to arrive to find a very green wicket and a spongey surface. The hosts explained that they were in the process of recovering from the departure of their groundsman, another of the perils of league clubs. Despite the questionable wicket, “Captain Walker” was pleased to win the toss and bat first on another warm, sunny afternoon.

Early wickets were not part of the vision, but unfortunately that was what happened. Martin discovered that cross-bat shots were best left in the locker on this wicket, while Knill-Jones played around a rare straight one. Scott and Moksudul (20) played their shots, but then fell victim to their positivity and the IIIs were in trouble at 4/48.

Joe Button (31) then joined Rich Baylis, and found the biggest gaps were over the infield, with some well struck boundaries. Baylis, finding himself once again in to bat with recovery required, studiously defended and pounced on the bad deiiveries to hit 43. These two compiled 76 runs, before a cluster of wickets fell. Useful partnerships at the end (Ralfe 17, Dempsey 15 not out) took the score from 8/130 to 169 all out. Harpenden would have been pleased with this, Newton returning 4/36 on a surface that offered considerable turn for his off breaks.

A target of 170 was somewhat short of the captain’s expectations, but with a strong array of bowlers at his disposal, confidence remained. Two scorching opening spells from the lively Dempsey and Dan Baylis set the tone, each taking a wicket early. West, taking over at the top end, found rhythm in his second over - and twice found the stumps, too. Meanwhile Ralfe was bowling with good flight at the other end, and runs were at a premium. West took two more wickets to leave Harpenden, now 6/75, seeking a recovery, which they found through Hussain and McNeil, accumulating runs nicely. 170 looked distinctly gettable.

Fortunately Saints had more to come, with the skipper’s bowling options plentiful: seemingly in every direction he looked there was a worthy candidate to take the ball. Dempsey returned to the attack, and a consistent off stump line constrained run-scoring; his 10 overs for 15 runs deserved more than one wicket. His economical figures must be accorded some credit in what happened at the other end. Scott, insisting he could be the wicket taker Saints needed, was given the nod, and produced a sterling spell of straight bowling, finding the stumps four times to finish with the outstanding figures of 5.1/1/7/4, wrapping up the match in no uncertain fashion. All bowlers deserved credit for bowling as the wicket required - 7 batsmen bowled, 1 LBW - with West earning high marks for his dismantling of the middle order in a hard working eight over first spell of 4/28.

Saints’ 40 run win on this hot afternoon was gratifying and important, building a useful gap over their league rivals, and ending the first half of the season with a good bit of momentum.

St Albans Cricket Club 3XI Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
1nb 8w 11b 1lb 
for 10 wickets
21
169		        
Harry Knill-Jones b Wedd 1 2
Michael Martin ct - b Wedd 5 1
Harvey Scott ct - b Hussain 12 2
Moksudul Islam b Baney 20 3
Richard Baylis lbw Newton 43 7
Joe Button ct - b Newton 31 5
Zach West lbw b McNeil 0
Nick Ralfe ct - b Newton 17 3
Andrew Walker b Newton 0
Dan Baylis st - b Hussain 5
James Dempsey Not Out  15 2

Harpenden IV Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Hussain7.421728.502.22
Wedd8.0121210.502.63
Voight8.021800.002.25
Baney5.0028128.005.60
Newton10.023649.003.60
McNeil8.0136136.004.50

Harpenden IV Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
4nb 8w 10b 3lb 
for 10 wickets
25
129 (43.1 overs)		     
Newton ct Knill-Jones b Dempsey 12 2 600
Baney b D. Baylis 0
Voigt b West 10 2
Wedd b West 13 3
Minnie ct Knill-Jones b West 0
Bashford lbw b West 12 2
Hussain b Scott 29 3
McNeil Not Out  20 2
Voigt b Scott 4
Bell b Scott 1
Luffman b Scott 1

St Albans Cricket Club 3XI Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
James Dempsey10.0215115.001.50
Dan Baylis6.0023123.003.83
Zach West9.012947.253.22
Andrew Walker4.02800.002.00
Nick Ralfe6.002000.003.33
Joe Button3.001400.004.67
Harvey Scott5.11741.751.35
 
Photos and video of Harpenden IV v St Albans Cricket Club 3XI on Sat 30 Jun 2018 at 1pm

30/6/2018, St Albans III v Harpenden IV - St Albans innings

30/6/2018, St Albans III v Harpenden IV - Harpenden innings