Hambleden (A) - 15.8.10

RUASCC 235-5
Zia 70, Eagle 51, Dersh 42 not out

Hambleden 188 all out
Stewart 3-34, Ashman 3-48

RUASCC won by 47 runs

The Hambleden pitch, with its two-tier bounce system and massive slope, can be a tricky one to score runs from so it’s really quite remarkable that over 400 were scored in Sunday’s game. It is even more remarkable that more than half of them were scored by RUASCC who have struggled on this ground in recent years.

With Tranter absent due to line-dancing commitments, Ian Carpenter took over the captaincy for the day and proceeded to lose RUASCC’s 13th consecutive toss. Asked to bat first in a 40-over match, Ward and Eagle laid the perfect foundation with an opening partnership of 77 as both batsmen showed commendable concentration against some tight bowling on the difficult surface.

Having seeing off the opening bowlers Ward was given LBW for 32 and Captain Carpenter joined Eagle who had crept into the thirties for the umpteenth time this season. Then just past the halfway point in the innings Carpenter chipped a slower ball to mid-on for 16 and Eagle, who had just reached another fifty, was caught trying to hit over the top. 106-3.

The second half of the innings was dominated by another fine partnership – this time between Zia and Dersh. Scoring at an excellent rate, Zia reached his second successive RUASCC fifty and pushed the score past 200 with several overs to spare. Dersh, showing some decent strokes himself, brought up the hundred partnership before Zia was eventually caught in the deep for 70. 221-4.

Dip joined his brother for the final overs and hit his first ball, a full toss, for six over fine leg to continue the fun. This was followed by a bizarre three that would have only been a single except the clearly aggrieved fielder didn’t move towards the ball to pick it up – one of a number of signs that the home side weren’t enjoying their afternoon game. Dip was caught at mid-on for nine, leaving Withers to occupy the non-striker’s end for two balls as Dersh added two more runs to finish on 42 not out. Withers, still yet to be dismissed for RUASCC this season, added another 0 not out to his burgeoning reputation as someone who’s clearly not in the team for his bowling. 235-5.

Ken Stewart, relegated to number nine for unspecified misdemeanours, was not called upon to bat.

Zia-time was once again limited so the batting legend was asked to open the bowling. Rattling through his overs at his usual speed, he barely gave anything away and barely gave Withers a chance to breathe. With eight overs, 1-14, he bid farewell and headed off for work while at the other end Withers, with eight overs and 0-47, sadly had to stay.

Replacing Zia down the hill, Ken Stewart finally made a meaningful contribution to the game as he took an early wicket, the first of his 3-34 – all clean bowled including a true ankle-biter. RUASCC were, at all times, being reminded of their responsibilities by the ever-vocal Carpenter, and at the other end Dr Ashman achieved similar success with the slow, straight one and finished his spell with 3-48 thanks to a catch each from Ward and Withers at mid-on and long-off respectively.

Hambleden’s run rate remained fairly consistent – at the twenty-over mark they had been marginally ahead – but with the regular fall of wickets they always looked unlikely to chase down the target. Guest Adam Seymour bowled two overs, one of which spanned an impressive twelve balls, and even Ward had a tweak taking 1-16 in three overs.

But the final say went to Captain Carpenter who brought himself on with four overs to go and ended with figures of 2-3 from just ten balls as he clean bowled the last man to win the match.

Upon first glance the Hambleden scorebook had them somewhere between 176 and 191 so, siding with the tick box, the total of 188 all out was settled upon. A win for RUASCC by 47 runs on a beautiful sunny day in the beautiful village of Hambleden.

RUASCC Highlight: Dip hooking a high full toss for six from his first ball. And Ward’s headband.

RUASCC Man of the Match: For scoring 70 runs and bowling eight overs with an economy rate less than two – Zia. Honourable mentions reserved for Eagle’s fifty and Stewart’s despicable daisy cutters.

RUASCC Team: Ward, Eagle, Carpenter (capt), Zia, Dersh, Dip (wkt), Withers, Seymour, Stewart, Koslicki, Ashman