Hambleden (A) – 2.9.12

RUASCC 182-8
Main 37, Ward 27

Hambleden 70-3
Zia 2-8, Stewart 1-15

Match abandoned due to rain

It’s always good to visit the picturesque Hambleden hills - such a shame on this occasion that the weather seemed intent to ruin the occasion. What started as cloudy, overcast conditions eventually descended into constant drizzle, then a heavy shower, eerie darkness and a sadly inevitable abandonment of what was shaping up to be a likely win for RUASCC.

Dr Eagle won the toss and opted to make use of the best conditions in a limited-overs game, and this looked the right decision from the start as the captain put on a near-faultless opening stand of 64 with Mike Ward. Eagle’s first delivery, a wide long-hop, was smashed to the boundary at cover and despite some tense moments as he neared double figures (“the nervous nines” said Dr Ashman knowingly) he looked reasonably untroubled. Ward meanwhile pulled powerfully for two fours down to the pavilion where the rest of his RUASCC teammates welcomed every run.

Eagle was first to go when he chipped to mid-off for 26 and Ward (27) followed not long after when he offered a simple catch to backward square-leg. Carpenter started strongly with a couple of boundaries but having hit Walker’s first delivery for another four he was caught off the very next ball.

Zia and Chan exchanged some interesting calling and Zia just survived a run out when the man at cover just missed the stumps – then just a few overs later he called a risky second and a decent throw from the boundary sent him packing for 15. Dip was bowled for 0 in the same over to leave RUASCC 109-5 with 12 overs remaining.

What followed was the second important partnership of the innings: Bruce Main got off the mark with a boundary then hit a massive six over mid-wicket while his partner Malde played for singles at first before battering a couple of fours himself. 42 runs were added in eight overs before Malde was caught for 20, but the runs continued to flow as Tranter launched a straight lofted drive and Bruce clubbed a few more to push the total up towards 180.

In the final over Main was bowled going for another big hit, Pensioner Ken Stewart was run out for 0 as he went for a little wander and Tranter finished on 12 not out in what constituted a very decent score for RUASCC.

The rain arrived during the tea interval and never really went away; the Hambleden batsman found scoring runs difficult and Zia clean bowled both openers in his five-over spell. Withers bowled his eight overs for just 16 runs and Ken Stewart proved dangerous bowling down the hill and picked up a wicket thanks to a good catch from Eagle at mid-on. With 17 overs remaining Hambleden still needed 113 to win but conditions put an end to the run chase and after a short wait in the pavilion the whole group retired to the pub across the road.

RUASCC Highlight: Tranter and Main adding 28 in three overs towards the end of the innings.

RUASCC Man of the Match: Bruce Main.

RUASCC Team: Ward, Eagle (capt), Carpenter, Zia, Malde, Dip (wkt), Main, Tranter, Stewart, Withers, Ashman