HTCC claim third win in a row

North Mymms II 130 all out (46.5) HTCC 131 for 6 (25.2)

This was the game that we have been looking forward to ever since we were dumped out of the Becker Cup, to a team we really should have beaten. And yet we were only playing their second team in this game. Another fine bowling display, which relied upon, as much the stamina of Buggy and Ahmed, as their skill. Both bowled in excess of 12 overs each and Buggy bowled just short of 17 overs, 4 for 46. These are strike bowlers who have to shoulder the burden of our bowling week in, week out. Wasim can bowl little more than 8 overs, but in this game he made the difference, coming on as the first change bowler in the 22th over and taking an excellent 4 for 21. And Jay Shah is an embryonic 1st team spin bowler, who one week can turn in a magnificent match winning spell and the next week he is very ordinary, with a four ball in each over. I think that Jay can be a very important match winning left arm spinner for us, but in order for him to succeed in this role we have to persevere with him, so that he can get the experience in pressure situations and also when we need him to bowl 20 overs at a stretch, to protect our strike bowlers- spin bowling (with flight that is Jay, not speared in as you have done prior to this year) is an art that takes years to master and he can benefit with talking to people like Peter Freer and Mike Bigby, who are willing to talk, if he is willing to listen, which I'm sure he is.

We bowled out North Mymms for 130, although another last wicket stand became a thorn in our side, this one was 33, as our bowlers ran out of steam. 

Our new pairing of Burgess (26) and Hewitt (42) put on their first decent stand together, 76 runs which put us in a very good position. When the stand was broken Martin Mason (31) took up the challenge and also hit some very classy and as always very quick runs. However yet again, we got within 20 runs of the total and started to needlessly give away wickets, we were even panicking with one run needed. Sometimes we are better at chasing bigger totals, we concentrate more and are not so careless with our wickets. Fortunately it didn't cost us a place in the league table, as it did against Clarendon last week. 3 untimely wickets last week, meant that Clarendon remained 2 points ahead of us, I hope that this doesn't cost us in the end.

The pressure to win is ever present and we have come through again. However it looks as though the four runs, that we couldn't get, in the combined games against Boxmoor and Harpendon are going to haunt us next week. We have to win again when we play Potters Bar II on Saturday and hope that the three teams above us come a cropper, so that we can turn our aspirations of promotion into reality.

Report by Paul Hewitt