Damerham Cricket Club

Our final 2022 league game was supposed to be Shrewton next week, but since they’ve pulled out of the league, our actual final game was away at Winterbourne.
 
Winterbourne is the best ground on our little circuit, an excellent track with a good flat outfield and a nice little clubhouse and bar. They’ve sunk a fair bit of money into it, and run kids sides which bring in players and funds. Much as Collingbourne are intending to do next year, their twos are a combination of keen upcoming youngsters, and some ex first teamers guiding them. It’s a good system. At the toss their captain declared that they weren’t very strong today, and if we wanted a full game it was probably wise to bat first, an offer I accepted.
 
Finally, the ‘kids and grandads’ we’d been promised all year, and we sort of wasted it really. Even without a couple of key players, we had the strongest side we’ve put out this year, and the unprecedented luxury of 8 potential bowlers to chose from. It’s a shame we didn’t have this side for some of the trickier games when we fielded weaker sides or couldn’t muster 11 – one of those would probably have given Winterbourne twos a more even game.
 
Howard and lew got off to a good start, Lew continuing his excellent form this year, Howard settling in for the duration.
 
There were two extra games within the game. This being our final fixture, the most league runs, wickets and catches were all up for grabs. Hakey began the game top or joint top in all three. Howard trailed Hakey by 130 for the most runs, and as his innings progressed with some assurance, Hakey began to get a little jittery that the unlikely goal was in sight.
 
If he’d come in and did what I did – elected not to put away an innocuous half volley, and instead swipe it inelegantly into his own stumps for a duck – his jitters would have been justified.
 
But he did not. He joined Howard in the middle for another unbeaten 50 in a 130 run partnership which comfortably secured him the runs title. Though this did not stop him engaging in some entertainingly puerile strike hogging in the final overs when the issue was beyond doubt.
 
Howard finished with a fantastic 137, comfortably the knock of the year – what a debut season – the only tiny blemish on which was being bowled on the very last ball of the innings, which I don’t think bothered him in the slightest.
 
Chasing 265 Winterbourne began slowly against a strong seam attack on a bouncy deck. Mark Colbourne kept in exemplary fashion, his first time back with the gloves since before covid, took a neat edge behind and conceded just 2 byes. As the game progressed it was clear that they were not going to chase the runs, which left the way clear for the other game within a game, the most league wickets. H, Hakey and me were all tied on 14, and as H wasn’t playing, it was down to me and Hakey to slug it out with 4 overs each left over the last 8. It was fun, and the closest we get to a test draw – field in, runs irrelevant, only wickets matter. As is often the way when you’re desperately hunting wickets, they just wouldn’t come. We were still tied with one each until the penultimate ball of the game when I finally got one through an obdurate lefty to pip it at the death. Hakey and Pards finish tied for the catches.
 
It was a really fun game played in excellent spirits, a rare comfortable win for us, some good internal battles, and some actual decent cricket. The only pity is that the season’s already over – it seems to have gone even quicker than usual this parched summer. There are some friendlies left, but that’s an early curtain on the league season. Final top five stats for the year are here.