Refreshers v Hampshire Hogs

11 June 2022

There was a thrilling climax to this match which produced a total of 570 runs on a lovely June day and a win for the Hogs in the last over. After some mid-week miscommunication concerning the team sheet, we arrived at the lovely Warnford ground with just 9 players (including the President who was not at all keen to play following a recent back operation); the Hogs were exceptionally generous about our predicament and lent us a local ringer, meaning that we played 10 per side.

We won the toss and batted. Three early wickets fell quickly but Gareth McAloon and Jon Willatt steadied  the ship confidently with a century partnership; Jon departed for 60 with Gareth on 88, to be joined by Tom Chamberlain who in turn took on the bowlers and also scored 60, while Gareth moved serenely to 116 not out and took us to a declaration total of 283 for 5 at precisely half time. Gareth’s remarkable run continues – he has not yet been dismissed since starting to play for the Refreshers last year and has scored in excess of 300 runs for an average of infinity.

Despite some very good seam bowling from Sachin and Tom Chamberlain the Hogs put on more than 100 for the first wicket. After tea wickets began to fall; the first opener was run out by a spectacular piece of fielding from Gareth McAloon and some excellent catches were then taken, most notably a fabulous reflex grab by Rachel Godschalk off her own bowling.

Sachin, Tatton-Brown and Akhtar Ahmad also pouched some excellent high ball catches and the Hogs looked to be in danger of running out of batsmen as wickets fell regularly. But they continued to score freely enough to get to within 2 runs and 2 wickets standing as the final over was bowled, and a dainty dab from Jonathan Grant was enough to see the Hogs home.

It was a truly excellent day – Sachin, Chamberlain, McAloon, Godschalk and Ahmad all bowled well during the Hogs’ chase; we dropped one or two catchable chances which would almost certainly have made the difference, but on the whole our performance was pretty good; the Hogs’ hospitality was exemplary and the sun was casting long shadows over the ground as we finally left the pavilion bar.

Team: Cayford (capt), Stewart, McAloon, Tatton-Brown, Chamberlain, Godschalk, Sachin, Akhtar Ahmad, Jon Willatt and Michael Weston (ringer).