Storm clouds on the horizon

MHV 1st XI visited Ickleford CC to play their 2nd XI but found themselves on the Club's second ground, due to a fixture clash. It was a pleasant enough playing environment and having won the toss, David Overton invited the hosts to bat first. Regular opening bowler Saahil Mehra didn't even make the starting stalls having gone missing in action on the morning of the game. So new ball duties fell to the skipper and Andrew Potter, who both found good early rhythm. The home side were reduced to 14-3 as pressure built and the opposition's top order started to go hard at balls that were not there to hit. Some excellent catches were taken and this was a feature throughout the innings.

A rain delay saw a reduction of 10 overs per innings and after the resumption very little went the Village way. No's 4 & 5 took advantage of some early good fortune and built a really strong partnership. Hitting powerfully down the ground to anything slightly full and across the line to anything even a little short, they proved very stubborn obstacles, despite the bowlers continuing to put most balls in a good area. Another excellent catch from the Captain running in from long on, finally got a breakthrough after a stand of 140. By this time the Ickleford captain was already eyeing up an early declaration and the remaining batsman were sent in with much positive intent.

The generous declaration came after 36 overs, with the score at 205-5, leaving the Village with 44 overs to chase. It was certainly not a task which felt out of reach but the fragile batting of recent weeks soon emerged once again. After 17 runs were plundered from the opening over, the home side must have been pondering the wisdom of the early declaration. They weren’t concerned for very long. A serious of poor shots, bad judgement and negative footwork against a frankly ordinary bowling attack, saw the Village innings crumble to 46-5 in the 16th over. The 1st team mustered only 100 runs against Ickleford’s array of slow and medium paced bowling options. The weather dictated that the wicket was slow and sticky once again but this will be the pattern for weeks to come and the home team clearly managed to cope far better. Felix Charles (27) and David Overton (22) were the only players to go past 15, in what was a woeful display of batting.

Not a single point was taken and the Village are tumbling down the Division. Improvements need to happen fast.