Lacklustre batting display costs Village once again

This was a frustrating match in many respects for the 1st XI. The toss was lost for probably the 5th match in a row. It meant the Village were once again invited to field first on a warm and pleasant day in Welwyn. The 'playing field' used by the WGC 3rd XI team is a surprisingly well kept wicket and outfield, so there were certainly no complaints about the pitch.

Lots of bowling options were available despite the absence of a some key players due to holidays. The trouble was, none of the various 6 bowlers tried were really able to provide the necessary level of control needed. Good wicket taking deliveries were frequently punctuated with wides and four balls throughout the spells. Marcus Cara, given a rare chance with the new ball, bowled well at the top of the innings with 1-24 from his 7 overs. Andrew Potter 3-40 and David Overton 4-48 in their 9 overs apiece, shared the wicket-taking spoils but both were a little too profligate given the skills they possess and the threats they posed. The fielding was decent in patches, with a couple of excellent catches by Marcus Cara and the skipper but a couple of drops and the odd misfield did not help the cause.

The hosts were actually dismissed in the 45th over with 186 on the board. It was a below par total given the batsmen friendly pitch and conditions. The mood in the dressing room at tea was unusually subdued. Grey clouds and light drizzle rolled in as the day wore on but whilst this was perhaps a portent of the state of the Village innings, it didn't really provide any excuse for the outcome. David Overton (22) decided to step up and open the innings and actually looked in good touch as he picked off the over-pitched deliveries from the young swing bowler. However, he was soon adjudged to have 'nicked off' to the keeper and had to depart. Marcus Cara and Farzan Dulker-Nain both went cheaply leaving the Village reeling at 44-3. Phil Smith (15) was next to go with a patient but far from fluent knock and Felix Charles also looked uncomfortable, contributing only 9, as the Village were well behind the game at 84-5.

The slow bowlers came on with Anand Kumar and Majid Asif seeking to re-build the innings. They looked well set to do so, as both batsmen looked in decent form and hopes were high again as the score progressed to 105-5. Communication problems put the Village right on the back foot again as a needless run out brought an end to the partnership and Anand's well constructed 28 came to a premature end. Shortly afterwards Majid smashed a full toss into the hands of a grateful fielder who clung on well and the game was more or less up.

Mo Salahudeen's cameo innings of 27 in a last wicket partnership rear-guard is worth a mention but he skied a high catch to signal the end of the innings and 139 all out was another pretty woeful batting performance, with once again, no one able to stick around long enough to make a meaningful or match winning contribution. The Village remain 4th in the division but heading in the wrong direction and things will have to improve to prevent the 1st team looking down nervously rather than up in hope of promotion. More key players are absent on Saturday as the attraction of golf in Florida have somehow outshone the attractions of Burtonhole Lane against Eversholt IIs, who currently prop up the division.