Match Reports 2019

                          


Season to date   Played Won Lost Drawn Abandoned Cancelled
  14   7 2 5   3
Up          Fixtures 2019          Home
Pictures - Chris Sargeant unless otherwise stated
             
Date Fixture     Date Fixture
April 28th Bank of England - draw A July 26th Petts Wood (tour) H
May 5th Cublington - win H   July 28th Chinnor - cancelled A
May 12th The Lee - win     August 4th Cublington - win A
May 19th Pelicans - draw   August 11th The Lee - win H
May 26th Little Marlow - lost     August 18th Ley Hill - cancelled  
June 2nd Roxbourne August 25th Bank of England - draw
June 9th Lt Missenden Misfits     September 1st No fixture  
June 16th Southwell Ramblers - cancelled - rain     September 8th Holmer Green - win  
June 23rd Presidents X1 - draw H September 15th Pelicans
July 7th Ballinger - win A        
July 14th Red Square Lion - Cancelled - World Cup          
July 21st Gt Gaddesdon - win          
April 28th - Bank of England - Away Draw
 
We arrived at the Bank of England’s impressive club grounds with a strong XI and unlike previous years, on time, with all of our kit and temperatures above freezing (just!).

We were asked to bat first on what felt like a great batting wicket, but Dom and Henry fell early on to pair of LBWs. After a frenetic start, Henry King settled into a brutal knock, smashing almost everything that came his way, generally along the deck and often with classy punches down the ground and through the covers. It was glorious to watch. Ateeq was his parter in a 150 run stand, who looked assured and ran hard for his younger colleague. They ended on 127 and 58 respectively and between them scored almost all of our 222.

It’s not often you blaze 127 and almost get pipped to man of the match, but Ben Sonley took Henry(K) pretty close with a mammoth 11 over spell, that went for only 22 runs and included four maidens and four wickets, incredible stuff from the metronome. I have a memory that the first wicket was a lightning fast leg-side stumping by some young chap called Haddock behind the stumps.

That miserly spell meant that Bank never looked like scoring enough runs. Ben was well supported by every other bowler, particularly Luke who was fast, Simon on debut and Captain Nick who took a sharp C&B in his three wicket haul.

Our catching let us down a bit, Bank hung onto a draw, eight wickets down and we dropped at least three chances. Still, a very good start to the season, particularly for Henry(K), who has timed his maiden hundred for the club perfectly, this being the first summer that he can legally buy a jug! This might turn out to be an expensive season for him.
Dom Haddock
Top of page                          Up                            Home
 
 
 
May 5th - Cublington - Home Win
 
Things didn’t get off to a good start against Cublington. There was a hint of an Australia accent on their hefty opening batsman, which is usually a concern. Our worst fears were realised, and we discovered that this chap was an overseas pro at some point during his blistering, faultless 170 (retired). His innings enabled their skipper to gleefully declare before tea with 254 on board. If we were going to have anything to celebrate over bank holiday beers in the Plough, we’d have to bat out of skins.

Dom and Henry started watchfully, but both looked in good touch. They reached 100 in good time, without any concerns. Having both passed 50, they set their minds on the chase and opened their arms, dispatching the ball to parts in a session which saw 60 odd runs scored in a flash.

As we reach the 20 over countdown, Cublington turned to their Saturday opening quicks. Unfortunately this led immediately to a double breakthrough, Henry Capper for 76 and Henry King for a duck. Captain Nick strode purposefully to the crease, kept the scoreboard ticking and ran well with Dom who was by now in the 90s. Though he’d sent a good number of straight(ish) sixes into the trees and swivel pull shots off his nose over the road, it felt appropriate that a mistimed bunt through mid-wicket took Dom to his hundred.

The match was still alive. Nick was dismissed but Simon, on home debut, was a cool head under pressure. Dom was swinging hard at everything now and the pair were keeping us up with the rate, just. On 132, Dom was finally dismissed by a sharp caught and bowled by our Australian friend. We needed 12 from two overs, fingernail chomping stuff. Kenny came in, perhaps the perfect scenario for him, licence to unleash his lusty blows. He did just that which coupled with Simon’s nous kept us going. A late cut from the outside half of Simon’s bat took us to victory with just two balls to spare.

Phew! What a finish! A famous victory! No one can remember a higher successful chase for the club. A superb batting effort, made possible by the bowlers and fielders sticking to a tough task against quality oppo earlier in the day. Much post match analysis was required in the Plough.

 
   
   
   
   
   
   
 
Dom Haddock
Top of page                          Up                            Home
 
 
May 12th - The Lee - Away Win
 
On the wettest wicket since Worcestershire CCC ill advisedly toured to Atlantis CC, we were asked to bat first at The Lee. Our top three showed discipline against some good new ball bowling, but though Dom made it into the 30s, runs were scarce and the scoring rate slow. Having arrived 30 minutes late, Luke must have missed the team tactics meeting about patience and casually deposited his first two deliveries ten yards over the boundary. He continued in this style to make our only meaningful contribution with the bat, a thrilling and brutal 95. He was out in the closing overs, selflessly pushing the score on without concern for his hundred. It was brutal batting and we would have been well short without it. He was well supported by Nick, who looked in good nick, Simon who hung around and ran well for a long time, Gus who crashed a pull shot to the boundary and decided that was enough for him, and Ben who will talk you through his run-a-ball 12 in great detail whether you like it or not.

We set 200, but rumours of very talented league batsmen through their order abounded. Today though, HHCC were brilliant in the field. Luke took the new ball and was fast and fiery, crashing through batmen’s gates and into stumps, and regularly finding the outside edge in a four wicket spell. The Burgham Boys, this week Nick and Walter, combined to claim six wickets(!), three to Nick’s off spin which had got better and better and surely he will compete for the highest wicket tally this year, and three stunning catches. Nick leapt like a salmon and took one in mid air to dismiss their best batsman, and two for Walter, one in which he covered a lot of ground and the other was struck mighty powerfully and went like a rocket. Ateeq’s well flighted leg spin wrapped up the tail, including a well judged over the shoulder catch taken by Kenny and in a flash we had dismissed The Lee for 120 in 20 overs.

It was a complete team performance. On paper one we ought not to have won, but a bit of brilliance by Luke with the bat, allowed us to pull together for a brilliant fielding performance and thumping victory.
 
Dom Haddock
Top of page                          Up                            Home
 
 
May 19th - Pelicans - home draw
 

On Sunday we hosted local rivals The Pelicans.  The Pelicans lost the toss so we put them in to bat.  The wicket was a little damp with all the rain we had on Saturday evening but was drying out fast.  A nice warm afternoon ahead of us.  Luke and Ben opened the bowling, Luke got one wicket but we couldn’t seem to break through the top order.  A bowling change was needed.  On came Nick and Luke’s friend, Matt aka Bomb Head!  Well these two surely did slow the run rate with Nick bowling 11 overs and taking 2 wickets and Matt bowling well having taken two wickets then in the last over before tea, took three more.  So a fiver for Matt.  A mention also to Angus who hung on to an absolute sky-er of a catch nearly taking Ben out in the process.  Luke also held a screamer to point. 

We headed into the tea break needing just under 200 to win the game.  Matt Simms and Luke opened the batting.  They were coasting along quite nicely, Luke hitting one of the biggest sixes ever seen on the common and Matt running quickly between the wickets.  After Matt’s dismissal, Spencer came to the crease and upped the run rate.  Unfortunately Luke got bowled by an extremely good delivery just clipping the top of off stump.  Then it left us a bit thin on the ground.  Nick, Angus and Kenny went quickly.  Simon hung around to guide us towards a draw.  Liam and Ben made sure we didn’t lose the game.  So all up a good effort from everyone. 

Next Sunday, home game against Little Marlow – bank holiday weekend.  See you there.

 
Nick Burgham
Top of page                          Up                            Home
 
 
May 26th - Little Marlow - home - lost
 

Typical. Glorious sunshine fills the skies as I arrive at the ground in preparation for a triumphant return to cricket at Hyde Heath. Then I open the car door and it starts pissing it down. Two pints in The Plough see the weather improve a little and we take to the field amid cold and damp and drizzle. You get the impression everyone would rather be in the pub – and it shows. Despite Dom's inspirational captaincy, I can't remember Hyde Heath fielding this badly in forever: ground-fielding errors, dropped catches, lethargic chases, overthrows, missed run-outs... If memory serves – and it rarely does – there were at least three of the above off just one ball. Certainly, it's the fielding I blame for my 5 overs disappearing for 40 – nothing to do with the rank full tosses getting belted into the trees. No sir.

Having agreed with Little Marlow to play 35 overs a side after a delayed start, we took the field and all of our seamers bowled well. Playing in his final game before relocating down to Cornwall (disgraceful behaviour to move so far from Hyde Heath...) Ben “Glenn McGrath” Sonley was at his usual frugal best and Stanley bowled a strong opening spell from the other end. Sohail rolled back the years with some pinpoint yorkers while Spencer was especially impressive, exploiting the up and down nature of the pitch but failing to win the plumbest of LBW appeals against the oppo's number 3 (it shot along the ground and hit him on the foot in front of middle). That fellow also benefitted from several dropped catches and went on to anchor the innings with 72 and help see Little Marlow up to 214 or so.

Tea was a beacon of excellence: Hyde Heath's most reliable cricketing forte. Bakewell slices suggested pride in the game's great traditions while devilled eggs demonstrated an embrace of innovation in the never-ending pursuit of progress.

Chasing a stiff target, we would have hoped for more from our openers, but after Dom and Henry Capper departed, it was Spencer and Henry King who put together our most significant partnership. Spencer in particular looked in fine form in making 50, so Henry K promptly ran him out. Wickets fell in a cluster before a revivifying partnership between Angus and myself. I made 39, mostly mown through the leg-side, and I especially enjoyed Gus's calling, which instead of the perfunctory options of “yes”, “no”, or “maybe” took place more in the form of a dialogue: “Ought we to run?” Angus enquired. “I don't see why we shouldn't.” Less efficient but more civilised than the usual approach, I'm sure you'll agree.

Sadly, I got bowled by a shooter, we continued to lose wickets in groups and with an over to go, we were finally all out 20 or so runs short as Sohail was felled by a toe-crusher.

Not the most impressive of performances from the Heath but an enjoyable afternoon against a fun opposition.


Tom Jeffreys (foreign correspondent)

 
Top of page                          Up                            Home
 
June 2nd Roxbourne - Home - Lost
 
Thanks to a fiery opening bust by Roxbourne’s opening bowlers and a spicy track that popped up and kept low, our theoretically strong top order were blown away in the first few overs leaving us at 68 for 7. Then came an incredible partnership between Simon and Liam. They occupied the crease, played nothing but low risk shots and ran well to double our score! Where 100 has looked impossible they dragged us up to 120 brilliantly, and frustrated the oppo no end in the process.

When Liam was eventually dismissed on 26, we unleashed our second secret weapon. Henry King had taken a break from revision, and wandered over for a slice of cake a tea. As we only had ten in the team, he was hastily kitted out in borrowed, mismatched, whites and pads and sent in at number 10. He blasted 12 from three balls and we finished on 148. We were probably short of par but we had something to bowl at thank to the Simon and Liam’s heroics. Simon was very unfortunate not to record his first half century for the club, caught on 46 whilst upping the scoring rate in the final overs.

Our start with the ball was excellent. Continuing his blinding form, Liam took a brilliant catch at gully off Spencer and Nick an early LBW. We continued to bowl with great heart, but were always short of a really competitive total and Roxbourne managed to get home well within time, without any great scares. Special mention to Liam who finished a brilliant day with a short spell of medium pace, reminiscent on one B.Sonley. Let’s hope we see some more in the future !
 
Dom Haddock

Top of page                          Up                            Home
 
 
June 9th Lt Missenden Misfits - Home - Draw
 
A mammoth second wicket stand between Henry Capper and Fiddy Spence saw us post a dominant 249, on a sticky wicket at home to Little Missenden. Henry’s 111 and Spencer’s 83 were patient and low risk and the wickets in hand allowed the middle order to tee off and add some quick runs at the end of the innings.

Little Missenden had recruited some young guns from various other Saturday clubs, which we took as a great compliment. After a stunning slip catch taken by Henry C. two visiting batsmen from the Lee came together and began to take the game away from us. Spencer put in an excellent 18(!) over spell and Stanley and Nick bowled well around him. But we couldn’t break the partnership. A leading edge and a real skier taken by Dom with the gloves gave us a sniff, but a young chap who had threatened against us at the Lee, really did the business here and was well past 100.

In the final over Missenden required 8 to win. With two balls left, just five needed and the centurion was on strike. Nick scuttled a low straight one to bowl him! All of a sudden the equation looked very different and our old friend Atif strode to the crease with six required off the last ball. A wide, flat dart from Nick under pressure made that impossible and the match was drawn.

Almost 495 runs scored under sunny skies, against an amiable side with honours even. Good match. Oh, and we recruited their ringer for next week.
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Dom Haddock

Top of page                          Up                            Home
 
 
June 23rd - Presidents X1
 

The club enjoyed another very successful Beer Festival thanks to a great deal of hard work from many, but particularly Nick, Matt and the mastermind behind the whole event, Angus. There were excellent beers, a great band, the hugely popular addition of a dead trendy Lebanese Street food van and lots of happy customers. 

Sore heads all round as usual the following day, but in a change to tradition the Saturday saw the Club play the Pub in an intra-village T20. It was jolly fixture play in the right spirit. Although the Club came through successfully, it was a good opportunity for young members of the village to showcase their talents and they did so emphatically, taking wickets and scoring lots of runs. 

And so to the main event; President’s Day. This was Paul Haddock’s first fixture as President and he’d put together a strong side, featuring a number of familiar faces, though fortunately rumours of Alex Hales opening the batting turned out to be a hoax. After an excellent steak lunch and a couple of sharpeners (all the beer festival supplies must be drunk you understand!) the Club took to the field and the President’s XI batted first, as is tradition. 

The President’s XI got off to a good start, laying a foundation though not at a rattling pace, restricted well by Ben, Stanley and Luke. The partnership was eventually broken which brought the President’s XI dangerous middle order to the crease. Jack Kilganon, Olly Haddock (captaining) and Ben Langley have all played a very good standard of cricket and they were tough opponents. They approached their innings’ in very different ways. Kilganon danced down the track and reverse swept for an eccentric 30, Olly timed the ball well through the covers for a half century and Ben pushing the rate on for a well put together 50 at the end of their innings. Our bowlers stuck to their task, Nick the pick with three wickets and were supported by a good fielding effort. O.Haddock made a competitive declaration before tea on 230, the match very much in the balance. 

During the Club’s batting innings we were almost always up with the run rate, and significant contributions were made by a watchful Henry Capper and explosive Henry King and Spencer, but all three fell short of a really big score, which we needed to chase down the total. Enter Luke Brennan. Though not as snappy between the wickets as he might have been after a long bowling spell and even longer Saturday night, Luke started creaming straight drives and lofted clips over midwicket. Our run rate has been a bit subdued, but Luke’s quick fire 65 got us there or thereabouts again with just a few over to go. Unfortunately there was too much to do, and the inevitable bowling chance to bring the openers back on tied us down again and time ran out. We finished a tantalising 10 runs short, both sides shook hands on well played draw and retired to the marquee to polish off the end of the barrels and debrief on a thoroughly successful Big Weekend 2019.

 

Dom Haddock
Top of page                          Up                            Home
 

 
July 7th - Ballinger - Away Win
 
It was in the balance in Ballinger this weekend, the match decided in the final over. We got off to a flyer with the ball thanks to two stunning slip catches by Alex Davidson and a searching new ball burst by Luke and Kenny. Then Nick, Monty and Henry King rattled through 25 overs between them at a lightning pace, Monty even jogging back to his mark after every delivery. Though Ballinger were a strong, young, batting side with plenty of talent, we kept chipping away at the wickets. The two paced pitch created leading edges, caught and bowleds, and took turn, spectacularly in one case when Nick bowled their skipper through the gate. They set us 184, perhaps just under par, but something to defend.

Our reply got off to a stuttering start. The run rate was good, but we’d lost three wickets before reaching 50. A significant stand or two was required, and Monty and Alex, then Alex and Luke, did the business. All three batted sensibly, but with controlled aggression and the scoreboard ticked over nicely. Latterly, Alex and Luke got their eyes in and opened their arms to crash fours and sixes more regularly. They fell in quick succession, Alex after reaching a half century and Luke in the 40s.

We needed only six to win, but wickets and overs were running out, no problem it seemed for our fearless engine room in the lower order. Kenny, as a former Ballinger CC colt, came to the crease under the pressure of friendly jeering around him, but blasted his first ball for four, then holed out at long the next ball attempting to wrap things up, a classic Kenny innings. Liam strode to the middle, and under strict instructions from his skipper to “get something on it and run”, casually took a quick bouncer to the head and called the single through, confirming his status as the toughest member of the Hyde Heath squad. With five balls still to go and only one needed for victory, Nick ramped up the drama by edging to slip and everything was down to Angus. Block four balls and lose. Get out and lose. Pressure? What pressure? Gus neatly stepped inside the line of Ballinger’s raging quick and flicked him to fine leg for four, to whoops and hollers from the boundary. An extraordinarily close match, played in just the right spirit by both sides. We retired for beers in their new pavilion and to check the status of Liam’s (victorious)concussion.

 
Dom Haddock
Top of page                          Up                            Home
 
 
July 21st Gt Gaddesdon

In their 2017-2019 pomp, it was often said of England’s Cricket World Cup winning team that their game plan was to bowl satisfactorily, go for quite few runs, but chase down anything that they were set. Anything you can do Eoin and co., HHCC can do better(and worse).  

Our fielding efforts against Great Gaddeson, were below par (dreadful). Bowlers struggled for line and length, we dropped half a dozen catches and our ground fielding was sloppy. Perhaps this was part of the game plan? At tea we pondered the monumental challenge of chasing 265(!) to win, yikes. 

Dom and Matt Sims needed to set a foundation for the explosive middle order to capitalise on. Well, tick, they reached 50 without loss, first hurdle jumped. Matt sadly pinged his calf and was forced to hobble off for a wel made 20, including a number of classic Sims square cuts and well timed, pushed, cover boundaries…classy. Dom heaved his way to a significantly less classy, but effective, 46 before being caught whilst pushing the rate up, and Fiddy fells in the teens, just as he was getting going.  

At drinks we had two new batmen at the crease, and 20 overs to score 180 runs, we needed our Stokes and Buttler. Stokes; muscular, talented, fast bowling, boundary pumping, party-enjoying, ginger…see Luke Brennan. Buttler; softly spoken, cool headed, sunny disposition, all round athlete, striker of a long ball, See Charlie Lines. We had the right men at the crease. With never a thought of a draw, Luke and Charlie crashed the bowling around for some scintillating sixes and fours. Luke peppered the gardens on the other side of the road and Charlie matched him, booming one particular six that was still going up as it hit the trees. With the rate still well over 8 an over, Gaddesdon’s only option was to put every single fielder on the fence. But the boys excellent timing meant they continued to find gaps for fours, and run twos. It was an astonishing period of play.  

With six over remaining, the rate was down to a run a ball, Luke was closing in on 100 and Charlie had reached his maiden half-century for the club. A few more lusty blows by Charlie meant that Luke was in danger of knocking off the runs on 98 not out! Happily, he dispatched one final four, won the game and brought up a round 100. Charlie’s final score was 60 not out. Amazingly we still had three overs in hand. What an incredible victory. It was worthy of a World Cup trophy, but they might have to settle with sharing the HHCC Champagne Moment trophy at the end of the season instead.

Dom Haddock
Top of page                          Up                            Home
 
August 4th - Cublington - Away Win
 

We bowled first in an overs game at Cublington this week and were excellent in the field. We used seven bowlers, restricted their batters with fine ground fielding, (mostly) took our catches and nine wickets were spread evenly. Fiddy was the pick, taking two wickets from his seven for just 14 runs. Ed Whitehead was also miserly, taking 1-20 off his seven, and Billy, Ateeq, Simon, Kenny and Henry King backed them up. Liam was brilliant in the covers, peppered all afternoon with lusty blows, but was impenetrable. We restricted Cublington to 156, which was all the more impressive thanks to them fielding not one but two Australian overseas pros. One had scored 160 against us earlier in the year; turns out he was no match for Simon’s guile with the old ball.

Our reply got off to a spritely start. The Australians proved their all-rounder status by both bowling quickly, on a track with good bounce and enough grass to nip about. Henry and Dom managed to negotiate things early on, putting on 45 for the first wicket, a good foundation in a low chase. Henry was the dominant force and when Dom fell, he kept going, striking cover drives and straight drives with immaculate timing. Our middle order did as best they could, but 156 was looking a world away as wickets tumbled for single figures. When Henry was finally dismissed for a brilliant 78, we still had a tricky 20 odd to score. Ed and Simon came together, ran smartly, and played calmly, knowing time was on our side. A punched 4 took us to victory and left Ed 14 not out.

A match winning knock by Henry in the end, but we wouldn’t have got to 200 today, so huge credit to the bowlers for a fine disciplined display and a great team effort in the field. Cublington have a number of Saturday sides and a lot of depth. Having beaten them twice in a season, we had better be wary of them next year.

 
Dom Haddock
Top of page                          Up                            Home
 
 
August 11th - The Lee - Home Win
 

It was the first of two consecutive fixtures, home and away, against Ley Hill CC this week; the closest HHCC will get to a test match series. All nine of us (we had only recruited ten and Kenny failed to show!) took the field and we bowled first on soft, wet wicket. Batting was tough, but was being made to look tougher still and after 12 overs from Stanley and Max the score had only just crept above 20.

As wickets fell, the scoring rate rose. Nick turned the ball in a good spell, but Luke had the greatest success, taking four wickets with cutters mixed in with quicker deliveries and a wicket to wicket line. LHCC set us 171 to win, which though usually too few to be really competitive, on this week’s wicket and slow outfield might have been about par.

A strong shower at tea looked ominous but we got back out in good time. Dom and Henry began watchfully, attempting to see off the challenging new ball bowlers, hopeful of more free scoring opportunities later on. They set a good platform, putting on 54 for the first wicket and seeing off the most threatening opener.

Luke arrived at the crease, having not the received the memo about watchfulness, sticky wicket, plenty of time etc; he caressed his first delivery to the cover boundary, and crashed his second to point boundary. His innings continued in this way for 74 excellent runs at a good clip. He was very ably supported by Max during this period, who batted sensibly, dispatching bad balls where he found them. Luke was eventually dismissed by LHCC skipper Paul Green, whose innocuous grenades have been the downfall of some 1,300 Bucks batsmen we are reliably informed. He chalked up another four this Sunday, after Luke, Chris the Landlord, Simon and Jeremy all missed attempted heaves. This flurry of wickets, the fact that we were fielding nine batters and that we were still 20 runs short made for a good finish. Stanley and Max were cool headed though and chipped away with ones and twos to get us home with plenty of overs to spare.

With four wickets and 74 runs, Luke put in a man of the match and brilliant jug avoidance performance. HHCC go one-nil up in the series and we travel to Ley Hill next weekend for the second and final test. I mean match.
 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
Dom Haddock
Top of page                          Up                            Home
 
August 25th - Bank of England - Home Draw
 

Bank Holiday end of August annual fixture home against the Bank of England.

After drawing the first match of the season, Hyde Heath only need a drawer to retain the Brian Hartley Cup.  Hyde Heath won the toss and put the Bank into bat.  After four overs Max Free had cleared out the first three batsmen with a fine catch by Jeremy at first slip, a stumping from the ever-improving wicket keeper Liam, then Max taking the top of off stump.  So we thought we were on our way to skittling the Bank but as we all know cricket changes pretty fast.  Their next two batsmen put on a partnership of 130 and our fielding let us down with Nick having three catches dropped in one of his overs but the skipper held it together.  Spencer bowled a long spell consistently, 16 overs on the trot.  So at tea, Hyde Heath were chasing 190.  Hyde Heath had a new opening partnership this week with new batsman Alex and Nick.  Alex batted well for a maiden 50 on his first outing for the club.  Nick started well for a quick-fire 20.  Simon and Jez tried to chase down the runs but as they had half their team protecting the boundaries they were difficult to find.  And unfortunately we ran out of overs, so Match drawn but the Cup stays at Hyde Heath.

 The fancy dress theme for the Bank of England was types of beer/breweries!  The boys from the Bank looked fantastic, looking forward to next season. 

 

Dom Haddock
Top of page                          Up                            Home
 
September 8th - Holmer Green - Home Win