Hancock and Hepburn Guide Harpsden to Victory

Stonor
S Collings ct Moyle b Birkett E 0
I Harris ct Hepburn b Hodgkiss 0
S Gordon ct Hodgkiss b Birkett R 46
J Powell ct Birkett E b Birkett R 48
M Bowden ct Reissman b Birkett R 2
T Wright b Stevens 11
S Mayana ct Reissman b Birkett A 15
J Olive b Stevens 0
C Maidlow b Imlay 4
S Harris ct Hancock b Birkett A 0
N Allsop Not Out 2

TOTAL 142 all out

Best Bowling: Birkett R 3-16, Birkett A 2-2

Harpsden
M Hodgkiss ct I Harris b Maidlow 5
W Stevens ct S Gordon b S Harris 11
R Harris b J Powell 12
I Reissman ct J Powell b Bowden 6
S Imlay ct I Harris b S Harris 22
A Birkett ct Mayana b Bowden 24
G Hepburn ct N Allsop b S Harris 28
B Hancock Not Out 14
E Birkett Not Out 6

TOTAL 144-7

Best Bowling: S Harris 3-28, Bowden 2-27

Harpsden travelled to Stonor in very damp conditions, in what turned out to be a very closely fought match.

Harpsden made the best possible start with the ball, removing Collings in the first over, caught behind off the bowling of Ed Birkett. Harpsden enjoyed further success in the following over, as Hodgkiss removed Harris first ball thanks to a smart catch from Hepburn at first slip. Powell and Gordon then set about rebuilding the innings, as Powell nurdled the singles, and Gordon went for a slightly more aggressive approach. It worked for both batsman, until Rod Birkett removed Gordon, who was caught at cow corner by Hodgkiss. The following ball, Powell didn’t follow through with his shot, and spooned the ball to mid on where Ed Birkett was waiting. From then on, Stonor failed to gain any momentum, losing there final 6 wickets for 40 runs. The pick of the Harpsden bowlers was Rod Birkett, who turned in figures of 6-0-16-3. He ably supported at the end of the innings by son Adam who picked up 2 wickets for 2 runs.

Harpsden started there innings cautiously, mainly due to very tight bowling from the Stonor openers. Hodgkiss was the first man to fall off the bowling of Maidlow, and Stevens soon followed him to the pavilion, removed by Harris’s bowling. Harpsden then found themselves in trouble at 44-4 with 20 overs remaining. Imlay and Birkett built a solid partnership before Birkett holed out, and Imlay was brilliantly caught by Ian Harris at slip off his sons bowling. This brought Hancock to the crease to join Hepburn, who was already hitting the ball sweetly, both batsman played sensibly, before Hepburn was caught behind again off Harris’s bowling. With 2 overs remaining Harpsden still needed 13 runs to win, Hancock showed good compsure, first hitting a loose full toss for four, and then hitting a cut shot through the covers for four 2 balls later, this meant that Harpsden now only needed 5 from the last over, Ed Birkett hit a 2, before unluckily for Stonor, the ball bounced awkwardly in front of the wicket keeper, and the ball flew to the boundary, with byes being signalled to give Harpsden victory by 3 wickets.