'WIDES' WADES IN AND FILLS HIS BOOTS 

WCC 91

Heartaches 92-3 

Heartaches won by seven wickets

A rare break in the weather enabled the Heartaches to end a Weekenders unbeaten streak that stretched right back to June 17th, the last time we managed to play a game.

After being put in by the hosts, the Weekenders were given a steady start by Nick Dibley and the assured Toby Lyons but it failed to inspire the rest of the batting line up. Misfortune played its part when Dominic Laurie got a cruel LBW decision against the bowling of Lulu's son. Possibly the umpire was influenced by the volume of the appeal (or hereditary 'shout') but the scorebook records facts not opinions. Another searing truth thrown up by the scorecard is that Wides was the Weekenders' top scorer with 17 extremely useful runs, made with arguably more elegance than the other 74, although Byes stroked an eyecatching 9 and Leg Byes crafted a flinty 6. Smee and Still spared the Enders blushes with a dogged ninth-wicket stand of 24.

The tea interval brought a welcome improvement in the quality of play. Some tight bowling, notably from Dibley, forced the Heartaches to work hard for their runs but the batsmen kept their heads and got home comfortably inside 23 overs.         

WCC 91 all out (41.5 overs)

Toby Lyons 14, Dibley 11, J Lyons 5, P Marshall 0, Laurie  0, Dunne 2, Douglas 5, D Marshall 5, Smee 6, Still 6, d'Inverno 5. Extras 32

Heartaches 92-3 (23.1 overs)

Douglas 9-1-29-1; Dibley 8-5-16-2; Dunne 3-0-23-0; J Lyons 1-0-10-0; D Marshall 2-0-9-0; Still 0.1-0-2-0.

Catch: Smee (kpr)