In Hertfordshire, Humiliations Hardly Ever Fail to Happen

HODDESDON 493-3 (40 overs)

WCC 138 all out

Hoddesdon won by 357 runs

The Weekenders enjoyed two large slices of luck in this game. The £2.50 match ball which we provided quickly went soft and made it difficult for batsmen to time their shots. Had we spent another tenner on a Kookaburra we might have had to chase a four-figure total. The second piece of good fortune was that Hoddesdon's undefeated fourth-wicket partnership of 323 prevented their South African pro from getting to the crease.  

Walters' 179 not out came very close to sapping the Weekenders bowlers' confidence but they manned up a treat with McDonald and Dibley, particulary, putting in heroic spells. Our hearts went out to Hoddesdon's previous opposition bowlers whom Walters had dispatched for 253 not out in a recent Home Counties cup game (Division 2).

On another day our batting performance would have looked passable, built around an elegant 44 from McDonald, Brockis's dashing 24 and a nuggety 15 from newcomer McBarron.

But it is, of course, the bowling figures that will interest future historians. Cooper's back niggle, acquired in the second over of the day, will come to be seen as inspired, followed by Douglas's hobble off after seven overs to sit on one of the many benches dedicated to the memory of previous visiting trundlers.

The surprising story of the day is that the club record for the most expensive three-over spell remains intact. Bad luck, Flat.

The Hoddesdon Secretary got in touch about next year's game at 10.07 on Monday morning.

HODDESDON 493-3

Handy 63, Jones 40, Sturdy 161*, Byrne 18, Walters 179*

Douglas 7-0-53-0; Dibley 10-1-131-0; Mcdonald 7-0-80-0; Brockis 4-0-41-2; Wahi 5-0-68-1;

d'Inverno 5-0-84-0; McBarron 2-0-21-0

Catches: Douglas 1, McDonald 1, Wahi 1.  

WCC 138

McBarron 15, Wahi 0, Cooper 13, Brockis 24, McDonald 44, Westhead (who also brought a cool box full of beer) 5, Bailey 0, Dibley 9, Lee 6*, d'Inverno 1, Douglas absent knackered. 

The cutting edge of the Weekenders bowling attack. Combined figures: 22 overs, 1 mdn, no wicket for 268