Hem Heath beat Moddershall by 95 runs.
Moddershall vs Hem Heath.
The halfway point in the season takes me to the beautiful Barnfields for the first time to watch a crucial clash at the top of the table.
The home side lost their lead at the top of the table last week as they could only register a losing draw against new leaders Checkley in a high-scoring draw on the road. They’ve been long-time leaders and will want to get back to the top of the pile as soon as possible. They’ve only lost once so far this season on the road at Eccleshall, but they have drawn 2 out of their last 3 in the red ball format.
Hem Heath crushed strugglers Longton by 10 wickets last week, and they now sit level on points with Audley in 5th place. Their form has been patchy this season, but they’ve only tasted defeat twice so far and have won 3 of their last 5 as they continue to lurk near the top of the table.
Hem Heath won the toss and elected to bat in windy and overcast conditions. Liam Banks survived a huge appeal for LBW in the second over off the bowling of Joe Walley. It did look high, but the home side knows the importance of his wicket. He responded by sweetly driving Sam Atkinson through extra cover for his first boundary in the next over. Tom Hodson pulled Atkinson over mid-wicket for his first boundary to round out the 5th over.
Danushka Sandaruwan then took a stunning one-handed diving catch away to his left at mid-on to dismiss Banks off the bowling of Walley in the next over. He leapt through the air and was horizontal when he took the catch. It was the best piece of fielding I have seen so far this season. It was a piece of magic that could be crucial in deciding the outcome of this match. Ben Pugh drove Atkinson handsomely to the cover fence in the next over as he opened his account in fine style in the 7th over. He got a life in the 9th over when he spooned an attempted drive to mid-off, but the catch could not be taken, and the chance went begging. The next ball was flicked away to the fine leg boundary when Atkinson strayed onto his pads.
Hodson edged Walley just short of keeper Callum Hawkins in the next over as the home side’s bowlers continued to pressure the batters. A loose drive from Hodson was safely caught by Fraser Hawkins at 1st slip just 3 balls later as Hem Heath fell to 31/2 after 10 overs. Pugh then nudged wide of slip for his third boundary in the next over before he survived a huge appeal for caught behind. He seemed to hit the top of his pad rather than the ball, though, so it was a good decision from the umpire.
Sandaruwan bowled Sam Wilcox with a ball that appeared to keep a touch low in the 16th over as Hem Heath fell to 41/3. The left-arm spinner was troubling the right-handed batsmen as he had found some turn early on. Pugh clipped neatly through mid-wicket off Jacob Garlick to move to 24* and bring up the visitors’ 50 in the 19th over. A rare loose delivery from Sandaruwan was pulled for 6 by Pugh over mid-wicket as his patient innings continued. He then edged wide of Atkinson at slip, and the ball ran away to the third man boundary as 10 runs came from the 22nd over.
Callum Leese skipped down the pitch and hit Sandaruwan high and handsomely over long-on for a maximum in the 24th over as the score moved to 71/3. Atkinson then dropped a tough chance off Garlick in the next over when Pugh pushed hard at a drive. The ball flew to Atkinson’s left-hand side, but he was unable to hold onto the tough chance, and the batters ran a single. Leese then cut the next ball through the covers for his 2nd boundary to end the over. Pugh swept a Joe Hawkins full toss behind square for his 5th boundary in the following over as he moved to 43*.
Pugh cut Hawkins behind point for his 6th boundary before a single out to the cover sweeper brought up his 50 from 76 balls just before drinks entered the field. It had been a good innings from Pugh, although he’d been dropped twice, he was prepared to be patient against the disciplined home bowling attack. Hem Heath had reached 97/3 at the halfway point of their innings, and the 4th wicket partnership had added 56 and was beginning to look dangerous. Leese was unbeaten on 20 and was providing good support to Pugh as the visitors looked to put a good score on the board.
A fine reverse sweep by Leese went to the boundary to end the 30th over and take the score to 103/3; it came the ball after he’d survived a tight LBW call that could have gone either way. He then picked up a length ball from Sam Kelsall in the next over and smashed it past mid-on for another boundary. Pugh swept another Hawkins full toss behind square for his 7th boundary as he moved to 60. Leese advanced down the pitch and struck the returning Sandaruwan over mid-off to take him to 33. Pugh rounded out the over with a clip past short fine leg that ran away to the boundary before Leese lifted Kelsall over the square leg boundary for his second maximum from the first ball of the next over. A heave through the leg side brought him another boundary from the next ball. A push into the off side for a single brought up his 50 from 66 balls in the next over. He’d struck five 4s and two 6s as his partnership with Pugh for the 4th wicket went past 100.
Pugh glanced Garlick to the fine leg fence for his 9th boundary as Hem Heath moved to 153/3 after 41 overs. Pugh’s innings should have ended in the next over when he picked out Garlick at cow-corner, but he shelled a simple catch on the boundary, and to make matters worse, the ball ran away for four. Leese smacked Garlick through wide mid-on for his 6th boundary before he hit Walley through mid-wicket for another boundary in the next over as he made his way to 72*. Leese cut Walley firmly behind point for another boundary in the 46th over as the runs continued to flow. The running between the wickets had been excellent during the partnership, and the pair had turned many ones into twos throughout.
The 152-run partnership was finally ended when Atkinson bowled Leese for a superb 84 when he attempted a big drive through the offside. His innings had contained eight 4s and two 6s, and was made in just 90 balls. Pugh then ran Atkinson to the third man fence for his 11th boundary as he moved to 84*. He struck Walley over mid-on in the next over for another boundary as the visitors went past 200. Bilawal Bhatti then lifted Walley over mid-off for his first boundary later on in the over as Walley was struggling with his length.
Callum Hawkins took a fine catch to finally dismiss Pugh for an excellent 92 off the bowling of Sandaruwan when he top-edged a sweep. It had been a wonderful innings by the left-hander who’d struck twelve 4s and one six after he’d been dropped twice in his innings early on. Hem Heath ended the 50th over on 216/5. Greg Prime was well caught by Joe Hawkins on the long-on boundary to give Atkinson his second wicket in the next over. Dan Richardson was then LBW to Sandaruwan as Hem Heath fell to 221/7 in the 52nd over. Moddershall had fought back well after the long partnership between Pugh and Leese was broken. Sandaruwan got his 4th wicket when he bowled Zephryn Hunte in the penultimate over to leave the visitors 229/8. Bhatti struck Garlick over mid-off for a boundary from the first ball of the final over before Fraser Hawkins took a smart catch in the covers to dismiss him two balls later as Hem Heath declared on 236/9.
Sandaruwan was the pick of the Moddershall bowlers. He finished with 4/51 from 13 overs of probing left-arm spin. Sam Atkinson bowled well at the end of the innings and finished with 2/50 from his 13 overs after he had bowled accurately with the new ball. Joe Walley also chipped in with 2/38 as Moddershall pulled it back well at the end of the innings. They could rue dropping Pugh early, though, as he hadn’t made it to double figures when he presented a simple chance to mid-off. 237 will take some chasing, but Moddershall do have the batting to get close to this score.
Muaaz Ahmed flashed a cut over the slips for his first boundary in the opening over. Kelsall timed the final ball of the second over sweetly through mid-wicket for his first boundary. Ahmed offered a sharp chance to 3rd slip when Banks found some extra bounce, but the catch could not be held. Kelsall then smashed the next ball over mid-wicket when Banks dropped short. The Hem Heath bowlers soon found a good rhythm but couldn’t break through as Moddershall made their way to 28/0 after 10 overs.
Kelsall broke the shackles when he pulled Banks through mid-wicket for a boundary in the 11th over. It was the first boundary for 8 overs before he followed that up with one in the next over off left-arm spinner Prime, as he moved to 18*. Prime made the breakthrough in the 14th over when he tempted Ahmed into a big shot that he could sky to Bhatti at extra cover. It was a clever piece of bowling from the spinner, who gave the ball more air, and Ahmed, having been tied down for a while, could not resist having a go at it. His dismissal left the home side 40/1.
Joe Hawkins drove Richardson to the cover boundary to open his account in the 15th over before Kelsall cut Prime past point for another boundary in the next over. Prime then got one to turn and bounce as he had Joe Hawkins caught at slip by Tom Hodson. Callum Hawkins was trapped LBW to the next ball when he pushed forward to leave the home side 54/3 after 16 overs. Kelsall kept out the hat-trick ball at the beginning of the 18th over.
Fraser Hawkins square drove Richardson to the point fence as he got off the mark with a boundary. He then flicked left-arm seamer Ben Topley to the fine leg boundary two overs later as Moddershall moved to 69/3. Kelsall continued to accumulate steadily, and he moved to 40* with a single in the 25th over. Topley trapped Hawkins LBW with a full ball later on in the over as Moddershall fell to 77/4. Wilcox to a sharp catch in the gully to remove Atkinson off the returning Bhatti when he played a loose drive as Moddershall lost their 5th wicket with only 78 on the board.
Bhatti turned Aizaz Ahmed inside out in the over before the drinks break; he cranked his speed up and beat him for pace with a quick bouncer to start the over. He then went past his outside edge two more times in the over as the home side reached 82/5 at the halfway stage of their innings. Kelsall was still unbeaten on 40 and was playing a fine hand, but he was beginning to run out of partners as Moddershall looked for a losing draw.
Kelsall was trapped LBW by Topley with the first ball after the drinks break as Moddershall slipped closer to defeat. Ahmed then gloved a rising delivery from Bhatti through to keeper Matt Hodson as Moddershall lost their 7th wicket in the next over. Topley claimed his 3rd wicket when he had Walley caught by Wilcox at short mid-on with a rising delivery that got big on the batsmen. It was a good piece of bowling and an even better piece of field placement from the Hem Heath skipper.
Jack Darlington brought up the Moddershall 100 when he guided a ball from Bhatti to the third man boundary. Bhatti then bowled a wild delivery that beat the keeper and ran away for four byes as it proved to be a good over for the home side. Darlington and Sandaruwan continued to accumulate as they edged their way towards another batting bonus point. They’d reached 123/8 at the end of the 38th over, and they had now added 41 for the 9th wicket in just under 9 overs.
Darlington drove Tom Hodson through the covers for two boundaries in the 40th over as the 50 partnership for the 9th wicket came up in style. Four byes rounded out the over as the partnership continued to frustrate the visitors. Banks returned to trap Darlington LBW with a ball that kept a touch low as Moddershall fell to 141/9 in the 43rd over. It ended a good stand with Sandaruwan, which had been worth 59 runs and had frustrated Hem Heath for 11 overs. Banks then bowled Garlick two balls later to secure a comfortable victory for the visitors and move them up to third place in the table.
It had been a fine effort from the visitors today. They put a large score on the board and were able to convert it into a well-earned victory. Topley was the pick of the bowlers; he returned figures of 3/11 as his left-arm seam caused plenty of problems. He was well supported by Prime, who claimed 3/23 with his probing left-arm spin; he found turn and bounce that troubled the batters throughout. Moddershall have now slipped to 5th in the table as they lost for only the second time this season. They travel to struggling Whitmore next week. Hem Heath travel to Stone as they look to continue their march towards the top of the table.
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