Pavey Plinkage Follows Early Carnage as 2s Earn Home Victory

Rob McCarroll returned to the side after a week in which he apparently had more important things to be doing, and Tom Orchard and Rahul Sharma were also included in the XI.

Winning the toss on a dry, used pitch, captain Orchard elected to bat under crystal blue skies. Openers Pavey and Chandler duly strode to the crease, and the action began. An inconsistent opening over from one brisk Welwyn youngster was followed by mayhem at the other end. A handful of wides were followed by a searing bouncer which caught Chandler unsurprisingly unaware, took the edge of his bat and was pouched at slip.

After a positive start at the crease including two well struck pull shots to the boundary, Joyce was the next man dismissed, leaving a ball which came back to strike off-stump. Dawson then joined Pavey at the crease and the pair continued their good 2021 form together. Proper shots reaped proper rewards, but the pitch was already showing signs of slowing and the ball soon softened up, compounding this development. The scoring rate reduced, Dawson and Pavey took to hacking their way through the jungle of dot balls amassing ahead of them. Pavey has an uncanny ability to make boundaries look large at the best of times, but his evident frustration would eventually prove unfounded as his innings set the foundations for other players around him to score. One fine strike from Dawson caught umpire Carroll flush in the chest to everyone’s alarm, but fortunately he was okay to continue after applying some ice. Dawson eventually fell to a mistimed drive, and McCarroll replaced him at the crease. Devotees of the Grade Cricketer podcast will be familiar with the effect of marriage on a batsman’s form, and McCarroll appeared a case in point for this hypothesis, appearing to play on an entirely different surface as he amassed a rapid half-century, including a stand of 80 with Pavey before the latter fell lbw for an important if ungainly 76.

Orchards Tom and Ben fell during the final overs’ push before Sharma blitzed a huge six off the final ball of the innings in what was comfortably the moment of the day.

In reply, Welwyn’s innings was quickly dealt a blow, the dangerous van der Westhuizen dismissed by a corker from Dan Orchard, who continued to bowl with pace and aggression, regularly peppering Welwyn opener Haggar. When Chandler pouched a fine running catch off Dawson and Welwyn’s captain Lynch was run out backing up for a well-made 34, Hertford appeared to be in the ascendancy. After two fine sweep shots Welwyn youngster Faleel was bowled by Ryan. Ben Orchard returned to the attack to snuff out any chances of quick runs and succeeded, and the game petered out into a strange monotony as risk-free batting brought minimal rewards and the run rate climbed to over 8 an over. Tom Orchard bowled a fine spell from the top end in conjunction with Ben, and Welwyn appeared to go for batting points rather than victory. As an odd run ‘chase’ spluttered to its inevitable conclusion, and with the sun now perilously low over the trees at Balls Park, Dawson returned for the final over and delivered the last rites, Hertford emerging victorious by 51 runs in front a pleasing number of supporters and other players watching on.

Next up is Northchurch, the start of what could be a defining run of games for the Second XI after a positive opening to the season.

Author: Ben Orchard