Hertford 3s Lose Out to Frogmore at Balls Park

The pitch on the top field was obviously less protected, as witnessed by some of the 3rd team members on the eve. The actual scenes involved a handful of under 10’s (or 8’s, or 4’s maybe) prancing around the strip to ensure the inundations were of reasonable standards, to put the 17th green on the Herts Golf course to shame. With limited (read: nil) ground staff support, the 3’s Captain did manage to cover the pitch before sunset.

Reduced to 38-overs due to a delayed start, it is fair to say the pitch held up firmly for a decent game of cricket. Though the visitors were on time, they had started the day in the right frame of mind by hitting the bar first. Little did we know that this was the regular warm-up routine for the Frogmore blokes. Skipper Ian Codd reversed his toss-losing trend by calling it accurately. As any modern-day Hertford cricket captain would do, he ignored Rob Carter’s sagely advice to always bat first, and decided to put the opponents in. As a side note, Rob C didn’t make it to the final eleven due to a high-profile incident involving his finger in an otherwise not so exciting over-50’s contest earlier in the week (Pls refer to that match report for the low-down).

A steady start from David Beardsley and Ross Murphy meant the Frogmore openers were kept at check. Dave struck early sending R. Johnson for a pricey duck. News is he headed back to the Peroni’s instantly after his dismissal. Ross bowled a very steady line, once he settled in and finished with an exceptional economy rate. Adam H, the other opener who the purists would consider too chatty to face the new ball, used his unorthodox measures before he was caught smartly by Sam Read off Ross, who deserved more than just a solitary wicket. Unfortunately, the first change bowling options did not work well for Hertford. This included a not-so-great comeback to League cricket for Shri Kumar who struggled with his line and length, failing to provide the control that the Skipper required in the middle overs.

By the time, Coddy & Hesh Abeywickrema could rest some momentum back for Hertford, the Frogmore opener S. Rushton had piled up a nicely compiled 85. Sean’s strong partnership with C. Anstey pushed Frogmore to a commanding total of 235/4. Notwithstanding the small boundaries and a steady wicket, the mood in the room was we conceded 30-40 runs more than desired. It is important to mention Matt Bartlam’s contribution behind the wicket which was exceptional and sure will be a great asset this season.

A key highlight during the break was Captain Coddy’s clear and specific debrief to the team focussing on the opportunities, mainly the lack of intensity on the field & poor alignment on bowling tactics. Some strong messages there even though put a dampener on the team spirits in the dressing room, which could only be lifted by the arrival of the cheer leader in the form of Robbie C.

After possibly, the debrief-of-the-season, the openers Hugh Walsh & Hesh Abeywickrema set out to chase this challenging target. Some elegant strokes from both openers started instilling faith in the camp and more importantly some smiles. Unfortunately, the smiles were wiped off by the visiting umpire when Hugh W was triggered for 12 followed by Hesh, who swayed at an away delivery for 21. When Ashan joined Sam in the crease, the target was branched. One for chasing the run rate in case of rains and the other the original target of 236. In a remarkable show of sportsmanship, the Frogmore captain withdrew the appeal against Ashan for an LBW which was an error from the umpire. Points for fair play, Frogmore!!

Sam Read was looking well organised and was building a very solid innings when poor judgement and a direct hit led to his downfall. A very promising start for Sam R in his first season for Hertford, rest assured we can expect more from this compact right hander. This saw the entry of Alex Carter to the crease, who by far provided some of the best moments for Hertford in the whole game. Alex’s timing was immaculate and chose the right balls to go after. Alex’s form will be crucial for Hertford 3’s batting this year, but the signs are very encouraging.

Despite an outside chance of a win, Hertford couldn’t pull together decent partnerships and Alex was left doing the heavy lifting most by himself. Ashan, Coddy, Shri & Ross came and went in a hurry as if they had other engagements to attend. Hertford’s middle order has to step up and soon, if we intend to challenge the serious contenders in Div. Five A. Alex C eventually got out to a poor delivery from Frogmore’s’ 5th. Bowler, whose sleeve tattoo was the only impressive element in display in his bowling action. Alex’s 45 was a commendable effort especially in the light of the lack of support from his partners. Matt Bartlam was the only exception with a well compiled 13 before he misread a straight one.

Though Hertford were losing wickets consistently, given the steady run rate, there was a healthy chance of a miraculous redemption. This was fuelled mainly by No.10 David Beardsley and No.11 George Giblett. The two bowlers came together when Hertford needed 75 runs of the last 11 overs. Some remarkable hitting from David & George and excellent running between the wickets sparked the hopes of the Hertford camp. George G was very organised for a No.11 and chose the right balls to go after. He compiled a calm and steady 18 which showed glimpses of his ability as a batsman.

With 4 overs to go and 31 runs to get, a win looked more of a possibility than the story the scoreboard was telling us. David with his flawless timing and big muscle hitting scored a strong 23. However, as luck would have it, a misjudged pull from Dave led to a fumbling catch at mid-off resulting in a 30 runs victory to Frogmore.

A full 30 points now has Frogmore leading the league while the Hertford 3’s scurried 11 points to sit at the 4th position.

The traditional excuse of first game rustiness and lack of preparation, not withstanding, Hertford has to definitely sharpen their bowling attack and tactics on the field during the middle overs to pose any serious threat in this league. Overall, a shaky start with some key opportunities to fix with some promise shown by a handful of players.

The fact that a key highlight of the day was the mid-game, high voltage, heavy influence debrief from Captain Cook... (sorry Coddy), should summarise nicely a day, best forgotten for the Hertford 3’s.

Written by Shri Kumar