3’s Still Searching for Elusive First Win

An uncovered wicket meant an easier decision for the Bentley Heath skipper to put Hertford in to bat. Rob Carter and Lewis Harris, the opening duo, stepped out to bat against a decent Bentley Heath attack who bowled straight and let the double-paced wicket do the work. Mike Ives joined Rob after Lewis’s brief stint when the sun started to shine again.

Mike and Rob put on firm resistance and picked the bad balls to go after. The slow run rate was not a concern as long as Hertford kept wickets in hand. However, a tricky leg before decision meant Rob’s exit which triggered the steady loss of wickets at one end. Mike Ives played a spectacular innings showcasing strong temperament and technique. His brilliant 60 was one of the key positives for Hertford & will help the 3’s in bolstering a weak batting attack.

Apart from David Beardsley, who garnered a fine 33, the rest of the Hertford’s batting lacked application & patience. Dave followed up with his fine performance from last week proving his mettle with the bat. However, a score of 148 on a sticky wicket was a decent challenge. A steady bowling performance from Hertford could have helped steer the ship home. With 3 batting points in the bag and the sun shining brightly over Hertford, it was all in the hands of the bowling attack to defend a low yet challenging total.

Hertford’s opening spell with the ball was spirited but lacked the consistency and tact that was required to defend a low score. Straying in line & length meant the Bentley Heath batsmen could navigate the tricky wicket avoiding any major damage. This meant the introduction of the spinner Shri Kumar as early as the 5th over of the innings. Shri bowled a decent line and kept the scoring in check. Despite some close shaves, Shri managed to pick only a single wicket but finished a tight spell with 1-21. Bentley Heath’s opening batsman, M. Hubbard scored a finely compiled half century which provided a strong foothold for the visitors in the chase.

David Beardsley picked a few late wickets and finished with 3-33 and Tony Rhodes took 2-34 from his 10. Despite some late wickets, Sannan Mohd steered the visitors to victory comfortably in 34 overs. His masterly 39 was well paced and the finish with a boundary of the last ball meant Hertford 3’s finished the game with a meagre 9 points. A special mention to Matt Bartlam for another great stint behind the wickets with an exceptional down-the-leg take, which was easily the highlight of the fielding session for Hertford.

Hertford 3’s are middle of the table and face St. Alban’s next week, hoping to reverse the tide and secure that elusive first victory and desperately needed 30 points.

Written by Shridar Kumar