3’s Secure Hard-Fought Win Over Ickleford

The late arrival of the Ickleford Skipper for the toss symbolised the lackadaisical approach of the opponents much attributed to the weather forecast. Captain Ian Codd won the toss and elected to field as expected. However, dark clouds and persistent rain meant a delayed start to a 46 over- a-side game.

Once again, David Beardsley bowled exceptionally well with not much luck. Despite the wicket offering movement which was well exploited by David Beardsley, the only take away from the spell were David’s Covid jab side-effects (from the previous day). On the other hand, Ross Murphy troubled the Ickleford batsmen frequently with his impeccable line and length. Ross’s maintained consistent pace and kept the batsmen in check with the occasional short delivery, cashing in with the wickets of the opener and No.3 Adam Ross. Though the conditions were bowling friendly, the wicket did hold up nicely and the consistent sheen on the wet ball made it difficult to control.

Hesh Abeywickrema joined the attack to supplement the fine work of the opening bowlers and chipped in with consistent wickets finishing with 3 for 32. The game also saw the reintroduction of Noah Osborn into the Hertford 3’s attack. Noah’s spell was marked by a consistent line with occasional blemishes due to lack of match time. Noah finished with 1 for 21, a good start for his season. The other bowlers Shridhar Kumar and Rob Carter were unable to restrict the Ickleford batsmen, especially opener Tom Reilly who anchored the innings with a well compiled 47. The other prominent contribution was from the middle order batsman Fakhar Islam with a breezy 36. As Ickleford seemed to run away with it, the reintroduction of Ross Murphy helped restrict the visitors to 173. Ross finished with a rated 4/26, his best figures for Hertford so far and reflection of his consistent efforts with the ball this season.

As the sun decided to peep out & the rain subsiding, the Hertford batters were keen to get on with the chase. (Correction: some of the Hertford players were keen to get on, whilst a few were busy with an extended tea whilst idolising the Hertford 1’s chase at the bottom). This meant a change in batting order with Hugh Walsh promoted to open with Rob Carter. However, this did not work as anticipated and Hertford’s batting was found wanted once again. At 17/4, the spirits in the bunker were low given the traditional batting collapse that the team has witnessed in the recent past.

With the top order skittled out mostly due to poor decision making, once again Hesh Abeywickrema and Michael Ives set out to fix the damage. Michael Ives stood out with his clinical defence and some strong stroke play. Hesh Abeywickrema was getting into the flow when he was cleaned up by Adam Ross for 18. Michael Ives showed great courage and discipline through his solid technique and game awareness. Ian Codd joined Michael Ives to provide the much-needed stimuli in the chase. Ian Codd’s immaculate timing and mental strength coupled with Michael Ives’ dogged persistence resulted in an impressive partnership of 67 runs that got the Hertford 3’s back in the game.

Conversely, just like the 3rd act drama of a well written play, followers will acknowledge that it is by now a norm for the 3’s to sensationalise an otherwise boring and mundane game of cricket, potentially every Saturday. In this case, the twist came in the form of the quick dismissals of Michael Ives for a well compiled 48 and the immediate exit of Ian Codd for an inspiring 39, meant Hertford were short of 39 runs for a victory with 3 wickets in the hut. However, David Beardsley continued his fine form with the bat with a gritty 26 which was a combination of heavy hitting, dodgy running between wickets, a cramp and a lot of swearing. It is important to call out that David’s contribution in the lower order for the 3’s has definitely been one of the highlights of the season. With support from Shridhar Kumar, both with runs (11) and constant counselling, the Hertford 3’s managed to chase down the target with 2.1 overs to spare for a well-earned 30 points.

Overall, a fine performance by the team marked by the efforts of Ross Murphy and Hesh Abeywickrema with the ball and Michael Ives, Ian Codd and David Beardsley with the bat on a day which started with low hopes of a game, let alone 30 points. Hertford 3’s will hope to iron out their batting woes and continue their winning streak against North Mymms 2’s at home, next week.

Author: Shri Kumar