Cricket Report – Hem Heath

SaturdayDouble Header Begins with Victory at Forsbrook

Saturday saw the first of a weekend double-header for the 1st XI, with a trip to the picturesque Forsbrook Cricket Club to take on Hem Heath 3rd XI. Skipper Chris Shenton won the toss and, unsure about the pitch with several dodgy-looking areas, chose to bowl first.

Disciplined start and early breakthroughs from

Opening bowlers AJ and Rahul immediately found their rhythm, restricting Hem Heath s run rate to a trickle. The breakthrough came in Rahul s third over a double wicket maiden including a standout moment: a brilliant diving catch from Ben Salisbury to dismiss J Sanders.

The pressure continued to mount, though new batter Lowe looked to change the tone, hitting 10 runs off Simon Swift s first over. Swift, however, had the last laugh when he had Lowe caught in the gully the next over another sharp catch, this time from Dave Blatherwick.

After that, Hem Heath slowed things down with a period of consolidation leading up to drinks, where the score sat at 47 for 3.

Middle Overs: Wickets at Crucial Moments

Momentum shifted again when opener Simpson was finally removed for a hard-fought 22 off 76 balls, caught behind off the bowling of Berty Hardy. Rahul returned from the opposite end and conceded 13 in an over, clearly unsettled by the change. He was immediately taken off a move that would later cause confusion in Shenton s over count.

Just three overs later, Rizwan was caught by Tom Measures off Swift for a promising 29 (44), just as he looked to go on the offensive. Jake Topping joined the party with a wicket of his own, and AJ finally got the reward his bowling deserved, dismissing Sanders for a duck and finishing with outstanding figures of 8-4-4-1.

Late Drama and Pie Chucking

With Hem Heath struggling, things only got messy in the 39th over. Realising Rahul wouldn t get his full 8 overs due to the earlier switch, Shenton had to draft in a part-time option. Despite Measures being the most economical bowler of 2023, he was overlooked in favour of Dave Blatherwick.

Dave 's over started poorly two wides and a no-ball that was promptly dispatched for four and ended worse, pulling a muscle in the process. Shenton had to finish the over himself, somehow escaping with just a single bye from the remaining three deliveries.

Hem Heath closed on 123 all out, with wickets shared between Rahul (3), Hardy (2), Swift (2), AJ (1), and Topping (1).

The Chase: Topping Sets the Tone

Chasing 124 was never going to be straightforward on a challenging pitch, and with Audlem s tendency to complicate low chases, Shenton threw caution to the wind opening the batting alongside Jake Topping.

Jake wasted no time, hitting his third ball for four and setting the tone with a truly stunning display of clean, aggressive hitting. He dismantled J Sanders with 22 runs in a single over and then took 13 off Rizwan s first. Though Shenton fell for 4, Jake was undeterred, smashing a blistering 50 off just 24 balls, including seven 4s and two 6s.

Irfan provided steady support with a composed 32 (40) before falling to Will Sanders. At that point, Audlem were 98/3, needing just 25 more runs from 25 overs.

Richard Wilson (23*) and Tom Measures (16*) finished the job with ease, taking Audlem to 129/3 and sealing a 7-wicket win. Measures added some flair to the closing stages, earning comparisons to Harry Brook from a few enthusiastic Hem juniors after a cheeky ramp shot lit up the tail end of the innings.

Summary

A well-rounded team performance, highlighted by a disciplined bowling effort and an explosive innings from Jake Topping, saw Audlem comfortably over the line. With part one of the weekend double-header completed successfully, attention now turns to Sunday s fixture away at Stafford 2nd XI.