Wiltshire CCC Men's 1st XI kick off season with T20 double header versus a Hampshire Pathways side
Sunday 13th April saw Wiltshire CCC take on a young Hampshire Pathways – Development Squad with a warm-up at Warminster CC. There was one win each in two contrasting T20 games - each very entertaining!!
Game one : Wiltshire CCC 265 for 1 v Academy 144 for 11 ( see: https://wiltshireccc.play-cricket.com/web.../results/7089156 )
Batting first Wiltshire immediately put Hampshire to the sword scoring at a rapid rate. The opening batsmen both retired with Jack Mynott 55 not out from just 31 balls (5 x 4 and 3 x 6 )and Will Naish 52 not out from 32 balls (6 x 4 and 3 X 6) . They gave their opponents no respite as Jake Goodwin top scored with 90 not out from 37 balls (SR 243.24 with 7 x 4 and 8 x 6 )) and the only wicket to fall Dylan Church, caught on the boundary, with 43 from just 16 balls (SR 268.75 with 5 x 4 and 3 x 6) as Wiltshire closed on a daunting 265 for 1 from their 20 overs. Jake had anticipated retiring after reaching 50, but as there were not many balls left he was encouraged to carry on … and he did … in style with the final over reading 6, wide, 6, 4, wide, 6, 6, 6 !!!!!
In reply the Hampshire boys were always under pressure and began losing wickets with regularity. Openers Ollie Webster 20 and Sam Mills 31 were the only men to get past 20 as Wiltshire held their catches. There were 4 wickets for Joe King (3-0-22-4) and 3 for Adam Sullivan (4-0-31-3) as the Hampshire Pathways squad batted out their 20 overs and finished on 144 for 11 to give Wiltshire a resounding victory.
Game 2 : Academy 212 for 8 Wiltshire CCC 204 for 8 ( see: https://wiltshireccc.play-cricket.com/web.../results/7089157 )
Batting first in the second game the Hampshire openers turned the tables and really showed their potential. Ollie Webster scored a commanding 88 from just 29 balls (SR 303.45 with 11 x 4 and 6 x 6) while Sam Mills hit 54 (SR 154.29 with 5 x 4 and 4 x 6) before being one of Ben Huntley’s victims falling to a sharp caught and bowled. Once these two were removed the pace slowed down a little but Lashvein Srisankar, not out 25, helped to push the score on to a challenging 212 for 8. Ben Huntley was the pick of the Wiltshire bowlers with a 5 wicket haul (4-0-43-5)
Wiltshire remained optimistic despite the daunting total. Players who didn’t get the chance to bat in the first game were given opportunities in the second. Nathan Feltham opened and hit a belligerent 35 from just 25 balls (SR 140 with 4 x 4 and 2 x 6) until he fell to one of three excellent catches from Jensen Mogridge. Dylan Church continued where he left off hitting a useful 36 from 31 balls. By this time the required run rate had accelerated so much that a second Wiltshire victory seemed unlikely. But nobody told Jack Mynott who took Wiltshire very close with 79 from 25 balls (SR 316 with 4 x 4 and 8 x 6) being caught and bowled by Dylan Kettle from the final ball to leave Wiltshire agonisingly close on 204 for 8. Abdullah Iqbal took 4 wickets (3-0-32-4) and Dylan Kettle 3 (4-0-49-3)
All in all a very useful warm-up for both teams each revealing potential matchwinners in their ranks. I suspect that many of the Hampshire player’s names will become very familiar to us in the years to come. The spectators were treated to a run-feast with three of the four innings reaching more than 200. Wiltshire fans will have great expectations of the season to come and I am sure the players will not disappoint!
