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| TWCC v Haywards Heath | |||||||||
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July 26th 2026
Have we played Haywards Heath before? You'd think I could bother to
simply look this up on my own website, but, well, I just can't be
bothered. Look it up yourselves.44 and counting
Match report J
Simon
Someone won the toss - HH I think - and TWCC found themselves bowling, again under the captaincy of Tom F. And he had TWCC's own Lillee and Thompson pairing of Ed and Tom R at his disposal, and they duly disposed of the top three wickets. Ed's first three overs went for 0 runs, and his third had a wicket in it; bowled. In fact it was going to be a fourth maiden when an edge through the... well... I don't want to make anyone feel bad here, but... there the ball was, rolling over the boundary up there by the houses... sort of... in line with the fielders...behind the stumps? That's enough of Ed - we can't have this report rambling on at this early stage or I'll never get to Tesco. Tom, too, was doing his Tom thing, and so was Tom with the gloves as J Lashbrook was caught behind off a sharp ball from Tom R just outside the off stump: PC all the way. It was like Perth in the mid 70's. (I've just looked this up, by the way, and in peak Thommo/Lilleeo 1974-5 when these two took 58 Ashes wickets between them and dominated the series, do you know the series was only won by one test match? Four draws! I mean, that is quite a contrast with modern abilities/inclinations to stick around (no helmets!) and deny the opposition victory.) Oh, and Tom hit the stumps as well and HH were 3 for 9 in the 6th over, and then 4 for 24 in the 10th when George had Chintada caught behind by Tom F doing something fancy with the gloves. Like catching it. I can't remember the detail sadly; that’s just how it is. It was time for some Charlie, and we've got a proper one. Our lovely Readers County Match A retailing at £25.95 on discount and SSP (what's SSP?) at £32.99 is, as I type, living a lonely life in the thicket over the road, slowly fading, feeling the first pinpricks of damp beginning to tingle. Its seam is just swelling slightly in the cool of the nights, and as it, right now, senses dawn and the first cars of the day pass by unheeding of its plight, all it can do is contemplate the advancing weeks and then years as it slumps through the slowest of decays, year on year, crumbling, forever wondering how Jim would have bowled with it when his turn came on that warm, delicious Sunday, a Sunday plump with potential, its proud ruby red prowess unfulfilled. I just hope Charlie can live with this. I feel sorry for him, I really do. Charlie (&) George (little footy quip there for you) ploughed on, gamely sending down the deposits for buying wickets, until it was time for some Jim and Rob to put the brakes on. If you ignore the runs, Jim bowled 6 maidens on the trot in his 6 over spell, taking the wicket along the way of the high-scoring De Silva thanks to an excellent Mikey catch, and Rob wasn’t that far behind with 2 for 16 in his 4 overs, but with only one maiden to his name. Rob’s wickets both involved him hitting the stumps, and Haywards Heath were, once again, somewhat on the ropes as the innings neared its end. Bhanu and Kanishka paired up for a few overs, Bhanu throwing down the stumps for a PC run out, and then, bowling his nippy stuff, he also took the wicket of Lochan as Mikey took another catch as if he did it all the time. Tom R and Ed returned to finish things off, and Tom it was who got through to the stumps to take Haywards Heath’s 10th wicket, in the 37th over, with their total on 205. 205? In these conditions 250 plus is par we felt. Well, I felt. I was poo-pooed a little at the time, but well, when I’m right I’m going to make sure it gets a mention. Tea involved honey/ mustard roasted mini sausages and chopped chives amongst the egg... Rob truly on top of his game and I ate far too much. The TWCC reply – with a target of 206 to win and 42 overs in which to get them – on this fast-running outfield felt inviting. If you were invited. But entry was only granted to a privileged few... and most importantly, it turned out, to our illustrious captain Mr T Firth who justified his opportunity straight away as he took two fours, pulled to leg, off the first two balls of the innings. What a start. Opening with Bhanu, who also took his first ball to the boundary, the pavilion's occupants settled into that calm Sunday feeling when you might get a bat or you might not but who cared? But Tony couldn’t wonder for long as Bhanu, caught at mid-on, took that early walk back with TWCC on 19 for 1 in just the 3rd over. 92 runs anyone? That was what happened as Tony and Tom between them took on the bowling which was not, I hope Haywards Heath wouldn’t mind me saying, especially penetrating and which offered much to go at. Tom and Tony dealt mainly in boundaries and 50 was passed in just the 8th over. Tony didn’t need to get out really, but when someone picks up cleanly and throws down the stumps from side on you just have to shrug it off, look big, and wonder what might have been. Out for 43 in just 30 balls, Tony and Tom had taken the total on to 111 in just the 15th over, with Tom past his 50 no trouble. Mikey Buckethands Pearce made his way in, and carried on the good work as the bowling was shifted about but to no real effect. He and Tom continued with lots of fours peppering the scorebook, until Mikey was caught by Chintada off Oliver, from memory playing through a ball that wasn’t quite there maybe? Tom was still there, and after his partnership of 92 with Tony, he found he'd been in another one of a further 73 with Mikey. What good stuff. By this point Kanishka was so padded up it hurt, but at 5 it was Rob, pinny off now that the washing up was done, who joined Tom with 77 to his name... needing just 23 for his hundred, but, with 184 on the board, the target was only 22 runs away! Needless to say Rob was the man to not score any runs if he didn’t feel like it, and his elaborate leaves began to score ever higher marks for artistic impression as he resolutely left everything alone when he could, and heavily dead-batted when he couldn’t. The score went up – OH NO!!! A wide!!! Tom, on 94, with just four needed to win, had to score a couple more, then hit the winning runs with a boundary. That would do it! That would have done it. But without thinking he hit a four, yes to win the game for his team, yes to bat right though, yes to add a further 98 to his season’s tally, but to fall two runs short of a lovely century... This makes no difference really to an innings that won the game, but we all know how it can be getting out in the 90’s. Well, you know, some of us do. Just saying. A big win on a warm sunny Sunday, and thanks to Haywards Heath for making the game fun and for upholding all that is good, nay, great, about Sunday cricket. The TWCC machine rolls on. Scorecard Toss won by Haywards Heath who chose to bat first in a PROPER 40:40 (38/42) draw possible game. Haywards Heath Innings: G Lashbrook bdl T Rydon 2; J Lashbrook ct T Firth (wk) bld T Rydon 0; K Riuandran bld E Howes 2; C Chintada ct T Firth (wk) bld G Chessun 12; N De Silva ct M Pearce bld J Simon 63; L Lochan cy M Pearce bld B Singh 37; W Pafford bld R Rydon 5; W Durham bld R Rydon 0; S Black not out 57; M Oliver run out (B Singh) 0; R Evans bld T Rydon 4. Extras 16 (B6, LB3; W3, NB4) Total 205 all out (37.1 overs). Fall: Unrecorded. TWCC Bowling: E Howes 6-3-17-1; T Rydon 5-1-21-3; C Howes 5-0-41-0; G Chessun 4-0-48-1; J Simon 6-0-14-1; R Rydon 4-1-16-2; B Singh 4-0-17-1; K Bhattacharya 3-1-26-0. TWCC Innings: T Firth* not out 98; B Singh ct Chintada bld S Black 4; T Pearce run out (G Lashbrook) 43; M Pearce ct C Chintada bld M Oliver 44; R Rydon not out 0. DNB K Bhattacarya, J Simon, T Rydon, E Howes, G Chessun, C Howes. Extras 12 (B2, LB6, W3, NB1) Total 206 for 3 (26.3 overs). Fall: 1-19, 2-111, 3-184. Haywards Heath Bowling: S Black 4-1-13-0; W Pafford 4-0-35-0; W Durham 5-0-31-0; C Chintada 3-0-31-0; G Lashbrook 4-0-30-0; M Oliver 3-0-35-1; J Lashbrook 2-0-14-0; L Lochan 1-0-4-0; K Riuandran0.3- - -13-0. TWCC win by 7 wickets. Top of page |
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