Peter Kloss reporting
The Wash scored a solid victory on Sunday in Aylesbury. This was a curious fixture, arranged at extremely short notice when Washington (Sussex) called the game on their ground off, due to a damp pitch, at 4pm on Saturday. However The Fixture List website came to the rescue and the game against Aylesbury Town CC was arranged within an hour!
The day was cold, really cold, under slate grey skies. So much so that Klossy was doing a brisk trade in club sweaters, and Hilly confided that he offered to keep only so he could wear the gloves and keep his hands warm!
Skipper Toby Mariner lost the toss and the Wash were inserted. The pitch was actually a good one, even and firm, thanks to the covers available. However off the square the ground was quite soft and bumpy, and the grass long, making fielding something of a challenge.
The openers started well with Shawn Hill (48) and Kiwi Harris (19) putting on a partnership of 73 in 14 overs. Hill in particular peppered the short boundary on one side of the pitch with regularity. As is Wash’s Achilles heel however the wicket of Harris led to 3 more as Clinton Dugmore (4), Naveed Mir (2) and Shawn Hill fell quickly. The score was then 88 for 4 off 19 overs.
To their credit two middle order regulars were then able to steady the ship, Ash Cruickshank (39) and Tom Allott (23) putting on an excellent 52 run partnership. This was the sort of stuff Wash missed sorely last year as on countless occasions one wicket led to 7, rather than just 4 in this case!
When Allott was out caught Stuart Marsh came out for a little cameo and scored a quick 14. Cruickshank was caught from the final ball of the 35 overs and Washington had posted 171 for 6, a very respectable score.
After a good tea in the welcome warmth of the clubhouse, Toby Mariner (0-9 from 7 overs) and Peter Kloss (3-11) opened the bowling. It was tough going for Aylesbury to reach 24 for 3 off the first 15 overs. But this was to the credit of the bowlers who were accurate and relentless, Kloss particularly swinging the ball away from the batsmen significantly.
The best bowling performance of the day however, acknowledged by the Aylesbury players themselves, came with the first change and the introduction of Stuart Marsh (3-19). He swung the ball into the right handers with his left arm over action, and achieved a consistent good length throughout his spell. He was rewarded with 3 wickets, all bowled and might have had another if LBW decisions had gone his way. A great start to the season for the reigning Washington Clubman.
Russell Pendry plugged away as the other end with respectable figures of 1-28, and the innings was brought to an end when Gary Malcolm (2-7), bowled 8 balls but took the final 2 wickets, one bowled and another good catch in the deep by Kiwi. Any suggestion that he should have had more of the ball was countered with “it’s your own fault for taking the wickets too quickly!”.
Aylesbury Town were all out for 80 in just over 27 overs.
Skipper Mariner said over a beer after the game “well done to the lads today, a solid performance all round. The bowling and fielding was as good, as it has been in the first 4 games, but it was pleasing to see 4 or 5 batsmen get in the runs today so we could build up a good total. There were 3 significant partnerships – that’s the key I think”.
Man of the match: Shawn Hill for his 48 runs
Packing the kit: Remarkably everyone turned up in good time so no finger-pointing possible!
