Waverley cruise to victory

Batsmen dominate in seven wicket win...

With Abinger a non-starter on Saturday, Waverley arrived at Frensham with a greater sense of optimism - the rain having managed to stay away for 24 hours. On show for Waverley were Andy Minshaw ("the Mincer"), James Wright ("Mongo"), Chris Beanland ("Beanie"), Simon Brewer ("KV"), Matt Du Gay ("Doogs"), Peter Brewer ("Mr B"), Kyle Moxham ("Foxy"), Sam Tempest ("Troy"), Jamie Harris ("DJ Teabag"), Dan Litwin ("Chuckie") and Adam Carmichael ("AC"). Frensham was also Waverley's sixth annual Blazer Day and there was a strong showing from all, except for the Mincer (who forgot) and Teabag (presumably because there were no Bournemouth-branded blazers available).

Frensham batted first in this 40 over game and grumpy quicks Teabag and Chuckie looked to make early in-roads. On a notoriously high-scoring ground, both kept the run-rate under control during their spells. Teabag made the breakthrough in the ninth over, a toe-crushing yorker trapping Robertson in front of his stumps. Chuckie was bowling a very tidy spell and got a deserved wicket in the final over of his spell, bowling Chuter. Two new batsmen at the crease saw AC and Troy into the attack, both of whom suffered their share of punishment to the shortish boundaries as Frensham looked to gather momentum. However, their progress was arrested with a couple of quick wickets from AC - a quicker ball saw M Smith chop onto his own stumps, with Peers trapped LBW in the next over. Despite the loss of two wickets, the home side continued to find the boundary and the scoreboard ticked upwards.

Mr B was introduced to the attack in a bid to wrestle back control of the run rate. At the other end, Foxy continued his excellent season by starting his spell with a wicket-maiden (a looping catch held by KV in the cover-point region). But the runs continued to flow, with Pailing the destroyer-in-chief as he passed his half century for the hosts. It was an action-packed end of the innings as in the penultimate over, Mr B got a deserved wicket when Baldock heaved through a shot far too early - the ball gently nose-diving onto off-stump. In the final over, D Smith was castled by Doogs. New batsman Weeks then immediately sacrificed himself in order to get Pailing back on strike, losing the race with Mongo to the non-striker's end (one of the slower foot-races you're likely to see this season). Pailing finished the innings with two fours and a score of 90, although he was perhaps a touch fortunate to be not out when he was dropped over the boundary by Chuckie off the last ball - more on that later... Frensham concluded their innings on 261-8.

After a typical Frensham tea (excellent fare as always), the Mincer and Mongo strode to the crease knowing that Waverley needed to average about 6.5 runs an over to win. The innings couldn't have started better, with the Mincer taking 13 runs off the first over. However, Waverley suffered an early setback when Mongo was triggered in the fourth over having scored just one run. With converted-batsman Beanie at the crease and playing the anchor role, this left the Mincer free to attack the Frensham bowling. He scored freely and when Beanie was caught and bowled by Taylor, Waverley had a score of 56 in the fourteenth over - behind the run rate, but in a good position to push on.

The man you want to see striding to the crease in such a situation is KV (definitely a carpet player...) and he made his intentions clear immediately, getting off the mark with a boundary four. With the Mincer passing his half-century, the scoring rate exploded into life. A mere ten overs after KV arrived at the crease, Waverley were right back up with the required run rate. What's more, both the Mincer and KV were looking assured at the crease. In no time at all KV reached his half-century and started reeling in the Mincer. Both batsmen were soon in the nervous nineties, but the Mincer couldn't quite make it to his ton - a full toss hooked down the throat of Page at deep square leg seeing him back in the hutch for an excellent 91, a partnership of 145 for the third wicket. Skipper Doogs trotted out at number five, but there was no let-up for Frensham's bowlers - they were put to the sword by the big-hitting Waverley captain (assisted by the coaching of Daddy Doogs, lurking on top of the hill). At the other end, KV continued dispatching the ball to all parts and soon had yet another century to his name. By this stage victory was almost assured, as both KV and Doogs continued to find the boundary. In the thirty-fifth over, Doogs pinched a single to level the scores. The very next ball, KV launched a six that both won the and gave him his 10,000th Waverley run (becoming only the fifth Waverley player to reach that figure) - Waverley sweeping to victory by seven wickets with five overs to spare.

The Brewer clan had a wedding reception to attend straight after the game, thus KV was unable to accept the Man of the Match Hat. Instead it was awarded to the Mincer, for his score of 91 setting up victory. The *Anchor Hat was awarded to Chuckie in accordance with established Waverley precedent (dropping a catch over the boundary). The Pink T-shirt was awarded to Beanie for brazenly pulling his hand away from the ball whilst fielding... his complaint that the ball was actually nowhere near him at the time was noted (and duly ignored) by all.