After a two-week break, Waverley made the second trip of the season to old friends Medstead on a blisteringly hot Sunday. Joining stand-in skipper Adrian Day (“Mog”) were Sam Tempest (“Troy”), Wayne Torrey (“NFA Wayne”), Chris Beanland (“Beanie”), Aiden Upward (“Bane”), Simon Brewer (“KV”), Will Knox (“Will, Son of Knox”), Andy du Gay (“Daddy Doogs”), Adam Carmichael (“AC”), Finley Upward (“Fin”) and Scott Upward (“Fagin”).

Mog won the toss and elected to field first in this 35 over game, with the two captains agreeing on a retirement for any batsman who scored a century. Trepess and Phillips opened for Medstead, with Phillips in particular not wanting to waste any time or energy batting for an extended period. Waverley were guilty of some early profligacy, both openers being dropped at the start of their innings. Having been gifted early lives, and with anything that beat the in-field likely to race to the boundary, Medstead piled on early runs despite the best efforts of Mog and Will, Son of Knox. Indeed, no Waverley bowler was spared the onslaught and in just the seventeenth over of the game, Phillips retired having reached 105. However, this allowed the visitors to get back into the game as AC swiftly castled Patel (0) and then had Hodges (2) well caught by Fin at mid-wicket. Fin then came into the attack and continued his wicket-taking habit, NFA Wayne taking a good catch to dismiss Hawkins (11) and Legg (9) being castled (Fin’s 2-16 the pick of the Waverley bowling). With Daddy Doogs on at the other end, Trepess (66) had no answer to a delivery with more air than a balloon (playing at least three different shots before the ball crashed into his stumps). When Daddy Doogs struck again to have Stoller (7) caught behind by KV, Waverley had made significant progress in reining in Medstead’s run rate. Denton (13* not out) and Hays (9* not out) negotiated the final few overs without the loss of further wickets (including a miserly death over from Fagin), the hosts posting an imposing 226-6 from their 35 overs.

Requiring roughly a run a ball for victory, Troy was promoted up the order to open alongside NFA Wayne and commence Waverley’s reply. After a watchful couple of overs, Troy (25) found his range (and the boundary) to give the innings some early momentum. Alas, he then got a ball from Hays which reared off the pitch and looped to Delany at gully. Ever the team man, incoming batsman Beanie recognised that fast runs were needed and selflessly gloved his first ball to the keeper (“so the big hitters could get to the middle earlier”). Bane (13) arrived at the crease, biffed two enormous sixes and was then castled by a shooter from Hays. This brought KV to the middle and, with NFA Wayne looking comfortable at the other end, KV was free to attack the bowling and had soon raced past his half century – a fifty which also took him beyond Waverley legend Andy Dexter’s record of 103 scores of 50+.

Suddenly, Waverley were looking at an unlikely victory as the target hove into view. NFA Wayne had continued accumulating runs – an irritated local arrived at one point to complain of damage to his gate, giving Daddy Doogs an opportunity to advance his credentials for the role of Waverley’s ambassador to Medstead – and NFA Wayne (50) soon collected his own half-century. Alas, he was bowled by Trepess shortly afterwards trying to add quick runs, KV and NFA Wayne having added 143 runs for the fourth wicket. With five overs to go, KV then reached another milestone of 103* not out (meaning he was required to retire) but by this stage, Waverley were only a few runs from victory. When Mog was dismissed for 5, only two runs were needed. Will, Son of Knox (8* not out) scampered a leg bye, leaving specialist finished Daddy Doogs (4* not out) to steer a full toss through backward point to deliver Waverley a remarkable five wicket victory with two overs remaining.

KV was awarded the Match Supremo Hat for his century but also collected one of the *Anchor Hats, along with NFA Wayne, for dropping a catch off the skipper’s bowling.

Match ball sponsored by William Knox Landscaping.

Waverley Cricket Club

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