Full Fixture Information

Result Descriptiom

Won by 14 runs

Man of the Match

Tim Lawrence ? 5-15 and a hattrick to win the match

Champagne Moment

Tim?s hattrick

Teddy Bear Moment

Matt Stickland signalling a four off his own bowling when Wayne had dived heroically to save it

Full Match Report

What a day and what a match. Last year Hawkley had made short work of chasing down 220 odd to win by 6 wickets, so when I lost the toss and we were invited to bat we knew we needed to score runs and lots of them.

Deciding to keep nothing in reserve, the big guns were sent in and Will and Oli strode out to the middle ready to do battle. The bowling was fast, mainly straight and, from the boundary, there was a general consensus that Oli and Will were the right people to be out there.

Oli did what Oli does, which is hit the ball very hard, in lots of different directions and scored lots of runs. 75 to be precise which included lifting a beamer over third man for a one bounce four, being dropped on about 40 odd and generally looking to score off every ball. It was, to be honest, a surprise when he was out caught with the score on 126.

Tim Lawrence fresh from his man of the match heroics last week, came in at three and was soon into his stride, racing to 25 in no time with a series of well-struck boundaries, before he felt a bit tired and asked if he could retire to take on some electrolytes. Not sure if he?s been watching too many drinks breaks in the world cup ? but in he came, looking a bit pail and the captain took his place.

Two balls later and Josh was in replacing the captain who had patted the ball back to the bowler and departed for a duck.

Josh was in full swashbuckling mode and he and Will set about the bowling, Will retired with a wonderful 101 to allow Tim back in, but whatever electrolytes Tim had taken on board had done nothing for his motor and he didn?t add to his score. Meanwhile Josh at the other end, sensing the oncoming of tea, let rip. And with the help of four overthrows, managed to score a sequence that went 4, 5, 6 in three balls which I suspect hasn?t been seen before in East Meon.

Josh ended up on 40 at tea and East Meon had made 257. I say at tea, but at 4.26, Oli, out in the middle as umpire, decided to declare our innings (possibly in fear of watching Tim face / block another ball), confidently announcing we had enough runs.

Tea was delicious. A great turn out from Hawkley and the village meant that there were lots of guests yesterday and they all, to a (wo)man said it was excellent.

So, an hour and four minutes and then 20 overs for Hawkley to get to 258 or East Meon to take 10 wickets.

Hawkley started in a hurry. Our poor opening bowlers were mercilessly flogged any time the ball wasn?t on an immaculate line or length. The fielding became a bit ragged, and in the 11th over it was 84-0. Aaron and Wayne had been seen off ? they hadn?t bowled badly ? but the batting had been extremely good and whilst the odd ball had gone in the air, there?d been no chances.

It was at this point I started to think about 1988 and the summer of four captains. In 2026 it was the afternoon of (at least) four captains. Everyone seemed to have an opinion, most of those not the same as mine, and even though I hadn?t even slept with a barmaid, I felt my grip on the club slowly being loosened and the rebellion forming.

Thank goodness for George. Brought on to bring some control, in his second over he bowled one opener, and in his third over he had their other opener smartly caught at the wicket and it was 96-2 ? and he ended an excellent spell 6-0-24-2.

Three overs later and Josh Haslett (5-0-36-1) had bowled their number 4 for a duck.

With the 20 overs starting Hawkley were in a strong position at 127-3 off 19 needing 131 to win with 7 wickets in hand.

Matt Stickland (5-0-34-1) took over from George and in his second over had their number 5 caught and bowled.

The fielding had been a bit ragged. Chances tough and less tough were dropped or not got to. Josh Haslett missing a sharp chance off George, before George Atkinson returned the favour, missing a less sharp chance off Josh, albeit the ball travelling several hundred feet into the air before not quite landing in his hands at gully.

Wayne, meanwhile, fed up with being a very wide fine-leg to a left / right combination, gave up at some point, lay on the grass like a recalcitrant toddler and said his knees hurt. This may, or may not, have come shortly after Matt Stickland announced that a ball Wayne had chased after had gone for four when in fact it had been brilliantly flicked away from the boundary by Wayne whose dive had left him in a bit of a heap, so it?s possible Matt just realised they?d probably run five before Wayne could pick himself up and throw the ball back in.

Anyway, (captain) Will encourage Wayne to come and lie down at silly mid-off and didn?t let him hobble off and the match continued.

Where did we get to?

Matt?s wicket made it 168-4 with them needing 90 off the last 16. Tim Clay (3-0-24-1) replaced Josh and in his second over had their number three brilliantly caught one handed by Will at point as he ran back down the hill, stared at the sun and somehow stuck out one of those big paws of his and caught it. This was the man who?d smashed a hundred against us last year and at 186-5 they needed 72 off 13.

Suddenly there was a shift in mood. EMCC sensed something. Tim Lawrence was summoned, first to tighten things up and second to see what could be done.

Will Atkinson came on at the other end and with 10 overs to go it was 207-5 and they needed 51 to win.

Their number six, along with the rest of their top five, looked like a serious player. He didn?t look ruffled, didn?t give any chances, was finding the gaps and hitting boundaries. That he ended up 57 not out, suggests he might have done a bit better to get to the other end, but no one saw what was coming.
In Tim?s third over he bowled their number seven and then had the next bat LBW first ball. 227-7 ? 31 needed off the last five. Will (4-0-22-0) was bowling fast and straight and keeping it tight.

With two overs to go they needed 15, but with their number 6 not on strike. Keep him off strike I thought. I?ll do better than thought Tim, and promptly bowled their number 9. Number 10 came in and slapped his first ball straight to Will at cover. Number 11 came in and was bowled and Tim had taken a hattrick, we?d won a match we didn?t ever really look like winning.

Oli?s declaration at tea was a master stroke, buying us two more overs before the hour started, even the Captain, mooching around with a half-bob to his name and wondering why he bothered was cheered up.

Two more names for the honours board.

?4 well spent.

That?s five different names on the honours board so far this season. Awesome work team.