A match round-up by Hampset Cricket Club – Saturday 16th August.
Hampset 3rd XI fielded six under-17s in their Bristol & District Cricket Association victory at Chilcompton Sports 2nd XI
Hampset 3rd XI fielded six under-17s at Chilcompton Sports 2nd XI on Saturday 16th August in Bristol & District Cricket Association Division Nine East – and recorded an impressive five-wicket victory.
Chilcompton won the toss and elected to bat first on a very green pitch.
Opening batters Kyle Gloudemans and Kevin Messenger have scored more than 500 league runs between them this season, so some early pressure was key.
Hampset opened their attack with a fine blend of youth and experience, Joe Hall representing the youth and Tom Hutchings the experience.
Both bowled well in their five-over spells, and Hutchings picked up the first wicket of the day, removing Gloudemans via a catch behind the stumps by Ollie Hutchings.
Then Hall got in on the act and ousted Messenger, thanks to an excellent tumbling catch at mid-on by Sam Taylor-Weekes.
After 10 overs, Chilcompton were 20-2, with pressure already on them.
A double change in the bowling saw Taylor-Weekes and Alfie Morrish brought into the attack.
Some aggressive hitting from the home side saw the scoring rate climb quite sharply before Morrish snagged a wicket, thanks to a caught and bowled. Chilcompton were 62-3 off 16 overs.
A quick bit of work in the field from John Dolman and a great gather and flick of the bails from Taylor-Weekes produced a run out in the 18th over to leave Chilcompton 71-4.
Another double bowling change brought Chris Kindon and Rufus Fletcher into Hampset’s attack.
A partnership quickly developed before it was broken superbly thanks to some very sharp work behind the woodwork, Ollie Hutchings making an excellent stumping off Kindon’s bowling.
That wicket did not halt Sports’ progress, though, as they then scored quickly, adding a further 45 before the returning Hall bagged his second wicket of the day, thanks to a good catch behind the stumps from Ollie Hutchings.
Chilcompton were 136-6 in the 33rd over but more runs arrived and a largish total looked on the cards.
To stem the flow, captain Jack Hughes brought back Taylor-Weekes and Tom Hutchings. The latter had an immediate impact with a wicket maiden in the first over of his second spell and then took two more scalps in his next over. Two of his victims were bowled and one was out thanks to a catch from his son Ollie Hutchings.
No further wickets fell and Chilcompton closed on 178-9, which looked a decent total.
The pick of the visiting bowlers were Tom Hutchings (8-3-21-4) and Hall (8-2-22-2).
But with a good batting line-up, a pitch playing pretty true and a fast outfield, Hampset were confident about their ability to chase down the runs.
Hampset opened with Hughes and Taylor-Weekes. Both batters looked to play positively from the outset, and the score raced to 40 in the eighth over before the skipper was bowled for 15, attempting a repeat of his previous shot which had seen the ball sail over the boundary for six.
That dismissal brought Dolman to the crease. He and Taylor-Weekes played assuredly and punished bad balls, taking the team to 101-1 at the 15-over drinks break.
After receiving some medical treatment during the interval, Dolman returned to the crease looking slightly uncomfortable and was out off the first ball following the resumption, caught on the boundary for 39.
He was replaced by his son Charlie Dolman. And the younger Dolman and Taylor-Weekes continued the good work with the bat.
However, two wickets in three overs saw Taylor-Weekes dismissed for an excellent 46 – his side’s top score – and then Charlie Dolman fall for 17 to leave Hampset 134-4 and in need of a bit of control.
That control arrived in the form of Kindon and Ollie Hutchings. Both showed an excellent line of defence and the ability to punish bad balls, Kindon playing well at both sides of the wicket and his partner making a couple of crisp cover drives to the boundary.
Ollie Hutchings was unlucky to be out just before victory was sealed, dismissed for a very patient 10 as part of a 38-run stand with Kindon.
Hampset were 172-5 but the win arrived a couple of overs later, Kindon finishing on 32 not out and Tom Hutchings on 1 not out.
This was a fantastic victory for the 3rd XI, their eighth win of the season and seeing them double their tally of successes achieved in 2024.
Perhaps the most pleasing element was how, throughout the game, there were combinations of youth and experience, in bowling pairs, in the field and in batting partnerships.
The Hampset man of the match was Ollie Hutchings for his superb performance behind the stumps and for his maturity with the bat.
Hampset will return to home territory on Saturday 23rd August when they entertain bottom side Old Park 1st XI.
