A round-up by Hampset Cricket Club – Saturday 12th July.
Midsomer Norton 3rd XI v Hampset 3rd XI
Hampset Cricket Club 3rd XI won by 59 runs when they visited high-flying Midsomer Norton in Bristol & District Cricket Association Division Nine East on Saturday 12th July.
On a hot afternoon at Morts Meadow, it was a surprise to most present that upon winning the toss, the Norton captain elected to bowl first.
Sam Taylor-Weekes and skipper Jack Hughes opened the batting for Hampset and looked to play positively.
With the score on 27, Hughes was the first to depart – for 4.
That dismissal brought Hampset league debutant Alex Ockwell to the crease. And what a debut it was.
With the score on 33, Ockwell was dropped via a very sharp chance at cover, and calls from the sidelines of ‘make them pay’ were certainly heeded.
Taylor-Weekes and Ockwell moved the rate along nicely, with their 50 partnership achieved in only nine overs. But Taylor-Weekes was out soon after, for 27.
That brought Charlie Dolman to the crease and he crunched his first two balls to the boundary. But, soon after, he was unlucky with one that leapt up at him – he was caught behind for 11.
What followed was a masterclass from Ockwell on rotating the strike and punishing bad balls.
Hampset wickets fell regularly, with cameos from Tom Hutchings (12) and Louis Bishop (14) helping the total along.
Ockwell’s fantastic innings certainly deserved a century, so there was disappointment in Hampset quarters when he was out leg before for 98.
There was just enough time left in the innings for Jas Sinclair to whack her first ball for four before the innings closed in the 40th over, Hampset all out for 239 – their highest total of the season and earning maximum batting points.
A special mention goes to Norton’s Devon Baker, who, at 14 years old, bowled superbly and finished with 6-40.
A very hot and bothered Midsomer Norton side had clearly not expected to be in the field chasing leather for three hours, especially after the recent fixtures between the two sides had yielded very different-looking totals.
However, Norton are third in the league for a reason – and although it was a good-sized total to chase, they came to the crease with confidence.
Sinclair and Hutchings opened the bowling, looking at least to keep things tight and create a bit of pressure.
It will mystify all present how Sinclair did not pick up a wicket in her opening five-over spell, repeatedly beating the bat with some fabulous away swing.
The first wicket arrived in the sixth over, thanks to an Ockwell catch at slip off the bowling of Hutchings, the score now 24-1.
With the home side behind the rate, Hampset looked to continue to build pressure. And it told in Hutchings’ next over, as he trapped the other opener leg before for his second consecutive wicket maiden.
And in his next over, Hutchings removed the dangerous-looking Norton number-four batter, bowling him for 4.
Norton were 35-3 at the end of the 10th over. Soon after, Bishop took a nasty blow to the face while fielding at cover and had to leave – and stay off – the field.
Benji Gleave replaced Sinclair and he was soon in the wickets, inducing a knick behind to Ollie Hutchings – who kept brilliantly all day – and then picking up a clean bowled a few overs later.
With Hampset bowling and fielding well, the pressure was on the home side at 51-5 from 15 overs.
Hughes replaced Tom Hutchings, and he too was quickly in the wickets, removing the Norton number three, Luke Stansfield, for 25.
Hughes and Gleave continued to bowl economically in tandem and the former then took his second wicket – and clean bowled – of the day.
At this point, Norton looked to be done at 95-7, but some clean hitting from William Fuller (54 from 47 balls) started to have Hampset worried.
With Dolman replacing Gleave, a bit of spin did the trick to pick up the next wicket – another catch for Ockwell, this time at mid-wicket.
That brought the Norton skipper to the crease and he quickly upped the rate and total, with 36 from 34 balls.
However, with Hughes dismissing Fuller with another clean bowled, all that was left was for Taylor-Weekes to enter the fray and knock over the last wicket, Midsomer Norton all out for 180 in the 35th over.
The pick of the bowlers were Tom Hutchings (8-2-22-3), Hughes (8-2-41-3) and Gleave (5-0-21-2).
So Hampset recorded a 20-point win. The visitors made a cracking performance with the ball and in the field, especially as they fielded in such heat with only 10 players for three quarters of the Norton innings.
However, Hampset’s man of the match was Ockwell for his sublime 98 with the bat.
Hampset will visit Bristol New Eleven 2nd XI in the league on Saturday 19th July.
