Herts win by 10 wickets.....
Huntingdonshire U17 v Hertfordshire U17
15 - 16 July 2014 - Eaton Socon Cricket Club
Hunts U17
1st Innings 177 / 10
2nd Innings 139 / 10
Herts U17
1st Innings 313 / 5 (declared)
2nd Innings 4/0
Herts U17 completed an 'outright' win against Huntingdonshire today at Eaton Socon CC.
Resuming the second day just 39 runs behind with 9 wickets left a first innings victory was always likely. However, losing Joe Cooke in the first over (38) gave the hosts a real lift. Ian Harris joined Patrick Scott who was overnight on 78 and the pair put on 53 with Ian Harris eventually bowled by a yorker for 21.
Patrick Scott went on to complete an excellent hundred and was eventually caught sharply at mid-wicket trying to force the pace to get to 300 as soon as possible for 118 off just 138 balls. Taylor Weeks was then joined at the crease by debutant Saahil Vora and the pair put on 95 in just 13.3 overs. Taylor scored a powerful 67 off just 56 balls and Saahil 35 in 36 balls (not out). The pace at which this pair went about the bowling allowed Herts to declare at lunch giving the bowlers 4 hours to try and enforce the second innings win.
The plan at the start of the day was to try and get to 150 ahead by about 45 minutes after lunch, but the Captain was confident of his bowling attack and the early declaration gave us an hour longer. George Kenny and Saahil Vora both bowled really well, Kenny without any luck, and some inventive field placings on a slow low pitch saw three wickets fall, all to Saahil, before the seamers were rested. Left arm spinner, Ben Waring then followed Saahil and bowled beautifully picking up two wickets, the last one on the stroke of tea, leaving Hunts still trailing by 50 runs.
After tea the bowling wasn't quite as ruthless as it had been and the 6th wicket added 42 in 10 overs before Ben Waring, who had changed ends, got the Hunts captain to squeeze the ball back onto his stumps and this brought about a flurry of wickets. Luke Chapman joined the party with a beautiful delivery which trapped the batsman on the crease and then a crazy run out and two more wickets to Ben Waring saw the home side all out with a lead of just 3 runs.
Ben Waring finished with the astonishing figures of 5-18 off 14.2 overs (the second five wicket haul to a spinner in the match - Bradley Oaks 5-45 off 17) and then Joe Cooke despatched the first ball of the final innings for 4 which brought about the 10 wicket victory with an hour still left to play.
It was a thoroughly professional performance from the Herts boys, the only slight mark on their copy book was 6 dropped catches but none of them were easy - but at this level I'm sure they would all accept that they should have been held. Top performances from Bradley Oaks, Patrick Scott, Taylor Weeks, Saahil Vora and Ben Waring but everyone played a part at some stage.
Well played boys, same next week please against Cambridgeshire.
Mark Ilott
Herts U17 Head Coach