Hayes 3’s – All that glitters ain’t gold as Silva stars with the ball

As Caroline Aherne said on The Fast Show Saturday was ‘Scorchio’ as Matt Warne skippered the 3s, looking resplendent sans a blazer, on the Meadow. The usual skipper Colin Couldrey decided a man of his fair complexion would not cope under the beating sun and rested himself. Warnie strategically lost the toss and Hayes were asked to field by Bickley Park.

Luca Baker took the new ball with Dammika Silva and sadly for Hayes, Baker could not repeat his party trick from the previous week and take a wicket with the first ball of the innings. (Editor’s note, a concerned party wanted me to highlight that against Blue Star, Baker bowled 3 consecutive wicket maidens, and this was left out of the report.) Baker bowled well and was unlucky to not take a wicket especially as he had a good chance dropped off of his bowling at slip. Silva on the other hand was quick to go about his business bowling Davis, the Bickley opener for 5. Bickley managed to build a partnership with the other opener (Vishesh Mantri) taking a liking to the bowling of Baker hitting him for a big 6 in the 7^th over. However, Silva stuck again trapping BP’s number three lbw for 4. Then, two balls later Silva bagged his 3^rd with another lbw as Bickley slid to 33-3.

The dangerous Mantri was still at the crease but again when it looked like Bickley might start getting away, he snicked off to Millard behind the stumps and Bickley were 50-4 all 4 falling to Silva. Many captains would have gotten greedy and bowled Silva out but Warnie made the strategic decision to hold him back and bring Tom Davis into the attack. Yawar Ali and David Page tried to rebuild the innings with low-risk cricket and they were ticking along nicely until Johnny Wilkie dragged his length back skillfully to tempt Page into a loose shot, some may say it was a long hop the batter smashed straight to midwicket, but I’ll let you the reader decide. Wilkie struck again turning one nicely through the gate dismissing David Sharpe on league debut for Bickley. NT’s tight bowling was rewarded with a wicket and then Joel ‘Tino’ Couldrey came on wearing a bandit’s mask to burgle some wickets. At one-point Coludrey was on a hat trick and bowled possibly the worst hat trick ball in history a long way down the leg side, but not far enough to be a wide. Silva came on to bag his 5fer his first since 2016. Bickley Park finished on 114 which felt light on a good pitch with a fast outfield.

Warne and Greenway opened the batting for the 3s and they made a circumspect start Warne was just looking to open up before being hit on the thigh pad and the ball trickled back towards the stumps knocking the bails off. Greenway went shortly trying to push the score on which brought Pulkit Verma to the crease at three. Sadly for Hayes, his usual rock solid defence was shaken by a well bowled yorker and he was dismissed for a rare duck, leaving Hayes 30-3. Newly qualified Biology teacher Lewis Thistleton (congratulations) was joined at the crease by Joe ‘The Stud’ Bradshaw and the pair ground down the Bickley Park bowlers. Thistleton timed his aggression perfectly and when Bickley brought on their 5^th and 6^th bowlers Thistleton put his foot down and scored 16 off the 25^th over and he and Bradshaw combined took 11 off the 26^th. Although, with the finish line in sight Sam Paine bamboozled Thistleton with his spin inducing a false stroke which caused him to chop on being bowled for 56 (57).

Tino saw Hayes home with a four and the 3s march on. Taking 7 wins from the first half of the season.

After the glorious return of ‘pressos’ last week, the heat drove them away so there was not one this week. But, there are two clear candidates for PotM and as much as Thistleton’s 56 was impressive, on a quick outfield and a good batting track Silva taking 5-15 dismissing all 5 of Bickley Park’s top 5 set the game up for a Hayes win. The 3s start the second half of their season next week with a huge trek to the far-flung land of Bromley Common in the Matt Warne derby. Always a nice place to play and the 3s will be hoping to maintain their title charge with a victory on the Acorns. 

Notable performances:

BPCC:

1. Mantri 34 (40) & 7-2-19-2
2. Ali 37 (74) & 6-0-20-1

H(K)CC:

7. Silva 7.4-4-15-5 & 1 catch
8. Thistleton 56 (57)