Hayes 3’s – Moves like Jagger, Old Colfs hit the right notes against a lacklustre 3rd XI

With Captain Couldrey helping with T20 Finals Day preparation at Hayes CC Matt Warne ran the side against Old Colfeians at Horn Park. Captain Warne lost the toss and Old Colfs elected to field on an overcast day which the weather forecast threatened would brighten up, although it didn’t.

Warne opened the batting with Adam Greenway and Hayes made a steady start with both working the ball around before Warne gave away a soft catch and Hayes were 37-1. Greenway was joined at the crease by Pulkit Verma who was more aggressive than in previous weeks scoring at good strike rate. Having got a good start Greenway was the first victim of Jagger caught again by Mike Walton for 26 (40). Pulkit was next to fall and Hayes were 54-3 and struggling.

Jagger bowling right hand around the wicket was getting a large amount of turn back towards the right-handed batters. Jagger was good enough for Joe Bradshaw bowling him for 3. Lewis Thistleton, playing his last game for the season before embarking on a teaching career in Mexico, pushed the scoring rate up before he also fell to Jagger being bowled for 14 (11). Drinks were taken at Thistleton’s dismissal, Hayes returned after drinks at 71-5 hoping to build a defendable total. Rayyan Ali and Sam Millard looked to add to the score with clever running and controlled aggression, Jagger’s probing spell continued, and he produced a turning delivery which Ali defended getting an inside edge onto his front pad and he was caught impressively at short leg by William Wray diving forward, more about his fielding later. This ended their 31-run stand. With one over left Jagger was desperately seeking his 5^th wicket and he was rewarded when he beat Millard with an arm ball that crept under the bat and bowled the Hayes keeper for 18 (24) and Hayes were 104-7.

Two of Hayes’ talented U17s were at the crease Ronnie Buddin and Johnny Wilkie, both capable of lower order fireworks. However, Old Colfs were able to dampen the fuses Wilkie was the first to go, caught, followed by Buddin being bowled. Luca Baker fresh from his heroics added 31 for the last wicket with Raghav Kumar before being caught with a stunning one-handed catch from Wray at cover, leaving Hayes 149 all out.

Old Colfs provided a good tea and after that Hayes knew a good start with the ball was needed if they were going to get anything from the game. Baker took the new ball with Raghav Kumar. Baker was unable to take a wicket with his first ball so he couldn’t complete his hat trick from last week. However, for the second week in a row a hat trick was completed this time by 13-year-old Raghav Kumar. Having kept things tight, Kumar bowled opener Das for 6, with his next ball he bowled Tom Burman and William Wray completed the set also bowled causing much jubilation and celebration in the Hayes ranks. Old Colfs were 11-3 and Hayes were in the game. Colfs opener Christopher Tarrant was joined at the crease by Faruk Patel and they set about rebuilding the Colfs innings.

Tarrant and Patel batted well, Kumar created a few chances including a close caught behind appeal off Patel. Wilkie also beat the edge multiple times including a difficult stumping missed by the Hayes keeper off Patel. The miss, however, was not too costly as Patel hit one to Baker at mid on in Wilkie’s next over being caught. This dismissal brought Colfs captain Walton to the crease. Tarrant and Walton continued to accumulate runs with Walton hitting a big 6 over cow off Johnny Wilkie along the way. Tarrant also survived a tight lbw appeal having been hit on the thigh by a low full toss from Buddin. However, Tarrant’s knock was ended a little later by Buddin for 45. Walton and Desai saw Old Colfs home, the only really incident of note being a run out opportunity adjudged to be not out on Walton near the end of the innings.

No pressos again but there is one clear candidate for PotM from Hayes and that was the youngest player in the team Raghav Kumar who took 3-20 off his 7 overs. However, much to the annoyance of regular readers and fans I am once again going to look towards the opposition for a player of the match. Chris Tarrant and Mike Walton both delivered with the bat but the man who took the game away from Hayes was Louis Jagger who took 5-41.

With other results going Hayes’s way the league is still in their hands with 28 points being enough to win the league, next week the 3s will host Blue Star on the Meadow in a clash of the promoted teams from the 2024 season.

Notable performances

OCCC:

1. Tarrant 45 runs
2. Walton 48* and 2 catches
3. Jagger 9-0-39-5

H(K)CC:

1. Kumar 7-2-20-3 & 3*