Despite a battling performance at Hampton Hill, the 1st XI slipped into the relegation places of TVL Division 3A after a nail-biting two wicket defeat with just 4 balls remaining.
Wooburn decided to bat after winning the toss, and superb batting from Ian Cuthbert and Dave Rogers got them off to a wonderful start. Hampton Hill\s attack was not short of pace or movement on a hard, fast track, but the Wooburn openers were in wonderful form. They added 89 for the first wicket before Cuthbert was adjudged lbw for 47.
Rogers now picked up the pace in partnership with James White, and the second wicket pair took the score to 168 before they were separated, Rogers providing Gooding with his second victim after an excellent 81. Richie Barker soon followed, but the turning point of the innings came when White was unluckily run out at the non-strikers end, Jeff Morris hammering the ball straight only for the bowler to deflect it onto the stumps.
A position of strength quickly evaporated. Morris, looking in good touch, unnecessarily lofted Gooding to the long on fielder Coates. Phil Day and Julian Greenaway followed, and it was left to Alan Cuthbert and John White to push the score past 200. A final total of 202-8 was a disappointment after such a good start, and Hampton Hill\s strong batting line up fancied their chances.
The Hampton Hill innings started shakily in the face of some excellent seam bowling from Barker and James White. Barker, in particular, regularly went past the bat at good pace. He was rewarded with the first three wickets, two to catches by Ian Cuthbert in the covers. At 62-3 Wooburn had the edge, but Fullicks now proceeded to take the game away from them, in partnership with the unpleasant Carr.
Fullicks was in cracking form, despatching the ball straight with consumate ease. He treated the bowling with contempt, and Hampton Hill looked like coasting home while he was at the crease. His concentration was finally broken by an incident of his partner\s making. Carr attempted to steal a run as Barker was returning the ball to bowler Phil Day, but after some heated discussion, the umpire call dead ball. Fullicks promptly hit the next ball to Barker at mid on, the Wooburn all-rounder completing a juggling catch at the second attempt.
Wooburn now sensed an opportunity, and Exworth and Sherry fell for ducks. Carr was now becalmed, dealing solely in singles, and new man Blackmore looked fallible early on. With the score on 161, Carr also fell to the Barker/Day combiination, and Wooburn were now favourites. Blackmore now went on the attack, taking advantage of some width to score a crucial 33. South African Gooding joined him in a match winning partnership of 38 for the eighth wicket, before White snared Blackmore on the deep cover boundary.
The final over started with 5 runs required and two wickets remaining, but the luck favoured the home side. Bridges sneaked a single, leaving Gooding to strike the winning boundary, the batsman demolishing the stumps at the bowler\s end for good measure. Wooburn could feel proud of their efforts, but until they can field 11 men and their batting gains more strength in the middle order a difficult season lies ahead.
