The 2nd XI completed a victorious season in style, by defeating promotion rivals Teddington Town by 86 runs in the final game of the season. With Chiswick & Latymer losing to NPL, the 2nds finished in top spot, with 293 points.
The 2nds took the initiative from the start, opting to bat after winning the toss. Openers Angus Porter and Paul Cooper got the innings off to a sound start, on a less than perfect pitch. For Teddington, Barrett took on the stock bowler role from the River End, while Hull bowled with more pace and aggression.
The Wooburn openers had to put up with plenty of \chat\ out in the middle, but their stand of 76 took the sting out of \Town\. Coops was the first to go, given out lbw. Alan Cuthbert then helped take the score past the hundred mark with just one wicket down, an excellent start on a helpful wicket. Patel was now bowling well, and getting the odd ball to lift off a length. One of these accounted for Alan, flicking the glove on the way through to the keeper.
Stuart Savage now joined Angus, and with the pitch offering so much help, 200 now looked an ambitious target. Angus continued on until he too edged Patel to the keeper, but not before he had made an excellent 70, with 11 boundaries. Patel was now bowling well, but having been unavailable for much of the season due to school commitments, his 13-over spell seemed a little long?
Dave Small, Jeff Morris, Phil Cuthbert and Robster Rogers fell in fairly quick succession, while Sav struggled to time the ball on the slow pitch. He grafted his way to 22, before Hull came back to bowl him. 166-8 looked a bit shaky, and it was important that we reached 175 for the extra batting points. This target was duly achieved, Derek Milsom and Graham Dare showing their experience. The pair managed to take the score up to 185, which would be a good test for Teddington\s batsmen.
Teddington\s innings started against the old ball, and the cunning of Jeff Morris. He quickly had Richards lbw in his first over for nought, rounding of an unfortunate day for \Mr Chat\ Richards, who had earlier crucially dropped Angus in the deep.
Teddington\s keeper, Patel, also not averse to the occasional barbed comment, looked all at sea and fell to Ben Sturgess for just 10. Teddington\s 1st XI imports were now at the crease, and it began to look ominous as Worth struck the ball cleanly in making a rapid 28. A heavy shower added to the drama, the wet ball now skidding through quicker off the pitch.
After 15 overs, Teddington stood at 49-2, with Worth an imposing 28 not out. At the end of the 16th over, they were 49-5, their much vaunted middle order blown away by one magnificent, inspired over from Phil Cuthbert. His first ball was a superb yorker, which hammered into Worth\s stumps, two balls later, Hull was on his way, middle and off stumps leaning back, and then with his last ball, left-hander Gaitskill edged to Sav. 49-5 and Teddington were in disarray.
At 56, Phil bowled the younger Patel. Lehman stoutly resisted for a while, and Treloar picked up singles, but it was Wooburn\s day. Jeff pinned Lehman lbw at 70, and Phil completed a rare five-wicket haul with Henry\s wicket at 78. Treloar, knowing the game was up, flayed across the line against Jaffa and was bowled. 78-9.
There was still time for a flicker of doubt, when Barrett bashed his way to 20, but it was a brief cameo and Jeff fittingly wrapped things up with his fourth wicket. What a day, and now the 2nds can contemplate life in the heady heights of Division 5B next season.
A thought should be spared for the players who missed out on playing on the day, in particular Chris Hall, whose efforts throughout the season have been invaluable. Indeed, all 30 players who represented the 2nd XI this season, played a part towards the team\s success.
