After a difficult start to the season, the 2nd XI raised themselves off the bottom of the table with a nerve-wracking two wicket victory at local rivals Farnham Common. Charlie Ashford and Mike Walters kept cool heads to add an unbroken 31 for the ninth wicket, after the home team had looked the more likely winners.
Farnham Common, led by former Narkovian. Scott Wilcox, opted to bat first on winning the toss. A good pitch and fast outfield suggested a high scoring match, but Wooburn removed the openers relatively cheaply. Brown and stalwart batsman Ian Burge then proceeded to take control, adding 95 for the fourth wicket in quick time. At the half way stage, the total had passed 130 and a score in excess of 250 looked possible. However, after completely an excellent fifty, Brown contrived the through his wicket away, Alan Cuthbert hanging on to a skier at mid on.
Brown’s demise triggered a middle-order collapse that brought Wooburn right back into the game. Pete Selleck, deceptively quick off two paces, removed Wilcox, Reeves and Kingsley Woodland in quick succession, before taking the prize wicket of Burge for 40. A brief cameo from the younger Woodland took Common past 200, before he gave a simple catch to Ashford to complete Selleck’s five wicket haul, his first for the club. Sellect finished with 5-21, and was well supported by Mike Walters and Imran Ishaq in his first match of the season.
After dismissing Common in the 44th over, Wooburn had 56 overs in which to chase a moderate target of 204. In form Angus Porter and Derek Milsom started cautiously against the accurate seam bowler of Wilcox, and were beginning to increase the run rate when Milsom was caught behind off Kingsley Woodland. 44-0 quickly became 55-3, when John White hit a long hop to cover and Porter was possibly unlucky to be given out lbw on the front foot.
A rebuilding operation was required from Cuthbert and Selleck, and they looked comfortable against the Common attack. Their running between the wickets, however, was another matter, and for a time, a run out appeared inevitable. After surviving one or two hairy moments, the pair looked set for a long partnership. The return of the accurate Wilcox ended their dominance, Cuthbert chipping a full toss to backward square leg.
Selleck completed his fifty to add to his 5 wickets, but his dismissal on 154 left the match in the balance. Skipper Stuart Savage, Imran and Rob Hall followed, leaving Wooburn precariously placed at 174-8. A home victory looked the most likely outcome at that stage.
Mike Walters, not always the most patient of batsman, survived two dropped catches to long on. With Charlie Ashford showing a cool head and plenty of ability at the other end, Walters adopted a more cautious ‘get ‘em in singles’ approach, and Wooburn inched towards their target. Victory was achieved in the final over of the innings, with both batsmen finishing unbeaten on 16. An important win for Wooburn, which moves them up to seventh in the table at this early stage of the season.
