The cricketing summer of 2018 rolled on with another scorching day as Wooburn travelled to the picture postcard setting of Ley Hill. Tucked into the Chilterns, this small village has everything the sporting lady or gentleman could wish for – a golf course, a cricket ground and most importantly a pub. One wonders what could be better on a bright and hot Sunday afternoon.
Such have been the conditions this year, most cricketing outfields have more resembled the Australian outback then England’s green and pleasant land, Ley Hill being no exception. With the short boundaries and lighting quick ground, it was no doubt that bowling would be more than an arduous task.
With Captain Barker losing the toss, Wooburn set about that arduous task with the opening bowling of the brothers Lamming. As competitive as ever, it was the younger A.Lamming striking the first blow – S.Peterson leaving a straight one that clipped the top of middle and off.
For Wooburn, that would be the highlight of the innings as R.McHugh and B.Norton ground out the runs, making full use of the batting friendly conditions. Cricketing shots were few and far between, but both batted sensibly using the virtues of the fairly unique Ley Hill conditions to their advantage. The partnership was fairly chanceless and whilst the ball was often seen taking an aerial route, it was rarely near a fielder to be of danger. R.Barker, who arguably was the pick of the bowlers at 0/42 – the only bowler to find the consistent length needed, was probably closest to the wickets with just about the only LBW appeal of the innings and a tricky caught and bowled opportunity that saw him sprawled on the deck for the first time in 10 years.
Ley Hill finished just the one wicket down (Ali Lamming taking all of them) for 229 off 35 overs. Normally speaking that would seem a high score, and upon leaving the field to take tea, it certainly did feel a slog. But in these conditions and with Wooburn scoring 215 from 33 at Chesham the week before – it needn’t have been as daunting as it seemed.
The Wooburn reply started in a manner that Teresa May might describe as Strong and Stable. B.Barker being the strong, taking no time to get into stride with some solid blows, and K.Dolan the stable, supplying ample back-up to the tight Ley Hill bowling attack. With the score nearing 50, it was time for a wobble, first Barker followed by Dolan, both caught. W.Cuthbert, R.Barker and G.Taylor, all keen to take advantage of the conditions somewhat threw their wickets away, again all caught, leaving A.Dalton and T.Wright to pick up the pieces, the score 71/5 and the 230 target looking ever more daunting.
Wright, having been held back by the skipper in the bowling department was keen to get himself a game, quickly getting his eye in with sensible shots all round the ground. Dalton survived a caught behind scare to turn away a couple of boundaries himself, but it was Wright who was taking the game to Ley Hill, building a confident innings and looking ever more imperious.
Dalton was eventually caught at slip bringing J.Dolan to the crease, Dolan wasting no time in getting stuck into the task and providing an able foe to Wright who was looking the key player in the result of the game.
As the Wright/Dolan partnership grew, a certain loss turned into a ‘actually we have a sniff here’ and by the time Dolan, they had added 84 to the score to bring Wooburn within sight. C.Lamming, not to be out-done by younger brother, had a simple job to get bat on ball and bring Wright on-strike. He ably did this and chipped in with some runs and although Wright was dropped on the boundary, Wooburn were on the hunt, needing 14 from the last 2 overs. Wright picked them off with 3 balls to spare leaving him on an agonising 99no from just 63 balls.
