On a day where the weather constantly changed between periods of sunshine, hailstones, rain and very cold spells, the only warming feature was our First Team entertaining our highly supportive supporters.

Saturday 4th May would usually be the opening day of the HCPCL but this season the opening day was assigned to the first round of the T20 competition. With four teams each contesting at four separate venues, We hosted Amersham against High Wycombe and ourselves against Chesham.

High Wycombe made light work defeating Amersham in the opening match. High Wycombe made 185-4 with Eliot Callis hitting 126 from only 70 balls before bowling out their opposition for 82.

In our first match, Chesham scored 119-6 from their 20 overs with two batsman hitting 40s and no one else getting pass 6 due to some very economical bowling by Simon Stanway who was the most economical only conceding 16 from his four overs. Left arm tweaker Rory Criddle was the pick of the bowlers with 2 for 18 from his four overs.

Our opening pair of Charlie Macdonell and debutant Steven Clark set about the chase much to the delight of the supporters. With the score on 77-0 with Macdonell on 51 the heavens opened, groundsman David Doyle supported by Ed Pike had to rush the covers due to rain. At the end of the shower, the Duckworth-Lewis (DL) calculation reported we had won the match and no further play was required.

This meant the final will be contested between ourselves and High Wycombe.

With such adverse weather around, it takes a brave captain to win the toss and decide to bat first. This was exactly what Shelvin Gumbs decided. We posted 90-4 from 13 overs, with AJ Woodland top scoring with 37, before the heavens opened up once more, this time leaving ice on the square and outfield.

At the resumption, our innings was declared closed and the DL par score for High Wycombe was set at 107 from 13 overs. A number of High Wycombe batsman got starts however, some consistent bowling from our bowlers saw wickets falling at the right moments to reduce High Wycombe to 96-6 off 12.

Needing 11 off the final over, Michael Payne bowled the perfect over conceding only 3 runs and took 3 wickets including two stumpings by Steve Dutch. Payne finished with figures of 4 for 12 off his three overs leave our First Team as winners of the region.

The finals will be contested at Amersham CC on 14th July between (Banbury or Buckingham Town vs Finchampstead) and Henley vs Tring Park, with the winners contesting the final.

Next Saturday we host Horspath in the opening match of the 2019 league.

A GOOD WORK OUT

While the First Team were performing heroics at home, Mark Bater was leading a club eleven in a Friendly at Leverstock Green. In Baltic conditions, our hosts won the toss and elected to bat. Opening bowlers Paul Orton and Toby Seagrave early overs were interrupted by stoppages for rain and sleet with the new ball very quickly becoming like a bar of soap. With the ball difficult to control, it was unsurprising that the opening wicket was a run out. Youngster Harry Grinham, chased a drive into the outfield, his throw was relayed by Adam Goldberg and Shakoor was run out.

Grinham was soon into the attack to bowl his leg breaks, joining Australian Nick Grant in our search for wickets. Grant playing cricket in a sweater for the first time bowled a spell which would on other days delivered in more than the two wickets that he picked up.

The four spells off the field for rain and sleet dampened our spirits and gave our hosts the chance to regroup and help them post a big total. Jake Seagrave who has had an excellent start of the season, bowled a brilliant spell at the end of the innings picking up three wickets as Leverstock Green closed on 188-7 from 40 overs.

With conditions improving for bowling, our task of chasing down the total was a big one. Openers Robbie Grout and James Wheeler faced a challenging opening spell from the Leverstock Green. Wheeler was dismissed with the score on 21 when he was caught at third man from a top edge, he was the first but not the last of our batsman dismissed by a top edge. Newcomer Goldberg joined the resurgent Grout at the wicket as the hosts bowlers continued to excel. Grout, how hadn't picked a bat up since last summer looked in excellent touch through the offside off both the front and back foot.

The match turned in the 15th over when we slipped from 50-1 to 57-6 in the space of three overs. The wicket was increasingly difficult to bat on, but with the situation difficult, Jake Seagrave responded and counter attacked to give the scorecard some receptivity. With shots all around the ground, Seagrave's 35 put our total to a respectable 119 before we were finally bowled out.