Albury Vs HOF's (HOF's 233 for 7, Holliday 51); (Albury 197 all out)

Travelling to the most remote, albeit one of the prettier grounds we play all season, HOF's were badly in need of a win - or something close - in order to rescue their season from slipping down the increasingly steep slope to low morale, low scores, and general lowness.   

Bolstered by the return of their skipper, Tom Haywood, who had by all accounts performed rather better as best man than his side had performed on the cricket field, HOF's's were predictably put into bat on a hard surface that had a nice little coating of morning rain.

With the ball leaping off a length, it looked like it may be a struggle for the Headley openers, however things were developing nicely before Hopper hit a wide full toss to deep extra cover. Seymour and Haywood - who was just starting to get going - soon followed, and when Hufton's rotten trot was predictably continued by another stonking catch, HOF's were reeling at 62 for 4.

Wicket keeper Paul Holliday went out to join key middle order man Steve Winslet, and together they put on 79 crucial runs to lift Headley to a platform from which they could attack. Holliday, who clearly enjoyed the ball coming onto the
bat, produced several tasty drives both straight and through the covers, while Winslet manfully restrained himself from hitting the ball into Guildford. When the latter departed for 37, after misjudging the length of a ball that kept a
little low, HOF's were in pretty good shape, and thanks to some lower order firewooks from Geoff Moon and Andy Pickering they were able to declare on 233 for 8. Well actually HOF's had to stop on 233 for 8 after the skipper had decided to go the full 48.

10 wickets have not been easy to come by for HOF's this season and the skipper had a cunning plan: don't bother with the new ball. Hufton, an occasionally over-excited user of the new nut, ripped into action with the old one and
immediately extracted some good pace from a lively wicket. Haywood, who was without much match bowling, bravely decided to open from the other end, and despite the odd wide (one memorably tossed back with full teapot by Haywood senior at 1st slip) managed to trouble the batsmen when hitting the target.

However, no breakthrough was forthcoming, and when at about 40 for 0 a ball was skied high off Haywood to mid-off anyone who has watched HOF's in recent weeks wouldn't have been too optimistic about that changing. However, Geoff Moon had other ideas, and took a very good catch to get the ball rolling.    
       
From that moment wickets came freely: Hufton picked up the other opener (for the only wicket of a spell that deserved more) and Hopper, helped by a ridge of dynamite on a length, picked up three. However, the key destroyer was Ben Whiting. After picking up the Albury number 5 with the sixth bouncer of his
first over, Whiting had settled in to a fuller length, and, letting the pitch assist his natural height, watched gleefully as Holliday took several first class catches behind the stumps, before bowling the only batsman who looked like
he might threaten the total for his fourth wicket of the game.

However 4+3+1+1 only comes to nine. And unfortunately the last wicket was proving difficult to come by. One problem was the Albury number 10, who was showing an unfortunate ability to hit the ball for six, while the number 11 was proving quite tidy in defence; albeit one that was not being tested that regularly.

After nearly 10 overs of pain, the skipper decided to call up the injured Paul Bridges to take the new ball with just six overs remaining. His first over was the over of an injured man, and when Hufton just missed an heroic diving caught
and bowled at the other end, things were looking pretty dodgy. Moon was summoned cold to get the final wicket and the skipper looked like he'd made a great call when one of Moon's tempting outswingers prompted a wild swing from the previously restrained No.11 that sent his back foot flying from the crease.
Unfortunately Holliday, standing up, was beaten by the bouncy wicket as the ball jumped from a length and a deserved stumping was denied him.

Just one over left to go, not even a winning draw was looking easy now; the season was well and truly in the balance.

And then Bridges suddenly found it: the trademark late outswing, the full tempting length - it suddenly clicked just when it mattered most. The first two deliveries both missed by a whisker as the No.10 Albury bat was suddenly made to look human. And then the third ball came... this time the Albury bat managed to make contact, but not the kind he wanted: denied the room to free his arms his attempted backfoot swish sliced off the top of his bat into the cloudy white sky.

It wasn't a steepler. Maybe not even a skier. But it was a catch to win the match off the very last over in the game - and Andy Pickering was the man underneath it.

Moving steadily back to place himself underneath the catch, Pickering waited for the spinning ball to descend from the sky: legs steady, eyes only for the ball, the Headley chairman knew he had to catch it.

And catch it he did.

HOF's are back.