Hetairoi 197-7 dec (Waller 4-34, Midmer 2-32) drew with Headley 193-8 (Smith 55*, Noble 45)

With the sunshine and thrilling finale of President's Day retreating into memory, it was back to more familiar circumstances this week as a grey and windy Headley CC welcomed Hetairoi. The arctic conditions saw some spectators running for their anoraks, and the less committed running for the bar, but in the midst of the wind and drizzle there was some decent cricket , with Grant Waller enjoying helpful bowling conditions early on, and Rob Smith cracking a stylish 55* to almost win it for Headley.

Earlier in the afternoon, Headley won the toss and elected to field amid cloudy skies, a lively looking pitch, and a strong breeze at one end. As the Headley side rolled out somewhat reluctantly into the Arctic conditions it emerged that the skipper was to take the new ball himself. A hushed murmur went up from the three spectators not taking cover inside, mindful that seeing a spell from the one-time Headley spearhead is about as rare as seeing one from Simon Jones. Midmer did not disappoint the loyalists, tearing in off his full run and unleashing a series of lively paced inswingers. Having been informed by Midmer that the track was "usually slow and low" and that the "best time to bat was usually first up", the Hetairoi skipper John Ball departed in the second over to a snorter which he could only glove behind in front of his nose . He was quickly followed by his opening colleague, who having dug out a series of brisk inswingers, feathered a straighter one through to Headley 'keeper' Ben Ashworth. With Hetaroi reeling on 11-2 and a full office behind the stumps, the visitors could have folded. Indeed had Gordon Banks been able to hold onto a sharp chance in the gully off the Hetairoi No.4 they might well have done. But he survived and so did the Hetairoi No.3 David Oliver, seeing off both Midmer and Alex Mearns, the Aussie left armer who bowled a selfless and accurate spell into the stiff breeze.

Clarke replaced Midmer at the 'breeze' end and was on the money straight away, inducing an edge from the tall and dangerous Oliver which Andy Pickering put down at slip. A difficult chance but with a man of Pickering's calibre at slip the mistake was a surprise nonetheless. The long levered Oliver knew exactly what would improve Clarke's mood and thumped the next two balls into the car park. Having smashed some more big hits from debutant off spinner Tim Bredbury, Oliver was again dropped, again at slip, again by Pickering, and with Clarke again the unlucky bowler. The mistake seemed more costly this time as both batsman proceeded to step up their attack on Clarke and the unfortunate Bredbury, who despite some nice flight, was worked away to a short leg side boundary time and again. With the score racing past 100-2, Headley's 'trump card' Grant Waller was reluctantly wheeled into the attack and he put the brakes on the scoring straight away. At the other end Adam Hughes bowled some tight occasional off spin. The pressure eventually told and a moment of inspiration in the field got Headley a much needed breakthrough. The Hetaroi No.4 squeezed a cut shot into the off side off Hughes, and called for a second run just as Gordon 'Flash' Banks neared the ball. It looked a good call, but Flash swivelled and hurled down the stumps from the boundary to leave the score 120-3. The breakthrough proved crucial and it was Waller who was the main beneficiary, ripping through the rest of Hetairoi middle order with a typically disciplined spell of left arm swing bowling. Waller took four, three clean bowled, as Hetairoi stumbled to 197-7 declared. The key wicket was Oliver, who having smashed the bowling around with ease, tensed up as he neared a hundred and was bowled by a trademark inswinger. With him went the visitors chances of posting a sizeable score

A solid tea from the Aussies accompanied some dramatic events up at Turnberry, but Headley were struggling for time and the skipper was keen to see openers Andy Pickering and Gareth Noble out in the middle.

The pitch was still lively, but Andy Pickering, reverting to his opening role, looked in decent touch straight away, sweeping and cutting the openers with consummate ease to race to 18. Just as he was getting going, Pickering's innings was cruelly ended by a suspect LBW call from his own captain, who was acting as stand-in umpire at the time. Pickering was replaced by Adam Hughes, who looked keen to get on with things, cutting and driving stylishly both straight and through square cover. The effervescent Hughes had an invigorating effect on Noble, who having been initially tied down, suddenly began to time the ball, smashing some towering maximums over wide long on and accumulating steadily in between. With the pair going nicely Headley were heading towards an easy victory, but the variable pitch was still making timing the ball difficult, and both Hughes and Noble departed trying to force the pace, the latter for an entertaining 45. The stylish Rob Smith emerged at No.4 and soon began showing his array of straight drives and laconic cut strokes. Smith's superb timing and speed between the wickets allow him to accumulate quickly whilst never losing an air of calmness and elegance, and a delicate late cut for four was indicative of his class. Sadly the aesthetic style of Smith could not have been more in contrast with the rest of the Headley middle order, who all fell cheaply trying to force the pace. As some accurate slow bowling came from both ends, Banks edged a cut shot to the wicketkeeper, Midmer found mid on with a tentative drive, Waller was yorked first ball, and Ashworth was bowled by Hetairois junior off spinner. The game was now in the balance but fortunately for Headley Tim Bredbury enjoyed himself more batting at No.9 then with the ball, and he accompanied Smith as they embarked on a chase for the runs in the final 10 overs. The rate started at 6 an over, before moving up to 8, but with Smith finding the offside boundary with laser precision, and Bredbury heaving a succession of slogs to the leg side fence, Headley continued to look a good bet with 13 needed off the last. Sadly Bredbury was bowled by Hetairoi's wily slow-slow medium bowler off the first ball, and despite manful efforts from Smith and Alex Mearns, Headley finished four short.

With a strong batting line up, a 'gettable' total, and a full house of supporters (albeit watching the Open), a draw was a slight disappointment, but it extends the teams unbeaten run into late July. Smith deserved far better support but will hopefully have further opportunities as the wicket flattens out later in the summer. Next week Headley face Chadwick in what is likely to be a tough game. There are rumours that last seasons star batsman Will Midmer is waiting in the wings for a late season cameo, following a tour of India, despite many saying he wouldn't play again to protect an average of 101.