The jury is out as to whether Declan is better at directions or tossing the coin - neither went very well on Sunday as the side barely made it to the ground on time and then for the second day running the call was wrong and the toss was lost!

Bessborough chose to bat first on a wicket that had yielded over 550 runs the day before in a 40 over game. However the opening attack of Matt Stead and Mark Sayers soon made those scores look unlikely. Their bowling, combined with an unnatural knack of the Bessborough batsmen to pick out the fielders left the home side on 56 for 4 after 20 overs. Matt took 3 for 28 and Mark 1 for 24 to put Fosters on top. The supremacy might have been even more significant had confident appeals for caught behind and leg before been upheld.

Joe Barker continued where he had left off the day before by taking two wickets in as many overs before, possibly to protect his bowling average (?!), he limped off injured in his 3rd over with figures of 2 for 5. Sam finished off the over and promptly took a wicket as well to leave Bessborough in awful trouble on 72 for 7.

A mini recovery was staged by their number 7 who went on to top score with 47. Tony Sayers bowled quickly but with little luck early on as lots of top edges landed safely, with another just taking the fingertips of Gareth behind the stumps. Eventually the slower ball was to do the trick yielding a caught and bowled and later a further bowled victim as Tony ended with 3 for 44 and Bessborough all out for 125.

The key in reply was a steady start to settle the nerves - instead early wickets as the young opening bowler claimed 2 for 2 in 5 overs sending back Flat Track for 0 and Xav for 1 to leave the score 11 for 2.

Duncan Elder, playing his only CVL game of the season looked in less trouble than most and was able to dominate the early scoring but his partners continued to change. Stokesy looked good in making 10 before getting a leading edge to a full toss to give mid on some catching practice. Tony took the score to 55 for 3 before he went for another big shot and skied one to point. This wicket came from the last ball of the over and from the first ball of that bowler's next over (either side of 3 boundaries from Duncan!) Teflon Jr's defensive shot was just too tentative and the ball spun back on to the stumps to leave a nervous Fosters team on 67 for 5.

Gareth went out to join Duncan and survived an early scare when surviving a loud appeal for caught behind off the returning opening bowler. That scare seemed to settle every one down - Duncan reached a well deserved 50 and Gareth gradually settled down to play some lovely shots of his own and as the runs started to come quickly and the remaining confidence of the home side was shattered. Duncan hit the winning boundary (one of 11 in total) to be unbeaten on 67 from 83 balls and Gareth finished on 33 from 51 balls, including 5 boundaries in a winning partnership of 60.

This win takes the side ahead of Leverstock Green (who should have been beaten earlier this season!) and into the final promotion place.

The first of the two rearranged games, both of which need to be won to ensure promotion for the 1st team. A surprisingly green wicket awaited the two tams and therefore it was no surprise when Fosters were asked to bat first when Declan lost the toss.

The confidence in a big score was soon reduced with the score on 27 for 2 after 12 overs with both openers back in the hutch. Declan was caught behind early for 3 and then Ian Cooper was called through for a second run and then sent back by Doris to leave him stranded.

The runs however started to flow after Fish was given a life by the keeper. 80 runs were added in just 9 overs as both batsmen found their range, with Fish causing a near 10 minute stoppage at one point as a result of a lost ball following a very large 6. Both batsmen kept going for their shots despite the two paced nature of the wicket and this soon led to a flurry of wickets after a partnership of 116 for the third wicket.

Fish was well caught for 58 (coming off just 65 balls, including 10 fours and a six) and then Tony soon followed for 4. Then 2 wickets in 2 balls with the score on 143. Doris, having been dropped in the previous over came down the wicket and was bowled for 54 (off 69 balls, including 10 fours). This was then followed by Pumpkin caught behind first ball for 0. Teflon Jr came out to play out the hat trick ball and then added 20 (becoming one of only 3 players to make double figures) in a partnership of 32 with Matt Stead, an innings that included 2 successive 4s down the ground.

Another flurry of wickets followed before Mark Sayers further ruined his batting average when out for 2 in the final over as the innings closed on what looked like a competitive 186.

In reply Matt Stead and Mark Sayers opened the bowling and caused immediate problems. Fish tried to help Holtwhites by dropping 2 chances in the space of less than 6 balls as he failed to hold a skier off of Matt and then missed a chance at slip off Mark. Finally Matt got his reward by finding the edge to a diving Teflon Jr and then Pumpkin took a good catch off of Mark.

Runs started to flow as the Holtwhites number 4 set about the bowling in making 44 from just 28 balls. Joe Barker replaced Mark and bowled splendidly in taking 2 for 16 from 6 overs, including another nick behind. Pumpkin was expensive and Sam replaced him, but not much changed as his first 2 overs went for 18.

The damage was done in the following over as the number 4 came down the pitch and was stumped. This dismissal was a crucial blow and wickets now tumbled as Sam quickly picked up another 3 victims and Tony got a deserved wicket - another nick to Teflon Jr who now had 5 dismissals in the innings - as the total subsided to 139 for 9.

The final 2 batsmen were not going to give in and the number 10 in particular, after a cagey start, suddenly found his range. 4 successive boundaries were hit off of Sam as the score raced along to 173, before one shot too many was attempted and Sam had another wicket in finishing with 5 for 59 from 9.5 overs. Victory by 13 runs and another victory tomorrow will bring promotion.

The latest Chess Valley first team match found the side drawn to the pleasant surroundings of Chesham. In theory this was to be the final Sunday league game of the season but there are 2 further rearranged games to come! With plenty of youngsters in the side, only the inclusion of aged Mark Sayers pushed the average age of the side up as high as 21!

A batter's wicket had the skipper licking his lips.....but he called wrong and the home side chose to bat first. The innings got off to a fairly quick start and generally continued in that vain! Crucially however there were a number of missed chances in the field and whilst those individually didn't cost a lot, as few of the batsmen dropped made too many more runs, the combined impact cannot be calculated.

The Chesham batsmen all played their shots with 2 players making half centuries and another making 46 (although fortunate survive a very confident leg before shout off of Mark Sayers). Of the bowlers there were some solid efforts: Matt Stead bowling his full quota of 10 overs gave up 1 for 47 and was always threatening; Mark Sayers took 2 for 61 in dismissing both of the opening batsmen; James Stead took 2 for 47 from 8 overs; and youngsters Bradley Sayers (1 for 34 off 7) and George Uttley (1 for 28 from 4 - inc a pointless 4 overthrows) both showed significant promise of things to come at this level.

Chesham's tail end wagged however and the resulting total of 265 for 8 looked pretty challenging unless the Fosters top order was able to fire.

After a plentiful tea (the scorer would like to note that this was one of the first occasions he recalls being offered a cup of tea during the innings!) Flat Track and Doris (after the early loss of Sam Barker) set after the total. They added 94 for the 2nd wicket in just 16 overs as the score reached 108 after just 20 overs. At this stage however young spinner Hardy bowled the decisive bowling spell, giving up just 25 runs in 10 overs of delightfully controlled bowling. Whilst he only removed Stokesy for 43 by the time he finished his spell 102 runs were needed from only 10 overs.

During this spell Tony was strangely subdued hitting just one boundary (admittedly a towering 6 that nearly reached the nearby river!) in his innings of 27. Flat Track had passed his 50 from just 61 balls but started to become a bit more subdued but also failing to get much of the strike. For a couple of overs he and Matt Stead kept up with the increased rate but inevitably chances were going to be given and wickets started to tumble. Matt fell to a towering catch for 23 before Flat Track was finally dismissed for 82.

The young lower order tried to hit out but the quality of the bowling and fielding, together with the near impossible asking rate proved far too much as the innings subsided to 218 all out and a 47 run defeat. Two wins are now needed next weekend to ensure promotion, assuming results elsewhere have gone against us.

Another warm pleasant day at Chalk Lane greeted our latest Chess Valley League visitors Brondesbury - a side that ha won all their games to date and scored over 350 against Old Albanian last week.

Declan won the toss and decided to bat first on the wicket that had yielded 511 runs just the day before. He and Xav opened the innings an after a quiet start they proceeded to add 88 for the first wicket off of just 14 overs. Xav went for 33 having faced only 30 balls of the partnership.

Another large stand of 79 came for the 2nd wicket as Declan continued the good work bringing up yet another 50 before almost surprisingly falling for 80, caught off of a top edge. Kyle was next to go for 34 before Tony Sayers came in to play a 'normal Tony' innings - he stayed for just 18 balls and in that time was dropped twice by the keeper, played out just 3 dot balls, got off the mark with a 6 and finished on 35!

With plenty of wickets in hand the final few batsmen threw the bat as Joe and Teflon Jr both perished for 13 and then the final partnership between Matt Stead (23*) and Nathan Miller (12*) included 18 being taken off the final over to close the innings on a challenging 289 for 7.

In reply the visitors went off like a train - after 5 overs the score was 55 for 1 with Nathan having figured of 1 for 38! A change of bowling gradually reigned things in. Mark Sayers, hoping to graze at slip following his 26 over stint the day before bowled 8 overs and took 2 for 38, while at the over end James Stead bowled an excellent, if unrewarded spell, in yielding just 42 runs from 10 overs.

These spells brought the run back closer to the required rate and with 3 wickets down the pressure was on. Xav came on to replace Mark and proceeded to take wickets in 5 of his first 6 overs! His first ball was hit straight down the throat of Kyle stationed out at Cow Corner and the procession continued from there (much to the frustration I am sure to James bowling beautifully at the other end!). Xav finished with 5 for 27 and by the time he handed over to Nathan the match was all but over.

Having been reduced to 185 for 8, and only having 10 men, the Brondesbury tail enders decided to give things a go and added 40 runs in quick time. This included a massive 6 off of Nathan to what turned out to be the penultimate ball of the game - Nathan got his revenge next ball to clatter the stumps and finish with 2 for 49....off just 4 overs!

A win then by 64 runs and every chance of promotion - all hinges on the 3 games to be played over 8 days at the beginning of September.

An interesting mix of players assembled at Balls Park for the latest Chess Valley Div 3 encounter. Whilst Steady led the 'kids' in a game of football, Mark Sayers was busy losing the toss thus ensuring that Hertford had first use of the 'road'.

Both openers were back in the hutch with just 17 on the board thanks to one horrible shot to a short ball from Tony Sayers and a leave to an inswinger from Matt Stead. From here however the innings went broadly as expected with batsmen taking the initiative and the score racing along to 149 for 3 with 12 overs remaining.

During one search for a lost ball Stokesy decided it was time to make a 'quick' visit behind the sightscreens. With the ball found, two further balls bowled and still no sign of Doris a concerned skipper asked whether Stokesy was sitting down.

James Stead bowled an excellent 10 over spell taking 1 for 31, which at the time looked likely to be the spell of the day. However Bradley Sayers bowling spin at the other end was to easily eclipse this - not that this looked likely when after 5.4 overs his figures were 1 for 35 (with the wicket coming from a full toss). His next 2.2 overs however accounted for 5 wickets! Three batsmen were bowled and there were two dismissals to Teflon Jr behind the stumps. Brad finished with 6 for 45 from 8 overs - easily his best figures to date.

Steady replaced James and caused plenty of problems in a spell of 4.5 overs 1 for 16. His figures would have been better but for a missed stumping. As it was he had to settle for the final wicket well caught by Nathan Miller running in from the boundary.

In reply Pumpkin made a fast start such that when James Stead fell for 7 the score had already reached 60. Pumps brought up his 50 from just 48 balls but was soon given out leg before by umpiring spectator Xav. Dan Rollo played a useful cameo in making 15, including some fine boundaries off of the opening bowler before being out caught and bowled.

This brought Doris and Teflon Jr together with the score on 103 and just 12 overs later the two of them had kncoked off the runs completing an unbroken stand of 91. Teflon Jr made a steady 21 from 33 balls while the real star of the partnership was Doris in making 79 not out in just 51 balls, including 11 4s and 2 6s - the second of these being one of the biggest not hit by Tony Sayers this season.

Victory then by 7 wickets with over 14 overs remaining, which left time for Stokesy to buy a jug and Tony to win the 'what will Neil Hale score' sweep stake which was made very entertaining by live mobile phone commentary from Chalk Lane - only unfortunate that Neil's dismissal brought about a disappointing defeat for the 2nd team.
 

A rather bowling loaded side made its way to Leverstock Green and Declan decided to bat first from the safety of the Sayers Mobile having sent Sam Barker out to correctly call heads.

It looked pretty vital for Fosters to make a good solid start.....only for the side to subside to 69 for 7. Openers Declan and James Stead were out caught at the wicket, with Stokesy become the opening bowlers 3rd victim trapped leg before. Dan Rollo hit a few big blows, was caught off a no ball and was then caught again for 15. Sam played sensibly and having seen off the better bowlers then fell unexpectedly for 20. Teflon Jr was perhaps unlucky to be given out leg before (the bowler reckoned it was missing leg stump!)

Thankfully the tail wagged as Nathan batted with great sense and purpose to make 29 in a 50 stand with Wellsy (top scorer with 37 not out), who then added 34 in a bizarre last wicket stand with Mark Sayers who was last man out for 24. Leo's innings included firing a ball straight at Wellsy and then a few balls later seeing his bat fly further than the ball which was then dropped by the unnerved fielder.

In reply Fosters got off to the perfect start as Matt Stead took two early wickets. Wellsy and Nathan also chipped with a wicket apiece in before Joe Barker picked up 3 wickets for 21 from his 6 over spell. All the victims were bowled and Leverstock Green had subsided to 47 for 7 and an early finish looked likely.

However the remainder of their batsman (including a number 11 batting down the order) batted with good sense, giving up just one chance that was not taken behind the stumps off of James Stead. Sam Barker picked up a wicket thanks to a smart stumping and Matt Stead came to take a 3rd wicket out of total figures of 3 for 32. However despite plenty of good bowling the number 5 made an unbeaten 69 and number 11 an unbeaten 37 in a final wicket partnership of 54 that led to an unlikely 1 wicket defeat.