Hurley round off season with three-wicket defeat at Hampton Hill

The final Saturday of the season saw Hurley make their biennial trip to Bushy Park to take on Hampton Hill, and, with the autumnal conditions clearly setting in, they lost it by three wickets.

Mike Walton deputised for the toss and called incorrectly before being invited to bat by Hill skipper Nally Fernando.

The Hurley opening pair of Walton and Clive Williams struggled to make any meaningful progress against some tight bowling by Tahir Butt and Tommy Rance, with only 17 runs accruing from the first ten overs. Walton was finally put out of his misery when edging to the keeper off Ian Exworth with the score on 21. Williams soon followed, leg-before to Jordan Gomez, and Phil Ridgeway joined Yasir Gul.

The pair gradually hauled Hurley back into the game with a partnership of 87 for the third wicket, ended when Fernando had Gul (32) caught by Fergus Walsh. Ridgeway (64) duly passed his half-century before falling to the returning Butt. Mandeep Singh (18*) and Josh Cole (18*) saw Hurley to a respectable total of 169 for 4 from their 40 overs.

After a tea of fish and chips kindly provided by Yasir, Hampton Hill started their reply at a much faster rate than the Hurley start as Naeem Akhtar struggled to tune in his radar. Twenty-six runs were on the board in the fifth over when Naeem produced a delivery that seamed to graze John Cadogan’s leg stump. In his next over Akhtar trapped Thornley in front at 42 for 2.

With Hurley sensing an inroad into the Hampton Hill line up, Bhatti (26) and Keiron Colvin (54*) steadied the ship with a thirty-nine run partnership for the third wicket. Dad had Butt caught at mid-off by Akhtar in the sixteenth over at 81 for 3. Two wickets in an over for Liam Cole put his side back in contention and when he had Gomez caught behind on 101 for 6 Hurley sensed a chance of victory.

Youngster Tommy Rance (9) batted very sensibly in partnership with Colvin before slapping Ridgeway to Yasir Gul in the covers (143-7). Colvin continued to play aggressively, aided and abetted by Exworth (16*) to see the hosts home with half a dozen overs to spare.

W The last day of the 2020 season saw Hurley travel to Ballinger Common on Sunday to take on the Waggoners in a 40 over contest.

The balmy summer days of a week ago had morphed into blustery winter conditions, but Hurley's players chased down the Waggoners total of 93-all-out to win by five wickets.