LEY HILL BREAK THEIR DUCK! 

Ley Hill beat Haddenham easily for their first victory of the season whilst playing in brilliant sunshine - despite having huge black clouds to the right of the ground and a thunderstorm to the left!

This was an important bottom of the table clash for both sides and yet at the scheduled start time the chance of any cricket being played looked most unlikely - the Haddenham cricket square looked like a lake!

Full marks must be given to the groundsman and players for their mopping up operations.  That and the astonishing speed the rainwater drained away ensured play started only 70 minutes late.

Ley Hill won the toss and put Haddenham into bat claiming the first wicket for just 14.  Harris’s excellent knock of 39 kept some respectability to the score but with none of the other batsmen getting into double figures and a terrific 5-9 from 10.3 overs by Ley Hill skipper Kevin Phillips, Haddenham were bowled out for 86. 

Rob Thomson took 3-24 from 8.3 overs before having to stop bowling mid-over with an injured shoulder.  No matter, Andy Rennard completed the over taking a wicket with his first ball.

The Hill had tightened up on extras (they have been a twelfth man for the opposition all season) giving only 5 away - and had they taken the six dropped catches Haddenham would have been out for a much lower score.

After a short break for rain the Shakoor brothers set about chasing the target.  Kash was first out for 15 before being followed by Az who made 14. This brought veterans Jon Lown and Rennard to the crease.  Lown (8 n.o.) batted sensibly giving his partner most of the strike as Rennard laid into the Haddenham bowlers scoring an impressive 50 n.o. (a fine preparation for his appearance in the Bucks O’50’s team this week against Herts) as Ley Hill made the winning total of 90-2 in 19 overs.

Sorry, it would be nice to include news of the bowlers for Haddenham but they didn’t have a scorer and getting player’s names proved difficult!  One canny and clever leftie did get 2-22 from 7 overs in what was a very tidy spell but who he was… 

Ley Hill won by 8 wickets.