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Result - Hampshire Hogs

Sun May 1st The Grannies lose by 9 wickets

Players

(c) - candidate

Match report

It’s the hope that gets you. At half-time, there was confidence in the Grannies’ camp that a score over 200 (and with a declaration to boot) was competitive. Sadly the Hogs batting proved too strong but the Grannies left with their heads held high.
After hunting high and low for a team prepared for forego the joys of a Bank Holiday weekend in London for a day’s cricket in leafy Hampshire, the XI that took to the field at Warnford represented the full range of Grannies experience from (nearly teenager) Fergus to (the ageless) Mike F and James Cartwright. It also contained three Clarkes returning to the fold after some years away.
The Grannies chose to bat first and, after a couple of early wickets (including debutant Alex Brookes), reached 100-odd for 2 at lunch with Alastair Tomson and Hugo Freeman playing nicely. A surfeit of sandwiches (or possibly the local ale) then precipitated a speedy collapse after lunch as 113-2 became 126-6 before a splendid 50 from Archie Clarke, ably supported by dad Simon, took the Grannies towards the promised land of 200. Archie reached his 50 just before the Grannies declared on 209-9 in 57 overs.
Warnford is always a good place to bat and the Grannies needed to make some early inroads if the Hogs were to kept at bay. Sadly it was not to be despite some spirited opening bowling from skipper for the day, Andrew de Mestre, and Hugo Freeman, and valiant spells from Archie and Bertie Clarke. If only the skipper had shown more faith in his son, Fergus de Mestre, things might have been different. In an innings where the Hogs went 6 an over from the other bowlers, for Fergus (not yet 13 years old) to bowl 9 overs for 31 was a great spell. What is more, the Hogs’ century maker edged Fergus’s second ball through a vacant slip at a perfectly catchable height. The other highlight of the Grannies’ bowling was Ellis Williams’s one and only over. It had everything including a remarkable catch by Hugo on the square leg boundary for the Grannies’ solitary wicket.
In the end the Hogs ran out comfortable winners but hopefully the many new Grannies who turned out will be seen again. Huge thanks to those who answered the call to play.

Grannies: 209-9 declared (56.4 overs)
Hogs: 210-1 (37 overs)

Match info

Also played: Alex Brookes, James Cartwright, Hugo Freeman, Alastair Tomson, Ellis Williams

Location
Wheely Down Road (off A32),
Warnford,
SO32 3LG

How to get there
A32 from the south: take the first left turn as you enter the village.

A32 from the north: after passing the George & Falcon pub, take the second turning on the right.

The entrance to the ground is on the left about 300 yards from the junction.

From M3/A33 at Winchester, take the A31 and then the A272 towards Petersfield. Go up and over Cheesefoot Head and take the next right hand turn, signed to Preshaw and Warnford. Follow this road straight for about 5 miles, at the end of which you will descend a long hill into Warnford. The entrance to the ground is on the right after passing D J Scott (Garden Machinery). If you reach the junction with the A32, you have gone about 300 yards too far.

https://club.hampshirehogs.org.uk/find-contact-us