No sweat for Stortford on humid evening

Our game at Broxbourne earlier in the season was played on the coldest, and, until tonight, wettest evening of the year, and we bowled like a shower. This evening's warm, humid conditions proved much more to our bowlers' liking as we blew Broxbourne's strong batting line up away.

Sam Gardner started the game by producing an unplayable ball to shatter Ross McGreevy's stumps, and Chris Millns proved the perfect foil by dismissing the dangerous Harrison Winter for 1. With their openers back in the hutch, the visitors retrenched and Beech and Hanley took the score on before Beech retired for a well made 31.

The introduction into the attack of Ben Warman changed the game, as in tandem with Alec Chappell the Broxbourne middle order was blown away. With some help from Joe Hawkins behind the stumps, who carried out two stumpings, Ben took 4-12 with a brilliant spell of off-spin, and Alec weighed in with 2-8 in 3 pacy overs. Our visitors subsided to 79 all out; a substandard score in good batting conditions.

In reply, Alec got the scoreboard moving with some nicely timed boundaries before lofting a catch to square leg off a long hop to fall for 17. Adam Bassingthwaighte eased into his innings before unfurling some of his trademark cover drives, and in no time we were 50-1 and cruising. Joe Hawkins joined Adam and the pair took the score to 74-1 before Adam drilled a shot into square leg's midriff to be dismissed for 24, the first time has got out in accumulating nearly 150 runs for the club. Joe Burslem struck the winning run and we ran out easy 8 wicket winners.

We may not win our Herts division but we proved tonight we can beat good sides convincingly.