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Under 11s getting closer

With their first season drawing to a close Wherwell Under 11s travelled to Sparsholt for what turned into a very competitive match. Both teams were of similar experience and this made for a tight contest.

Wherwell lost the toss & batted first scored 69 (of which 59 were extras!) in our 20 overs, Jacob Williams had the highest score with 5. It was thought that another 10 would have given them a run for their money. Indecision with running prevented those runs from being taken and this will be a focus for the future.

Sparsholt reached their target for the loss of 7 wickets with 3 overs remaining. Wherwells bowling & fielding was excellent giving away fewer extras. James Hams took 3 & Camilla Dodson took 2 wickets plus 1 for the captain Nick Baughen 1 off an excellent catch from Ben Connor. They certainly seemed to be up for this match & it was a closely faught contest! That first win is just around the corner.

Wherwell Under 11s take another step

The visit of Trojans B gave Wherwell an opportunity to compete against a team of similar experience. Having won the toss Wherwell elected to bat first. They faced some very good bowling from a pair of experienced openers and only Ben Connor was able to score runs regularly. As bowlers and batsmen rotated each 4 overs it was clear that Wherwell were making advances as 6 of the 10 batsmen scored runs but regular wickets kept the score pegged back.

In reply the Trojans Batsmen ran well early on and runs came despite some good fielding. Anthony Linnecar took his regular wicket with his first ball and a fine Jacob Williams Catch proved to be a big home highlight however Trojans showed greater experience as they ran out clear winners on the day. Wherwell can reflect though on a improved Bowling performance and just now need to score a few more runs to be competitive.

Wherwell Juniors showing spirit

With a full team available Wherwell Under 11s entertained St Cross U11C. Having lost the toss Wherwell were invited to field. James Hams and Ben Connor opened the bowling and showed good control with Connor in particular taking 2 wickets for 6 runs from his opening spell. Runs were slowly coming through extras as the bowlers were rotated but all told it was a much improved performance with the ball backed up with some great fielding. Anthony Linnecar got his first wicket with a good catch taken by Camilla Dodson behind the stumps, with penalties removed and extras added St Cross totalled 104 from their 20 overs.

In reply Connor and Hams struggled initially to time the ball but soon runs were being found with both batsmen finding the boundary. Again the rotation of players in this pairs format made for some interesting moments, Nick Baughen and Dodson running well was a highlight and boundaries for Harri Coggins and Mason Tyler-Smith helped the score along. But the penalties for dismissal always meant Wherwell were slightly behind the run rate and ended up the day 18 runs short of what would have been their first victory.

Wherwell Under 11 play first home game

Not to be outdone by their younger team mates Wherwell under 11 took on Ropley in their first home game. Playing 11 a-side for the first time at home Wherwell chose to bat and found themselves up against a well trained team that showed what practice can achieve.

The innings started well as Ben Connor took a run from the first ball but ended with Nick Baughen getting a fine edge to the keeper. Ben batted with confidence against some very good bowling and scored 10 before being well caught by Ben Kelson off his own bowling. The remaining batters all showed commitment without much reward as the Ropley bowlers tightened their lines and went for the wickets. James Hams survived 6 tough overs to retire but a 4 wicket maiden including a hat-trick from Ben Hardy effectively killed the match and lead to a rear guard performance from the lower order, they survived well for 6 overs but eventually patient bowling prevailed and Wherwell were 26 all out.

In reply James Hams and Nick Baughen started well with the ball but again the more experienced Ropley batters waited and punished the bad balls. The victory was sealed in the 7th over but the game continued to the full 20 so that all players could get a full involvement game. This allowed for some consolation as Ben Connor followed his batting display with a wicket and figure of 3 over 1 for 13. The big plus point was the effort and team spirit applied in the field, this forms a base for the best teams and with experience the results will come.

30 years on Wherwell juniors re-appear

On a cloudy day at the Botley Recreation ground something special happened when Nick Baughen walked out and won the toss. This was the first time in 30 years that Wherwell have fielded a junior team and testament to the effort put in over the last 2 years.

On the field the Wherwell side, missing a few due to an extended Rugby/Football season, was bolstered by Fair Oak B reserve players who were keen to make an impression. Nick Baughen was partnered by Sam Counsell (Fair Oak) as an opener and both looked solid as they played well scoring 29 in 8 overs before compulsory retirement, Jacob Williams and James Hams again batted well, James became the first Wherwell player to hit a boundary. Solid showing with the bat also came from Camilla Dodson, Ned Piggot-Rowles, Mason Tyler-Smith and Harri Coggins.

A good deal of extras saw Wherwell close their innings on 53 for 4 from 20 overs.

After a short Break Mitchell Shilling (Fair Oak) made an immediate break through with his 3rd ball, the more seasoned Fair Oak batsmen looked comfortable until James Hams got a ball to take the Glove to present Camilla with a catch behind the stumps. Akshay Robert (Fair Oak) took his opportunity to bowl at his club mates and promptly sent 2 back in successive overs. Unfortunately though extras again were proving the leading run scorer and despite the good bowling Fair Oak were looking comfortable. Nick Baughen brought himself on and in similar fashion to James presented Camilla with her second catch, this started a jitter in the batsmen and the following over saw 2 of them sent back both run out by the sharp fielding of Hams. It was unfortunately too much to ask of this new team though and the following over saw Fair Oak B home by 3 wickets.

This though was seen as a great first team performance and things look good for the future.