Cricket In Croydon - Surrey vs. Hampshire At Whitgift School.

The teams emerge from the pavilion under uncertain skies.

As the football season is now pretty much over at all levels this blog will become a mix of flash back matches and cricket matches. My first cricket game of the season took me to the Whitgift School in Croydon for Surrey's CB40 game against Hampshire. The home side had won all four of their previous matches in this tournament while Hampshire had only won one of their opening matches. In the championship match that finished the previous day, over 1,400 runs had been scored and so it promised to be a high scoring encounter.

The opening over.

Highly rated Stephen Davis never really got going and was bowled for just 8, but his opening partner Hamiliton-Brown piled on the runs, knocking the ball around and coasting to his fifty. They then had a mini slump and lost two wickets for 20 runs but then de Bruyn and Maynard steadied the ship and got the home side back on track. De Bryun just fell short of his half century while Maynard made 79 before being trapped lbw by Dominic Cork. Arafat and Schofield both scored quick fire thirties to help their side post an impressive 311 runs.

A big crowd for the game at Whitgift School.

With the run rate being all most at eight an over it is important that Hampshire score at a decent rate. They manage to do this for the first ten overs but they then begin to fall behind and they also begin to lose wickets at regular intervals. The first wicket being a fantastic diving catch from Roy. In the middle overs, Hampshire really start to struggle to score runs and with them scoring only six an over for long periods they fall well behind and only one result looks likely. Opener Howell scores an impressive century but is offered little support from his team mates and they are bowled out for 275, 36 runs short.

The some time perilous grass bank which houses most of the crowd.

I feared the worst when I was walking to the ground and a storm hit and there is no cover at the ground. Fortunately the rain held off for the entire game. I walked from the Wellesley Road tram stop in the town centre but the closest station is South Croydon. There are lots of pubs in the town centre and on Brighton Road. There is a small bar at the ground it's self. As this was a CB40 game you were able to take in four cans from outside.

Scene through the trees.

This was my very first attempt at writting a report of a cricket game! A more professional report can be found on the ECB website.

A very English scene.