TONY WOODHOUSE TROPHY

SWAY vs HYTHE SUN 2nd XI

Sunday 14th June

Matt Young Top Scored With 34

Good work in the field can’t hide woeful batting display as Hythe lose opening TW game

A young Green caps side travelled to Sway for the first fixture of the TW trophy in hope of finally reclaiming the silverware but an abject batting performance left the team with lots of work to do in the next game.

Hythe travelled to Sway with just three senior players; Sean Tongs, Steve Chiverton and captain Russell Moore. Unfortunately, Moore lost the toss and the Green caps were inserted to bat. Opening for Hythe were Harry Smith and Jonjo Stovell who began watchfully and took the score to 21 before Smith was caught at square-leg.

However, this proved to be the start of a collapse as soon after Stovell, Sam Mead and Todd Powell all departed cheaply to leave Hythe on 24-4. This brought Matt Young and Sean Tongs together at the crease to hopefully provide the runs the Green caps desperately needed. A small partnership between the pair was then ended when Tongs was bowled with the score on 40 then another collapse saw Hythe stumble to 50-7 as Tom Richards and Zac Millar both departed.

With a respectable total a long way off it was left to captain Russell Moore to join Young at the crease in order to stabilise the rocking Hythe boat. The pair put on Hythe’s best partnership of 40 before Moore was dismissed with the score now 90-8. Tom Huxley then came in and played two aggressive shots for four but was dismissed next ball and before Steve Chiverton could face a ball Matt Young was finally caught for a good 34 as Hythe finished on 107.

There were still six overs before tea to be bowled so Hythe returned to the field attempting to defend the low total. Opening for Hythe were Russell Moore and Tom Richards and the pair started brightly bowling four maidens in the first six overs. The breakthrough was made in that period when Sean Tongs ran out the batsman off Richards bowling and then next over Moore cleaned up the new bat with a yorker. That left Sway on 6-2 at the tea break.

Hythe continued to bowl well after the break as Richards was rewarded for some accurate bowling with a return catch to take the hosts to 10-3. The openers were then replaced by Jonjo Stovell and Harry Smith and it was Smith who took a wicket first ball, caught by Stovell that kept Hythe in the game. Soon after, Smith picked up another when Moore took a simple catch at cover and all of a sudden Sway were struggling on 24-5.

Every Hythe player was making up for their poor batting with fine bowling and in tandem with Tom Huxley, Zac Millar picked up a couple of crucial wickets, the first caught by Stovell and the second a scuttler that bowled Sway’s captain. At 61-7 the Green caps had pulled themselves right back into the game.

Unfortunately the next wicket proved elusive as Marshall (23*) and D Steadman (18*) took Sway over the total despite efforts from Todd Powell, Sean Tongs, Steve Chiverton and the returning Moore and Smith.

In the end Hythe showed what they are capable of but with only one player showing the application the pitch required and the total 30 runs short of a par score the better team won in the end meaning Hythe will have to bounce back next time and show a shot selection more suited to 40 over cricket.

Innings of : HYTHE 107 All Out (29.1 Overs)

Sway Bowling : (D.Steadman 3-16, M.Bramwell 2-16, F.Charton 2-3, D.Marshall 2-1)

Innings of : SWAY 108 For 7 (34.3 Overs)

( D.Marshall 23*, D.Steadman 18*, W.Baughen 17)

Hythe Bowling

Catches : J.Stovell 2, T.Richards 1, R.Moore 1, S.Tongs 1r/o