1st Team - Hartshead Moor (A) - 21st April 2007

Esholt traveled to Hartshead moor in a repeat of the last fixture of last season, looking to avenge a heavy defeat. Esholt fielded there strongest possible team including the four new winter additions Ben Platt , Shahid Khan and the new again faces of Robin Hill and Phil Carter .

Having lost the toss and been asked to bat, Esholt lost influential skipper Richard Whitehurst (Wiggy) in the first over. Phil Carter (PC) was joined at the wicket by Basil King. They slowly but surely and luckily in King's case built an impressive 2 nd wicket partnership. At the halfway stage, they had put on 102 and Esholt were beginning to think of a big final total. With the score on 138 the partnership ended, PC out for a well-put together 54. Ben Platt joined King and the score continued to move along nicely. Just as they were starting to accelerate Ben tried one pull too many and was out to a diving catch by the keeper. King was joined by old man Bashir next. Bashir quickly found the middle of his bat and set about a tiring bowling attack, King on the other hand was showing signs of fatigue. With three overs left, an exhausted King attempted one shot too many and left with an impressive 149 to his name. Old man Bashir was joined at the crease by the young Shahid Khan. The pair batted to the end of the innings turning the score round with ease, Bashir finished unbeaten on 33 and Shahid 15. Esholts final total was 287-4.

Hartshead's reply got off to a terrible start losing a wicket second ball of their innings. They never recovered from a poor start and at one stage were 24 for 4. The chief destroyer being Ben Lister (Badge) who's well controlled inswing was causing the Hartshead's top order all sorts of trouble. An opening spell of 4 -26 all but ended the game as a contest. Noddy Hanif and Robin Hill both bowled tidy spells Noddy 2-22 in 12 overs and Robin 1-29. The debutant Shaz was left to finish off the hapless Hartshead tail and set about his task with gusto. Bowling at a lively pace and with good control he ripped the last three wickets out including the last two off two balls and will start next week on a hat-trick . Shahid completed an impressive debut with figure of 4 -1-4-3. Hartshead finished 88 all out.

In addition, a word of praise must go to Aidy Taylor who kept excellently behind the sticks and will be glad of the hard graft he put in during the off-season.