Welcome to this week’s Wizzy News. Another fantastic week of cricket with two maiden centuries in the same game. On Sunday we welcomed the Sussex Disability X1 featuring one ‘Josh Dixon’ to the hallowed turf. Lots of great pics this week with some top class match reports with one very special pargaraph in bold to ensure that it isnt missed.
Memorial Sunday
On Sunday we have our annual Memorial match. Whilst not wanting to sound too much like Steve ‘El Presidente’ Calder Smith – it’s an important moment to remember all those who came before us and gave so much to the club, WG Sports Association and the village as a whole.
When I was growing up the Memorial match was played for the honour of lifting the Eddie Spooner trophy and often involved a cricket match in which the WG cricket team took on WG football team. A lively match, usually ending with a number of injuries and many drunkenly contested decisions.
This year very much fits with tradition but sadly also takes on a new personal meaning. It will be the first of what I hope to be many great games of cricket to remember some very special people both to me and many others playing and watching. The inaugural Ken Vickery X1 vs Malcolm Spiers X1 should be great fun, whilst helping to raise money for MacMillan and provide a great tribute to those we remember.
It would be an absolute pleasure to see as many people as possible come and support the club and help raise some money for a great cause.
The general running order for the day is as follows :
- Players Meet – 12-12.30
- Start – 1.30 sharp
- Vickery & Spiersy Family Tea (players first then guests) – approx 3.45
- Finish – approx 6.30
- BBQ – from 6.30 ish Booze raffle – 7ish (please do bring a bottle of something for the booze raffle!)
Please click here for the teamsheets for the game.
Dan Vickery
Benches on the green
Surrounding the green are over 30 benches, many of which have plaques with names of the people who were closely associated with the village and the club for many years. Many names may be familiar – some less so. Pictured below are two of the plaques.
Please click here for more background information of some of the people who will be fondly remembered on Sunday.
Friday night training
Just a quick reminder that the under 10 and above age groups will be having their informal training sessions at their usual times on Friday evening.
Honours Boards
It’s not often that we have Wisborough Green players featuring on the Sussex Honours Board – even more special that we have two players on the board from the same game. Congratulations to Matt Watts and Jonny farmer for their splendid maiden centuries on Saturday.
Congratulations to all players who made it onto the Club’s Honours Board this week
First X1 vs Crawley First X1
Wisborough Green welcomed Crawley First X1 to the hallowed turf. After an overnight shower the visitors won the toss and bizarrely decided to bat.
The ball was hooping and seaming from the start. Will Dixon made the early breakthrough, drawing the leading edge which was comfortably taken by Matt Ritchie.
After missing the outside edge, on a number of occasions, Jnr finally found the edge that went straight Jimma at slip, who took a good catch. Jnr would take a further 2 wickets bowling both, one flicking the top of off stump.
Boundaries were rare with the odd extra and the total was creeping along.
Matt Ritchie followed with some tight bowling and a wicket. Dave Griffiths, then picked up his first 1stXI wicket, a rare Mattock head nod after striking the pad and another catch at slip, this time from Dan Vickery.
The last few batters stuck in for a short period but Jimma was able to take a couple wickets before Will Dixon ended the innings on 99 when he took his 2nd.
In reply, it was a slow and steady start; the outfield was as slow as the running between the wickets. Jimma was out early for 4. Dan Vickery was able to put away a couple of bad balls before he succumbed.
Will Dixon played very sensibly and was able to stick around against a dangerous spinning attack in turning conditions.
As in the first innings the run rate was slow, although never an issue with the overs remaining, the innings started to become bogged down.
The wickets of Ran and Jnr put the result in some doubt with the Green 4 down and only just over half way. Two quick boundaries from Tom Dawson injected momentum but he too departed too soon. Fortunately Matt Ritchie took over from where Tom had left off, smashing the spinners with ease including an impressive shot over long on for 6.
Not long after, Matt and Will took Wisborough 1st team over the winning line for just the team’s 2nd win of the season. Will finishing with an important 27 and Matt a crucial 17.
A much deserved victory, celebrated wildly with a a bottle of Cava sprayed from the balcony by the club captain, Rocketman Dan
Please click here for the full scorecard
James Rainford
Second X1 vs Pagham
The Seconds were facing Pagham 3’s, but had the joys of playing at the picturesque second ground at Arundel CC (Tommy Collbran’s favorite ground in the world!)
Farmer won the toss, and with only 9 men at the ground decided to bat first on a slightly wet wicket.
It was Tim Palmer and Matt Watts who strode to the middle, and with the new ball popping off a length they had to be vigilant for the first few overs, with Tim punishing anything too short and wide. He was kindly dropped early, and the score rattled to 73 before he eventually fell. Watts was in the mood to punish anything short, pulling with conviction. Enter the Chairman- and sadly 3 balls later exit the Chairman who could only guide one to Gully.
Farmer strode out at number 4, and with the aim of keeping out the straight ones and rotating the strike to Watts who was seeing it like a melon, the two started to kick on. Watts brought up his 50 in quite a strange manner as he middled one straight at mid on who did his best impression of David Seaman and parried it to the boundary. 50 for Watts.
Watts continued to smoke anything short, while Farmer targeted the short straight boundaries. The Pagham spinner had a day to forget, with his 3 overs going for 49 runs. He just couldn’t pitch the ball up, and Watts in particular took a liking to one of his overs hitting him for 3 consecutive 6’s. Watts then went into overdrive and it felt like everything was flying off the middle of his bat, and his friend for the day, dropped him for a second time. Shortly after he brought up his maiden ton – a fine innings of pure brutality.
Farmer slowed up, but after the drinks break and the score on around 220, decided it was time to kick on, with a burst of boundaries and luckily for him a free hit was given on 97, which was dispatched for 4. And there it was – a chanceless ton in all its glory ….
The focus was still to put as many runs on the board and get the 2’s into a winning position. What felt like only a few balls and Wattsy had brought up his 150, but sadly fell to a slower bouncer that fell onto the stumps. With the score on 292, it was a 219 run partnership which stands at the highest in the league, and second in WGCC’s play cricket history, but first in regards to home grown and not ex-pro status…
Tommy arrived, 3 pints in and with pure excitement on his face – first ball POW, 6 runs back over the bowlers head. Second ball, same shot, different result – a large inside edge and the keeper took a good catch with the ball deviating down the leg side. Tommy stood for a second, before walking. Peter K, apparently didn’t hear a thing, maybe the Walkie Talkie signal was interfering.
Dexter then joined a tiring Farmer, and they managed to push the score to a very nice score 328-5 within the 40 overs.
Tea was taken, and the highlight was that Joshy had finished his first tea by 2pm, but managed to convince Tim at the break that he hadn’t eaten, and smashed seconds which Tim had kindly donated, well played Joshy, well played.
The team were fully tanked up, and Frank was handed the first over, but couldn’t quite bring his prowess from last week, as Pagham knew they had to come out firing and took it to Tanky. Dexter’s first ball was a beauty, swinging late and catching the edge, but Farmer at slip let down the bowler, and shelled it. Frank finally bowled a straight one with the score on 27, and the batsmen took an almighty swing and missed.
Pagham continued to push the score along with one batsman having to leave the ground before 6 ,under his wife’s orders, he rattled 54 off 33 and with the score on 102/1 off around 11 overs Pagham were well on track before Dexter got his just rewards and Matt Watts took a fine crocodile grab on the boundary.
Time for Klein, as Farmer wanted to bowl Dexter his 7th, and Peter confirmed he was allowed to do so. It was Paghams Captain who had to let PK know that he had stopped his 15 year olds from doing just that. He wanted the handbook/scrapbook/league website, the walkie talkie was flashing – it was all going on. To speed things up Farmer removed him from the attack.
It was time for what the crowd had paid for – the spin Twins of Joshy and Jack Sizzey Carter (JSC) . Joshy’s mind was very much on the big Sunday game, but Captain Farmer had to switch his attention to the now, and after a few uncharacteristic looseners, it was Joshy who bowled a lovely straight one, and the batsmen could only guide it to Tarnie in at short cover. Bowled Dixon, caught Dixon. Lovely stuff.
Joshy followed up with another wicket, as the chap who had dropped Wattsy twice could only find JSC in the exact position he had shelled two, and JSC made no mistakes and gobbled it up. Jack then got into the act as Farmer finally held onto one on the boundary. 162/5 and the green were in control. With Monty and Dave Mc fielding like troopers, it was again a full team effort.
The next 10 overs however belonged to Paghams number 5 Brad Law as he smashed the ball to all parts, Jack kept chipping away and ended with 3 wickets. It was Farmer who turned to Wattsy, who had got his energy back, and with his first ball (slightly wide) the in-form Law slapped one down the throat of JSC who grabbed the catch and game (Law departed for 88). Pagham only scoring 20 more runs and Wis winning by 46 runs.
A much needed win for the Green. Farmer and Watts laying down the platform and both scoring tons.
Just remember all cricketers – do not let the haters hate and the doubters doubt. GOATS will be GOATS.
Please click here for the full scorecard
Jonny Farmer
Spotted in the outfield during the game
Sunday Supplements X1 vs Sussex Disability X1
On Sunday 20th August, The Sunday Supplements hosted a Sussex Disability XI on The Green. The visitors were a quality outfit, who boasted a certain Josh Dixon in their ranks. This was bound to provide fierce rivalry, especially as Josh’s brothers Jack and Will were spearheading the Wisborough attack.
We didn’t toss a coin. Sussex asked to field first and we obliged. This was a blessing as a number of our team were still on route from the Under 16 game in Chichester. Jack Dixon and Hugo March opened the batting. The bowling was tight and runs were hard to come by. The outfield was slow especially in the far corners.
Hugo and Jack carefully built a partnership of 65, taking advantage of the short boundaries and running hard between the wickets. Hugo eventually fell for 19, to a sharp catch at midwicket. Chris Marshall followed soon after, skying a leading edge to mid on which should have gone to fine leg. Harry Hunter (12) and Tom Dawson (17), played themselves in before each being bowled. Mick Holland hit a fine boundary before he too was unearthed by a straight one.
Will Dixon (fresh from an U16 50 in the morning), came back down to earth with a duck. Ran Dawson got a single before Raff Finn came to the crease and restored some stability alongside Jack. Raff played a very measured innings, allowing Jack to crash the ball around from the other end. A century looked within Jack’s grasp until some running confusion with Raff meant they were both stranded in the middle. The ball was thrown to Jack’s end and he departed for a very fine 85. Matt Richie quickly followed with another run out, meaning Tim March found himself at the crease for the final few balls – his first innings for at least 15 years. Tim looked the part, and played some beautiful air shots – almost but not quite connecting with the ball. He remained not out alongside Raff on an unbeaten 25. Wisborough posted a competitive 171 in their 35 overs.
Tea was a splendid affair provided by Trish Dixon. A plethora of sandwiches and rolls, cakes, fruit and pastries was finished off with the most English of nibbles – scones with clotted cream, jam and a strawberry. Everybody was delighted with this proper English Tea.
Will Dixon and Hugo March opened the bowling and took early wickets. There is something very satisfying about seeing one of the smart branded Wisborough stumps being unearthed from the ground (unless of course you are batting). 7 of the 10 wickets taken by the Supplements were bowled. Sussex number 5 Owen Piper came to the wicket with his side in some trouble. He needn’t have worried. Chris Marshall came on to bowl and Piper launched his first 4 balls to the boundary. A shell shocked Marshall was tempted to take himself off mid over, but stuck at it and next over turned one sharply. Piper swung as he had before but knicked it into an outstretched glove at the end of keeper Jack Dixon’s arm.
Matt Ritchie and Harry Hunter bowled well and picked up a couple of wickets each, including a fine caught and bowled by Harry. Enter the main event – batsman Josh Dixon.
Anybody who has ever shared a cricket field with Joshy knows that his constantly cheerful demeanour, lifts the spirits of the whole team. There is no player more positive or popular at the club than Josh, and when he takes a wicket his smile lights up the whole Green. However this was serious stuff – he was batting. Steely eyed, he strode to the crease to face his friends and family. Time to bring on the remaining Dixon brothers, one from each end. With Tarni umpiring at square leg, and Trish revelling in the success of her tea, this was a Dixon family affair. Will and Jack pulled out all the stops but Josh was in no mood to give his wicket away to a sibling. The moment of the day was when Josh drove Will through mid off. I’m not saying she has a favourite son, but Trish’s was the loudest cheer of all.
The result of the game was ambiguous. We agreed to play the full 35 overs each, even if the target was met. Sussex certainly surpassed the 171 runs, although with a few batmen batting twice, Wisborough took 10 wickets. The winner was of course cricket, and a thoroughly enjoyable day, quality cricket from both sides, and Josh scoring more runs than Will meant that this was a game to remember. Thanks to all involved and we look forward to the repeat fixture next year.
Please click here for the full scorecard
Chris Marshall
Many thanks to Chris Marshall, Chris Bryant and Tim March for the fabulous pics
Under 16 Festival
Excitement was in the air on the way to the U16s Champions League T20 Semi-Final vs Chichester Priory at the Priory ground on Sunday 20th August for a 9:30am start. Wiz won the toss and elected to field – an early rain shower delayed the start by 15 mins.
The Chichester opening pair strode out confidently. Our opening bowlers Will Dixon and Matt Ritchie bowled well however the batsmen played into the gaps, running quickly between the wickets, putting pressure on the field and sending anything loose to the boundary. The scoreboard continued to tick over with the change of bowling (Will Reed, Ran Dawson, Kit Witheridge, Raff Finn, Dexter McCullen and Harry Hunter). What ensued was a batting masterclass with both openers getting to their half-centuries by the 11th Over. The No. 2 then pulled the ball from Ran’s bowling towards Matt who took an excellent catch near the boundary. The No. 3 came to the crease and continued the pace allowing the exceptionally talented No. 1 to dominate the strike. The final 9 overs were an explosive batting display with the No. 1 (Freddie Gillett) reaching a century and ending on an extraordinary 128 not out off 71 balls and the No. 3 also getting a half century. Chichester ended on a remarkable 240 runs off 20 overs.
WGCC were disheartened in the changing room during the break after a difficult session in the field. It was agreed within the team that we had to be positive and go for it. The opening pair Ran Dawson and Will Dixon did just that and had an outstanding start hitting the bowling all over the ground and causing some nervousness in the field. WGCC were 105 off 10 overs and ahead of Chichester at the same point in the game with Will having just scored a half century and we were in the game. With a change of bowling unfortunately Will was trapped LBW trying to put the ball into a gap on the on-side and Ran then soon reached his half century and ended up with 55 before being bowled. Thereafter the bowling continued to be tight and we quickly got behind the run rate and continued to lose wickets. William Reed was caught out for 13 going for his shots whilst his brother Joe stayed to the end with 13 not out. We finished with 156 for 7 from our 20. A valiant effort against an exceptional Chichester team. By the way the population of Chichester is about 23,700 and the population of Wisborough Green is about 890.
Our U16 team has had an exceptional year winning their local league and end up as at least the 4th best U16 team in Sussex. Many congratulations to you all you should be very proud of what you have achieved this season.
Please click here for the full scorecard
Tarni Dixon
End of Season Dinner
Our End of Season dinner and awards will be held at the Sir Roger Tichborne Country Pub in Alfold on Friday 15th September. Tickets are limited so please book early. The awards evening is as always a great way to finish off the season . Please see details below
Upcoming Fixtures this week
- Our First X1 are at home to Three Bridges at 12:30 on Saturday and our Second X1 are away to Chippingdale at 1pm. Please click here for this weekend’s teamsheet
- The Vickery X1 will be taking on the Spiers X1 in the annual Memorial game from 1:30 pm on Sunday
Spotted out and about
That’s it for this week.
Have a great cricketing week 🏏😊
Cheers
Wizzy
