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Ashling vs Hants V Volunteers 18th May 2008 Ashling win by 55 runs Sleep 65; Sleep 3-2 The first match of the season saw Ashling off to winning ways with Matt Sleep doing well with both bat and ball in a game which was dominated by the brilliant captaincy of Steve Harvey, who had previously chosen not to show up other captains by being captain. He began the afternoon by shrewdly calling "heads" when "tails" would have been a disastrous mistake. Ashling could now bat on what looked to be a smooth track. Having superbly organised the batting order he watched Sleep and Cranna get off to a steady start, including the sight of Sleep hitting the fifth ball of the season for six, before Cranna (2) was caught by sub fielder Charlie Colley, 10-year old son of Ashling wicketkeeper Paul Colley. Nic Loubser made a handy 15 before playing around a straight ball. He stunned the crowd by meekly retiring to the pavilion without ANY TANTRUM AT ALL! Anger management clearly a priority during the winter. Only debutant Josh Young with a stylish 10 bothered the scorers much, and Sleep's 65 was more than half of Ashling's total. Harvey was the last man out with a plucky and stylish 0. Harvey nominated Craig Mason and Maxwell Gunning to open the bowling, and both bowled tidily conceding only 13 runs in ten overs, Mason picking up the wicket of opener Easlick. Josh Young took two wickets in successive balls after a timely bowling change from captain Harvey with new boy Glen Barton bowling well and restricting the batsmen. Hants Volunteers started putting together an assault on the target with a fine innings from Essex supported by A. Woodhouse. This was the point at which Harvey's previously brilliant captaincy moved into genius, when he took himself off having conceded 12 runs in two overs to bring on Sleep (0.5-0-2-3) and Loubser (1-0-4-2.) Ashling finally won at something of a canter to get the season off to a good start with eveyone agreeing that Ashling had never seen captaincy like it. Report by Steve Harvey (winning captain) |