Sunday 30th July and off to Checkley in Staffordshire, not far from Uttoxeter, where the home side were playing a Minor Counties championship match for the first time against visitors Hertfordshire.
We were just in time to squeeze into the car park in an adjoining field, as a good crowd had gathered well in advance of the start. A very tidy ground, with a modern pavilion and the weather stayed fine, despite a bit of a breeze from which we could shelter under the hedge at one end. Quite a few 'ground hoppers' in attendance including the inevitable 'Blackpool Ken' complete with Queen of the South plastic bag. This brought attention from another Scottish football follower who seemed to have been everywhere.
However, back to the cricket and Staffordshire won the toss and batted against strong looking Hertfordshire, whose opening bat Steve Gale had been in particularly good form this season.
The home side introduced a new opening batsman Ryan Hassett from the Porthill Park club and he proceeded to produce the performance of the day with a debut century against a varied attack, with three spinners bowling the bulk of the overs.
The Staffordshire club had produced an excellent scorecard and match programme with endless information and statistics concerning the club. Captain Kadeer Ali, who has been around the county circuit and is the brother of Moeen, who was to achieve a match winning hat trick for England the following day, was the first man out. He was caught behind for 16 and Hassett was joined by Brierley who helped take the score to 86 before he was unfortunately run out for 29.
Wilshaw and Maxfield, two of Staffordshire's most prolific scorers in recent years, were out cheaply and despite a good run rate wickets seemed to be falling at regular intervals despite the confident Hassett taking charge. Things did not look so good when Hassett was given out lbw to off spinner Southgate immediately after going to his century and the score became 199-6. However tailenders Richardson and Coates made valuable contributions at the end to take the all out total to 280 just after a rain break and the tea interval. Left arm spinner Ben Waring, who has played for Essex seconds, took 2-70 but the best figures went to former MCC Young Cricketer Jamie Southgate who had 34.5-10-87-5 after demolishing the tail.
Between the rain showers Herfordshire started their innings after tea with opener Steve Gale soon looking in good form. He continued this after our departure on the second day with his fifth century of the season in Minor Counties cricket making 127 out of an all out total of 328. So a first innings lead of 48 for the visitors. The home side got off to a cracking start at four per over and the openers Kadeer Ali and Hassett put on 121 in quick time. Hassett was out for 40 but Ali continued in fine form to make 102 and with the tail making quick runs Staffordshire declared on 334-9 leaving the visitors to make 286 to win on the last day.
Sadly for them they lost both openers cheaply and Staffordshire never looked back with some fine bowling from spinner Byrne who took 5-35 leading them to a convincing victory with just fifteen minutes remaining and just before the rain poured down. Hertfordshire were very disappointing after their first innings efforts and were all out for 129. Staffordshire won by 157 runs.
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