Change of venue for the 4s this week as we hosted Hartley Wintney at LWC while the 5s hosted Chertsey at LS. Many hands on deck required for the teas across both games, with Ed & Matt joined by Seb & Sheff from the 5s in a true team effort. Matt was clearly keen to hedge his bets for this week, turning up in his Hartley Wintney shorts!

The skipper lost the toss and we were batting, with Matt and Aidy re-forming our very successful opening pair. Both started positively, with some excellent running and nice drives, scoring 28 from the first five overs. Matt (13) however got bowled missing a slower ball, 31-1 from 6.1.

Ed Hellings joined Aidy, having not played for a few weeks, and took a bit of time to remember how to use his bat. Aidy however kept the scoreboard ticking over with some strike rotation and clever targeting of the short boundary.

Ed soon got himself in, depositing a short ball to the longer deep midwicket boundary, as we reached 48-1 from 10. This became 109-1 from 20 at drinks, as the pair managed to find the boundary at least once an over, and Aidy bringing up his half-century with a pair of boundaries against the leg spinner.

There was no let-up after drinks either as Aidy and Ed scored fifty from the next five overs, including a couple of sixes which threatened the existence of the supporters sat under the big tree.

Ed passed fifty soon after, like Aidy with a pair of fours off the leggie, as Ed continued to combine some firm drives down the ground with ruthless dispatching of anything short.

Aidy now had reached the nervous 90s, and knew he had thanks to the electronic scoreboard and the chat of the enthusiastic keeper behind the stumps. After a few nervous moments that had teammates and supporters nervously and afraid to move, Aidy dispatched the ball to the boundary to complete a superb century.

Aidy retired himself to give his teammates a bat, and we were well placed at 207-1 from 33. James Blackwell joined Ed in the middle, James clearly keen to make up for lost time, scoring three boundaries in his first five balls.

Ed continued the score, but this was all about James who was absolutely brutal. A pair of sixes threatened the car park and the local trees as the pair took 19 from the 36th over.

Ed scored a six of his own as he dispatched another to deep midwicket, but was bowled next ball for a brilliant run-a-ball 92, 263-2 from 37. Charlie Green now joined James and was eager to contribute with a pair of boundaries of his own.

Final ball and James on 47 with Charlie (12*) ensuring he'd got back on strike for the final ball. The Hartley Captain sportingly brought the field up, not that it made a difference as James (53* from 23) put another six into the car park, to bring up his first senior half-century, the 4s finishing 291-2 from 40.

Time for tea, though we'd forgotten plates so a rather social gather round the tables from both teams which ended up being quite fun. Huge thanks to those involved in making the teas and to Lottie Blackwell who contributed with an extra cake!

Lenice and Luca opened the bowling and both found their nagging lines, giving little away. The pressure told with an early runout, James throwing in from deep midwicket, the batter a little unlucky with his bat getting stuck before the line, 20-1.

Number 3 played a few shots, and looked very dangerous, particularly enjoying hitting our openers off their lines through the legside. He hit Luca for three fours in an over, before skying one up off the final ball. The skipper made a meal of it running in from backward point, but held onto the catch, 51-2 from 8.

That brought the oppo skipper to the crease who, after kicking his first few balls, started to play his shots. Our openers were replaced by Charlie Terry and Charlie Thomas as we looked to wrestle back some control of the run rate.

After a wayward start, CT squared settled down nicely, as 72-2 from 12 became 89-2 from 17, as we managed to cut off the boundaries. This scoreboard pressure told, with CT Jnr trapping the oppo skipper in front, before CT Snr bowled the impressive young opening bat.

With Hartley Wintney 93-4 at drinks, our CT's stayed on and continue to build the scoreboard pressure, aided by excellent fielding throughout the team. CT Snr (2-20) then picked up a second wicket, thanks to the safe hands of Netty who had yet another excellent game behind the stumps, then CT Jnr (2-33) took a very smart caught and bowled, to leave Hartley struggling 101-6.

As CT x2 both finished their spells, the skipper turned to Charlie Green and James, resuming their partnership from earlier, as we looked to finish things off. Charlie Green started beautifully with five dots before finding the stumps with a ball that was just far top good for the batter,111-7. James also started well, and wasn't joined the wickets sook after, finding the stumps with a ball that seemed to rag a long way, 120-8.

HW weren't done yet however, and started to fight back. Charlie (1-23) and James (1-9) were replaced by Lenice and Luca as we looked to finish things off. Both bowled a fantastic line outside off-stump, to a cordon of two slips and a gully, but Luca found that hitting the stumps was the best approach, removing the dangerous number 8 for 33.

Numbers 10 and 11 threatened to battle, and Lenice (0-36) was once again very unfortunate to go wicketless. In the end Luca (3-38) finished things off, once again finding the stumps, as HW were bowled out for 161, to give us a maximum points win.

Superb team performance, Aidy, Ed and James setting a mammoth total, before a clinical team performance in the field. Huge thanks to all those involved in teas, Claire for a heroic job washing up, Charlie Terry for staying behind after the game to repaint the lines, and to the many number of people who came to support us on Saturday. All very much appreciated..

Player of the match: Aidy Green, superb ton

Muppet of the week: Netty Warnakulasuriya, for turning the wrong way to signal four early in the innings while umpiring. Somehow Netty turned to face the other clubhouse in the distance!