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First league game
Steve Risby16 May - 18:34
Both sides lose
Match Report – Ware Second XI vs Bengeo at Widford, 9th May 2026
We all arrived at a sunny and unusually mild Widford ready for an exciting day of cricket ahead of us. The first game of the season always brings nerves and excitement in equal measure and, as we inspected the pitch, we were delighted to see what a fabulous job Julian had done. The ground looked splendid, and the wicket itself was exceptionally well prepared.
Once the usual housekeeping duties had been completed, it was time for a pleasant meet and greet with the opposition, who arrived in similarly high spirits. Both captains made their way to the middle for the customary inspection and discussion, followed by the toss, which fell in favour of the Bengeo captain, who promptly elected to bowl.
The match began on time, and the discernible air of excitement soon settled into a purposeful mood. Opening the batting were Parker and Unwin, who were met with some tidy bowling from two young opening bowlers who certainly knew their lines and lengths. After a decent start, the opening partnership was broken by a fabulous catch at gully to dismiss Unwin for just two runs.
This heralded the arrival of Dom Compton to the crease and, together with Parker, the pair dug in superbly to construct a wonderful partnership. During their time together at the crease, they added 126 runs in 25 overs, which was both pleasing to watch and reassuring for the team. As we entered the 30th over, it became clear that acceleration was required, and both Dom and Tom responded with purpose and intent. Unfortunately, the fielding side maintained disciplined lines and lengths while continuing to field to a high standard. This eventually led to the wicket of Dom Compton, who was caught after an excellent innings of 65, bringing Matt Norman to the crease.
Matt’s first shot was a flamboyant boundary, confidently dispatched for four, but unfortunately the promising start was short-lived, as he was bowled a few deliveries later. Andy then arrived at the crease looking purposeful but was undone by a rare delivery that kept low and brushed the toe end of the bat before carrying through to the wicketkeeper. To loud appeals, the sportsman tucked his bat under his arm and began the walk back to the pavilion, greeted by approving nods and comments from the fielding side.
This brought Steve Risby to the crease, who settled in well alongside Tom, and together they formed another valuable partnership. After Risby lost his wicket, Sam Green arrived and supported Tom admirably until Tom unfortunately played on in the 39th over, bringing an excellent innings of 76 to an end.
Alex Smith then arrived for his cameo appearance and immediately began finding the middle of the bat with confidence. Supported by Sam and Barney, Alex batted brilliantly and added a valuable 15 runs in the final over. At the close of the innings, Ware Second XI had reached 184 for 7 from their 40 overs.
It felt like a very competitive total and certainly gave us something to defend. The early partnership between Tom and Dom was undoubtedly the foundation of the innings, and both players deserve great credit for their hard-working and accomplished performances.
After tea, the fielding side made their way to the middle with optimism and confidence, believing they had a strong chance of winning the game. Tails were up and spirits were high.
Opening the bowling were Alex and Risby, who immediately kept things tight. After an early run-out appeal was turned down by what appeared to be a distracted square-leg umpire, the fielding side quickly regained composure and continued with the task at hand. Risby bowled exceptionally well and was rewarded in the fourth over with a superb LBW decision. He continued impressively, picking up another wicket, while Alex supported him well with some excellent lines and growing rhythm.
Alex claimed the next wicket in the 11th over, with a catch safely chesting its way into the hands of Unwin. At that stage, the game felt firmly in our grasp, and when Steve Risby claimed the fourth wicket in the 12th over to leave Bengeo 45 for 4, confidence around the field was understandably high.
Alas, it was not to be. Bengeo’s fifth-wicket partnership proved too strong for the limited bowling resources available to us on the day. Once Alex and Risby had completed their allotted overs, it was over to Unwin and Don. The Bengeo pair added 79 runs for the fifth wicket with some impressive stroke play, before the stand was eventually broken by a fabulous catch from Dom Compton at cover off the bowling of Unwin.
By that stage, however, Bengeo were ahead of the required rate with wickets in hand. Despite valiant efforts from both bowlers and fielders, the Bengeo batsmen continued to progress steadily and eventually reached the winning total in the 33rd over.
Bengeo finished on 186 for 5, securing victory with a degree of comfort. On reflection, it was evident that we were slightly light in the bowling department, but nevertheless everybody acquitted themselves well and contributed positively throughout the afternoon.
There are plenty of positives to take from the game, not least the outstanding partnership between Tom and Dom, the disciplined opening spells from Alex and Risby, and the excellent attitude shown throughout the side. There is every reason to head into next week’s away fixture at Hertford with confidence and optimism. Could all players please ensure that their availability is updated promptly so that selection and planning can be managed smoothly ahead of the weekend.
We all arrived at a sunny and unusually mild Widford ready for an exciting day of cricket ahead of us. The first game of the season always brings nerves and excitement in equal measure and, as we inspected the pitch, we were delighted to see what a fabulous job Julian had done. The ground looked splendid, and the wicket itself was exceptionally well prepared.
Once the usual housekeeping duties had been completed, it was time for a pleasant meet and greet with the opposition, who arrived in similarly high spirits. Both captains made their way to the middle for the customary inspection and discussion, followed by the toss, which fell in favour of the Bengeo captain, who promptly elected to bowl.
The match began on time, and the discernible air of excitement soon settled into a purposeful mood. Opening the batting were Parker and Unwin, who were met with some tidy bowling from two young opening bowlers who certainly knew their lines and lengths. After a decent start, the opening partnership was broken by a fabulous catch at gully to dismiss Unwin for just two runs.
This heralded the arrival of Dom Compton to the crease and, together with Parker, the pair dug in superbly to construct a wonderful partnership. During their time together at the crease, they added 126 runs in 25 overs, which was both pleasing to watch and reassuring for the team. As we entered the 30th over, it became clear that acceleration was required, and both Dom and Tom responded with purpose and intent. Unfortunately, the fielding side maintained disciplined lines and lengths while continuing to field to a high standard. This eventually led to the wicket of Dom Compton, who was caught after an excellent innings of 65, bringing Matt Norman to the crease.
Matt’s first shot was a flamboyant boundary, confidently dispatched for four, but unfortunately the promising start was short-lived, as he was bowled a few deliveries later. Andy then arrived at the crease looking purposeful but was undone by a rare delivery that kept low and brushed the toe end of the bat before carrying through to the wicketkeeper. To loud appeals, the sportsman tucked his bat under his arm and began the walk back to the pavilion, greeted by approving nods and comments from the fielding side.
This brought Steve Risby to the crease, who settled in well alongside Tom, and together they formed another valuable partnership. After Risby lost his wicket, Sam Green arrived and supported Tom admirably until Tom unfortunately played on in the 39th over, bringing an excellent innings of 76 to an end.
Alex Smith then arrived for his cameo appearance and immediately began finding the middle of the bat with confidence. Supported by Sam and Barney, Alex batted brilliantly and added a valuable 15 runs in the final over. At the close of the innings, Ware Second XI had reached 184 for 7 from their 40 overs.
It felt like a very competitive total and certainly gave us something to defend. The early partnership between Tom and Dom was undoubtedly the foundation of the innings, and both players deserve great credit for their hard-working and accomplished performances.
After tea, the fielding side made their way to the middle with optimism and confidence, believing they had a strong chance of winning the game. Tails were up and spirits were high.
Opening the bowling were Alex and Risby, who immediately kept things tight. After an early run-out appeal was turned down by what appeared to be a distracted square-leg umpire, the fielding side quickly regained composure and continued with the task at hand. Risby bowled exceptionally well and was rewarded in the fourth over with a superb LBW decision. He continued impressively, picking up another wicket, while Alex supported him well with some excellent lines and growing rhythm.
Alex claimed the next wicket in the 11th over, with a catch safely chesting its way into the hands of Unwin. At that stage, the game felt firmly in our grasp, and when Steve Risby claimed the fourth wicket in the 12th over to leave Bengeo 45 for 4, confidence around the field was understandably high.
Alas, it was not to be. Bengeo’s fifth-wicket partnership proved too strong for the limited bowling resources available to us on the day. Once Alex and Risby had completed their allotted overs, it was over to Unwin and Don. The Bengeo pair added 79 runs for the fifth wicket with some impressive stroke play, before the stand was eventually broken by a fabulous catch from Dom Compton at cover off the bowling of Unwin.
By that stage, however, Bengeo were ahead of the required rate with wickets in hand. Despite valiant efforts from both bowlers and fielders, the Bengeo batsmen continued to progress steadily and eventually reached the winning total in the 33rd over.
Bengeo finished on 186 for 5, securing victory with a degree of comfort. On reflection, it was evident that we were slightly light in the bowling department, but nevertheless everybody acquitted themselves well and contributed positively throughout the afternoon.
There are plenty of positives to take from the game, not least the outstanding partnership between Tom and Dom, the disciplined opening spells from Alex and Risby, and the excellent attitude shown throughout the side. There is every reason to head into next week’s away fixture at Hertford with confidence and optimism. Could all players please ensure that their availability is updated promptly so that selection and planning can be managed smoothly ahead of the weekend.
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