Hambledon won the toss and put Hook in to bat on a sunny day, and it looked a costly decision as Hook raced out the blocks to 40-0. However, the introduction of overseas superstar and politics enthusiast Nono Pongolo saw the removal of Thane to a superb catch by Lee Carroll. In a bold move Ian Turner brought himself on inside the fielding restrictions, calling upon all of his experience and running through the middle order in an inspired spell of bowling. Hook rallied through the middle overs however the reintroduction of Turner and Pongolo at the death saw off the tail, Ian finishing with 5-5 off his 10.
Hambledon got off to a positive start chasing 173 however lost 4 quick wickets, leaving them at 40-4. James Marshall came to the crease and started putting Hooks bowlers everywhere. Putting on the first century stand of the season with Zanzima, he finally fell for 57, with the Nono rounding off an impressive debut with a not out fifty, as Hambledon chased the runs 5 down.
TEA WATCH! There was much mourning from around the southern league when Sue Turner retired after last season after decades of service. New signing Tara Turner made a massive statement with the tea today, as Hambledon looked to stay top of the tea league for another season. With labelled sandwiches and a good mixture of sweet and savoury, this was a strong start. Score: 8.5/10