What a fantastic Sunday morning of cricket. The Henley Under 13s put on a brilliant team performance at Shiplake College, overcoming some tricky conditions to secure a superb 59-run victory against a tough Wargrave side. Every single player stepped up to make a vital contribution to an amazing team win, showing immense positive energy in the field and fantastic team spirit throughout.

Losing the toss and being put in to bat, Henley knew they had a job on their hands. The pitch proved to be a real test, proving a bit two-paced with some variable bounce that made timing the ball harder than on a good pitch. To add to the challenge, despite being freshly cut on Friday, the outfield was thick and lush, meaning only the absolute cleanest, best-timed shots had any hope of reaching the boundary. Henley dug deep to post a highly competitive 123 for 4 off their 20 overs. Matthew Bollinghaus led the way with a stunning, standout performance with the bat. Matthew anchored the innings beautifully before smashing a glorious six to retire out on an excellent 34. Alongside him, Wilf Oseman provided the style and entertainment of the day, finishing on a fantastic 25 not out. Wilf unleashed an audacious reverse ramp shot during his innings that drew plenty of oohs and ahhs from the delighted spectators on the boundary.

When it came time to defend the total, Henley hit the ground running. Harry Ellison and Fynn Ellison set the standard perfectly up top, delivering excellent bowling to open the innings. Harry and Fynn bowled beautiful, tight lines and lengths, leaving the opposition completely pinned down, and this disciplined approach was backed up flawlessly by the other bowlers who kept things incredibly tight. As part of this brilliant, all-round disciplined bowling performance, Alastair Taylor played a major role by coming on with some superb attacking leg spin, picking up three fantastic wickets to keep the pressure firmly on Wargrave.

Behind the stumps, Matthew carried his unbelievable batting form straight into his wicketkeeping duties. He was absolutely lethal, executing two sharp stumpings, but his absolute highlight of the match was a breathtaking catch down the leg side. Having anticipated the shot perfectly, Matthew had to adjust to a deflection mid-air, changing direction with amazing reflexes to pouch the ball safely. The relentless pressure from the whole squad in the field proved too much for the visitors, as Wargrave were bowled out for 64 in the 14th over.

It was a brilliant, cohesive performance from the entire team, showing great maturity to read the conditions and play for each other. Phenomenal job, team!