Saturday saw WCC travel to Crown Taverner's Cricket Club (CTCC) looking to complete the double having convincingly beaten their hosts in the home fixture earlier in the season.

If you have never been to CTCC, it is hard to describe the ground. The square, pavilion and the irregular boundary lie at contradictory angles making spectating confusing and captaincy challenging. Equally challenging for our skipper was his task of winning the toss. He didn't (#youonlyhadonejob).

WCC were put in to bat and so, after a rain delay, Jack and Ollie (fresh back from altitude training in Cyprus) strode out to bat. Some persistent bowling saw the pair build the opening partnership steadily before, with the score at 39, Ollie edged and was caught in the slips. Zain and Jack then built the score nicely and were approaching a century partnership when Zain offered up a catch that was taken.

This bought the Mid-Week Skipper to the crease - Reece Hoare. All wrists and languid running, Reece kept Jack company with their partnership adding over 50 runs. So, the question remains...was Reece's dismissal a) ill-fortune, b) a tragically slow ball that "didn't bounce", or c) tactical genius? Either way, it bought Sam Dancer to the middle.

Sam was, quite clearly, in a destructive mood. His crucial innings is recorded as follows. Dot, 4, 4, 6, Dot, 6, 2 (boring), bowled. 22 runs from 8 balls. Crucially, it accelerated the run rate and built the total to a figure that was to become crucial. Skipper MD then thought on his feet (the CCTV will actually show he was sat down at the time) and sent in hard hitting Dan Pearson over the head of form-lacking Jono Irby. Dan plundered a few boundaries before offering a return catch to the bowler.

Youth trumped experience so the crowd (including the wedding guests in the Beer Garden) saw the Moose stride out ahead of Jono and join Jack in the middle. Sky Walker stood next to Han Solo. He listened to the sage words of "defend the good ball and smack the rest" and followed the brief before missing a straight ball. Finally, with a bat that is costing nearly £100-a-run this season...Jono was there. He knew his task, get Jack on strike. Jack finished with a wonderful 119 from 125 balls with a tree-top six being one of his most memorable shots.

Final score 252 for 6. It felt like par but was it enough?

Opening the bowling, Sam struck with a wonderful ball in the first over for a wicket maiden. Ollie kept the pressure with pace and accuracy. It was not until the 4th over that a run was scored. First change saw Team SA step up with Zain and Dan playing the role of good cop and bad cop (you decide). Before Zain was replaced with MmmBop Bull.

Running in with hair flowing like a 1980's shampoo advert, WCC's very own Hanson tribute act (millennials look it up on YouTube) revealed two key facts. Firstly, and genuinely, that the youth system at WCC is yielding real talent. Secondly, his medium pace swing, causes real problems. Ego got the better of the batter who, frustrated at playing and missing when facing "a kid", top edged with a great high ball catch by Jack.

Dan remained a real threat. Snarling and spitting (but to be fair his accent does make him hard to understand), his Mark Wood style tumbles after delivery adding real drama to his bowling. His first wicket a reward for pace and accuracy. Could WCC keep the pressure? Who to turn to? You may well have heard of "Raging Bull"...but have you ever heard of "Raging Moose". Now you have.

Unlucky to have a catch dropped Benji worked hard to apply pressure with the errant front-foot no-ball proving his challenge. But with Zain back in the attack, the blend of speed and spin slowed things down and saw Zain capture a wicket. Sharp captaincy siezed the moment and saw Sam and Ollie step back for a quick spell to apply pressure with Sam getting a well-deserved wicket whilst Ollie remained parsimonious.

But CTCC still had a set batsman with Delaney at the crease alongside their barnacle like opener. So, what was the plan? Sharp fielding meant a runout was always a threat and so it was...finally their opener fell to some sharp fielding giving the umpire no choice but lift the finger. The other part of the plan was to be dynamic in the field, adjusting from single saving to a boundary protecting field according the batter and the phase in the over.

The run rate was starting to creep up but with the boundary looking like a doodle on primary school art wall, a few big hits were always going to change the momentum. But Rees and Dan stuck at it. Consuming overs, snagging victims and meaning that Ollie and Sam returned with a total to defend and not too many wickets.

By now, the enthusiastic local gallery had swelled and, well refreshed, were giving "encouragement" to the game of cricket. Would the tail wag? Well, it tried to and whilst a couple of drops in the field added to the excitement it was two wickets in two balls (Ollie and Sam) that clinched it. The final wicket being a catch taken with the crowd offering 'mid-air' advice to the Moose. He chose to ignore it and snaffled it.

Genuinely an exciting match. Some proactive feeding and a base that was admirably set by Jack making a magnificent ton. Some youth players, some sharp bowling, some lively fielding and a determination to come away with the W! Onwards!