Although the ground is between Hartley Wintney and Basingstoke no one can remember playing or visiting Hook before. Also with the fine sunny weather it was the earliest match of the season many can recall.

Batting first against the hosts Southern Premier League side Hook, Finches saw the score to 96 before opener Harry Stephens was caught. Most of the runs had come from Tommie Predgen who hit a fluent 65 including two sixes before falling at 100. When returning back to Finches Dan Marles fell at 117 it was three down.

But useful middle order batting by Ben Salter 38 and Eddie Campion 35 saw the score to 221 before they were both dismissed. At the crease with them was Joe Sheldon who built his innings to a good score of 63 before retiring near the end of the innings. With then a hard hit 27 from Paul Stephens Finches saw the score to 306 – 7 in their 45 overs.
Hook started well against the seam of Lewis Sharp and Sam Smith putting on 57 in eleven overs before both were dismissed. Then wickets fell steadily as Finches used seam and the two left arm spinners Eddie Campion and Abdul Iqbal. Hook slumped to 119 – 6 with each spinner taking a wicket with their first ball !

There were then useful strokes by Will Gardner, Jim Murrell and Lee Watts to see the Hook score to 190 leaving Finches winners by 116 runs. For Finches Abdul Iqbal bowled very well to return 3 – 20 in six overs and there were two apiece for Lewis Sharp and Paul Stephens.
So a very useful work out for Finches at the agreeable good ground and facilities at Hook & Newnham Cricket Club.

Saturday 19 April and the second warm up match this time a scheduled 50 overs each at Camberley Cricket Club. Finches saw five changes to their side from the previous week. Finches again batted first in sunny conditions at the fine Camberley ground.
But it was to be severe problems from the start. Very fast bowling from Dan Walker saw Matt Eldridge bowled the fourth ball of the match. Worse followed as Dan Marles gloved another very pacey delivery from Walker to the keeper. Then it was 12 – 3 in five overs as Zac Leonard was caught at slip.

By the seventh over it was 21 – 4 with Harry Stephens run out after a mix up. The match could well be regarded as effectively over as Jed Crerar was bowled in the ninth over to see Finches in disarray at 32 – 5. Dan Walker had taken all four wickets to fall to a bowler then finishing with 4 – 17. There was some recovery as Tommie Predgen and Eddie Campion saw the score to 71 before Tommie was bowled for 33 by spinner Mo Bashir.

At 74 it was this time Paul Stephens also run out with a similar mix up to his brother’s earlier. With spinner Ed Green then taking 2 – 5 in three overs and Bashir finishing the innings with 2 – 8 in his five overs Finches were disappointingly dismissed for just 90 in 27 overs.

No problems for Camberley to gain the runs. They opened the batting with all rounder Dan Walker and Tom Hutchinson. The pair put on 66 before Hutchinson was LBW in the nineteenth over to fifth change Paul Stephens for 34. But Walker finished the match with a six to be 37 not out in a 91 – 1 win in 26 overs.