Result: Lost by 5 wickets

Report: A delayed start at the Nevill with some poor weather the day before and a short sharp shower around 11.30am meant that we got going around 12.22. After losing the toss the Stragglers were inserted, with a damp pitch and cloud cover to assist the bowlers this was not going to be an easy task.

The Stragglers found scoring tricky early on, a combination of tricky conditions and good bowling limiting the scoring rate. That being said many got starts with a  classy looking 33 from Fred Cross at the top of the order. Inexplicably in the final over before lunch James Allsop decided to attempt his first ‘two’ of the season, shockingly failing to make his ground and continuing to run all the way to the pavilion just in time for the curry. After the interval the Stragglers continued to dig deep and a good half century from Steve McGiffin helped us to our total of 203-4 declared. On a tricky wicket this was certainly something to defend.

The Bluemantles came out intent on batting positively and got the innings started at a strong rate. Callum Lindsay got the deserved breakthrough and continued to test the batsmen bowling very well all day. We struggled a little to settle in on a good length and too many balls that were just a fraction short disappeared to the boundary early on which took the pressure off the Bluemantles. Leo & Dhiraj bowled in tandem and did a great job of drying up the runs and between them they picked up 4 wickets which started to turn the tide of the game giving the Stragglers a sniff that there could be a collapse on the way that would have taken us to an unlikely victory. Some aggressive batting from one of the new arrivals took the momentum back and the Bluemantles ran out winners by 5 wickets in the end.

It was a very enjoyable game as always, played in good spirit and at one of the best grounds on our circuit.

Team Batting First: Stragglers of Asia

 

  Batsman How Out Bowler Score
1 Suckling M c and b Ogden T 11
2 Cross F c Aitkenhead b Hobden C 33
3 Allsop J run out (MacDonald A)   33
4 McGiffin C+ c Springett E b Townley 52
5 Lituri J NOT OUT 28
6 Bearn S NOT OUT 9
7 Brown C* DID NOT BAT
8 Nelson-Jones L      
9 Sprake A      
10 Patel D      
11

 

Lindsay C      
      Extras: 37 TOTAL: 203 for 4 dec

 

Bowler Overs Maidens Runs Wickets
 Ogden T 7 0 22 1
Francis J 5 1 22 0
Edwards 8 0 25 0
Hobden C 9 0 36 1
MacDonald A 3 0 24 0
Townley 5 0 28 1
Springett E 5 0 27 0

 

Team Batting Second: Bluemantles

  Batsman How Out Bowler Score
1 Francis J c Suckling M b Lindsay C 12
2 Edwards c Suckling M b Nelson-Jones L 77
3 MacDonald A st McGiffin C b Nelson-Jones L 56
4 Yates-Brown X lbw b Nelson-Jones L 0
5 Springett E st McGiffin C b Patel D 7
6 Hobden C NOT OUT 24
7 Aitkenhead+ NOT OUT 19
8 Ogden T      
9 Townley      
10 Marriott Toby*      
11 Marriott Tim      
      Extras: 11 TOTAL: 206 for 5

 

Bowler Overs Maidens Runs Wickets
Lindsay 9 0 41 1
Sprake 3 0 27 0
Bearn 1 0 10 3
Nelson-Jones 8.3 1 59 3
Lituri 3 0 28 0
D Patel 7 0 39 1

 

Umpires: I Fraser & M Shaw
Scorer(s): D Gittings