21st July 2012 - Match Reports. |
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Barnards Green CC 4ths vs. Ross on Wye 2nds |
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With The Green having played only three
matches and Ross just two prior to this encounter both sides were likely to
be a little rusty but everyone was happy to just be playing cricket thanks
to the heroic efforts of the ground staff and members who got the game on.
The wicket was slow and the outfield damp and, upon winning the toss, Robert
Lewis understandably chose to field. Thoughts amongst the senior players on
both sides were that 150 would be a good target to set. It probably would
have been and should have been achievable. The visitors however contrived to
immediately pass the initiative to The Green as Flittor and Casstles ran
themselves out needlessly and somewhat inexplicably, taking on the arm of
first Jimmy Scullion and then Maximilian Middlebrook. Bowling from one end
Samuel Spencer, replacing his ubiquitous can of coke with a shiny new
cricket ball, was unplayable and claimed four wickets for twenty runs. At
the other Zachary Marsh struggled at first with the slope but stuck doggedly
to his task to account for opener Element and finish with creditable figures
of one for fifteen. When Marsh was rested due to age restrictions the
rapidly ageing Dafydd Price teamed up with Spencer and the experienced pair
combined to see off the Ross batsmen for an overall total of 49 runs, wides
top-scoring with 11. In difficult conditions there was some excellent
fielding, not least from the aged David Sutton, leaping like a With tea still somewhere up North End Lane the teams changed ends and an unfamiliar opening pairing of Scullion and Middlebrook strode to the wicket having, well, lots of overs in which to get 50 for victory. The usually accurate and reliable Nick Tregaskes showed his lack of match practice and started with a 19 run and several ball over to set The Green well on their way. He was quickly replaced but even though Josh Element and Marcus Ballinger bowled eight much more controlled overs they were unable to break the opening partnership and The Green ran out winners by ten wickets in the ninth over. Scullion (32) shamelessly milked the strike ably supported by the younger but far more stylish MIddlebrook. Right on cue tea arrived and the usual
twenty-minute gobble turned into an hour-long picnic in the Newland
sunshine. |
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