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C R I N G L E F O R D L O D G E A
1 8 J U L Y 2 0 0 9 |
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Written by John Burbridge
East Harling 67 - 0 beat Cringleford Lodge A 64 - 7 by 10 wickets. Lucas Fettes Norfolk League Division Three.
Saturday had an early call 8.30 am from the groundsman to say that some local idiot, not quite Barry's words, had pulled out one of the stakes from the covers so that the bottom end was very wet, had to go out and help him pull the covers off to let the wind get to the wicket, this task achieved I then went back home for a quick coffee before picking up Lucy (One of John's daughters, for those not in the know. GS) from Eccles Hall school where she is working on a Summer Camp, dropped her off, then back to the wicket quick brush and cut, then back home. Now as Lucy had to be back by 4, I made one of my better decisions, not to go to cricket until I'd taken her back to Eccles. Just got out of the bath when I received a text from Julie our scorer, at drinks P Bear had figures of 12 -8 -7 -1 Cringleford 21 - 3. My day had been far more exciting than anything else that follows below - yawn.
Having unexpectedly won the toss Barry Wells asked Cringleford to bat, on a wicket that was hard and dry at one end, but because of the overnight problem with the covers, quite damp at the other. This appeared to play on the minds of openers T Aspen and A Gregory as it took them until the fifth over to put a run on the board, 4 balls later Gregory was caught by Adam Howe off Andrew Macrow for 0.
There then followed a particularly tense period of cricket as Macrow and Michael Pill tied the batsmen down so well that when Stuart Ayton had number 3 H Aspen caught behind for 1 in his first over, the score had reached 7 from 14 overs, boundaries in the 19th and 20th over brought swift retribution from Ayton as Shearer was bowled for 8, 19 -3 from 20 overs.
Over the next 13 overs the scoring rate was increased to over 1 an over, progressing to 37 but at the cost of 4 wickets, all taken by Stuart Hilton, two more catches to wicketkeeper Wells and two lbws, his 8 over spell costing just 9 runs including 3 wides. At the fall of the seventh wicket opener Aspen had accumulated 15 from 33 overs, he was then joined by veteran Roy Clarke in a stand of 27 the highest of the innings, eventually finishing with 32 not out having batted through the entire 45 overs, he had a lucky escape on 18 in the 41st over when Rob Free stepped over the boundary as he completed the catch off David Fowler whose figures reflect the plan to get Aspen caught in the deep square leg area , where 3 men were stationed within 10 yards of each other.
Michael Pill was also brought back to get his usual bunny or two but unfortunately failed. Final score 64 -7.
Bowling: A Macrow 12 -8 -7 -1, M Pill 10 -5 -8 -0, S Ayton 12 -1 -22 -2, S Hilton 8 -4 -9 -4, D Fowler 3 -0 -15 -0.
Tea was a welcome relief after the fare served up during the afternoon.
Rob Free and new opening partner Ross Pickerill took just 17 overs to complete their task Free finishing on 46 not out and Pickerill with a more sedate 14 not out, to complete a 10 wicket victory, which leaves Harling top of Division 3.
Man of the match Stuart Hilton.
The battle for leading wicket taker is hotting up, S Hilton 23, M Pill and A Macrow 21 and S Ayton 20. As for runs Rob Free is way out in front with 487, Kevin Seymour with 206 the only other batsmen above 200. |
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