š Ā Drizzle and a blustery wind greeted the SMB League XI as they travelled to Hunts Farm near Romsey for unusually the second time this season. Different opponents this week in the form of Langley Manor IIIās but the Bourne side were keen to make amends from their only defeat of the season so far at the hands of Knights Valley on the same ground a month earlier.
Asked to bat on a hard-green track, the SMB batting lineup was in tatters at 30-5 all the top order batsman contributing to their own downfall. Although at times batting still looked tricky, Stoke Swingers Rob King (73) & Steve Wood (32) batted with great concentration to see us past 140 without losing another wicket. A quickfire (14*) from returning student Ed Allinson saw SMB to 162-7 from their allotted overs.
Finding himself opening the bowling Steve Wood (1-26) quickly got rid of one opener, wickets seemed hard to come by on a pitch that offered little to the bowling side. Langley Manor 100-2 after 29 overs. In desperate search of a wicket the Skip tossed the ball to Jamie Coombs (2-21) a little nervous, his first league game back from injury. However, JC instantly hit his straps, the well set no.4 bat holing out to Woody at mid-on. No.5 came and went the next ball, clean bowled. SMB back in the hunt. Langley still favorites with wickets in hand, a caught and bowled from Kinger (2-42) gave SMB hope coming down to the final over with 9 required for the win. Boundary riders were swapped over and Alex Aldridge promptly took a catch at cow corner. Third time lucky as the batsman had been dropped twice in the same over by Ed. Some tight bowling and good fielding set the script. 4 required off the last ball for the win, a top edge over the keeper had the batsmen scampering 2, needing to come back for 3 for the tie, Swifty removed the bails, the batsman well short of the ground to give SMB the win by 1 run!
How it happened we do not know but thatās 6 wins from 7 now!
š JC won the āMan of the Match 50Pā for his double breakthrough over! š Gorgeous George Cotterell the captainās vegetable for a whole host of reasons that I am sure we will encounter again before the season is through.
#cricketĀ #getthegameonĀ #hantsclĀ #smbccĀ #langleymanorĀ #anotherwin #victoryfromthejawsofdefeat #nevershouldhavewon
5 Down at drinks, A period of drifting play ensued as the South Wilts batsman found rotating the strike and running singles to 10 men SMB easy. The reintroduction of Martin Clay (2-18) got rid of the well set opener who had batted well for his 60, opening an end up for the new Caretaker, Jack White as Woody was away to come on and mop up the tail. His best league figures (4-11) as he dibbled and dobbled bamboozling the young tail end batsmen.
Chasing 158 to win Chalky, confidence levels high after his wickets, blasted his way to a quickfire (21) before playing all around a straight one. No. 3 came and went quickly, the pitch misbehaving every now and then keeping the opposition bowlers very excited and extremely vocal. Veterans Rob King (49*) and Phil Fish (56*) batted with patience and great application to see SMB home with 8 wickets to spare. Putting on an unbeaten 100 run partnership, shutting up the rather annoying fielder that chirped inane rubbish pretty much every ball.
Phil Fish won the āMan of the Matchā award for his highest league score, Kinger got the vegetable for pretty dodgy running and missing out on a 50 by turning down a single.
#cricket #getthegameon #hantscl #smbcc #southwilts #anotherwin
