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Storm settles cup encounter
THE annual contest for the Supa Seal Cup between neighbouring villages Braybrooke and Arthingworth resulted in a low-scoring but keenly-fought encounter.
Batting first, Braybrooke were restricted to just 93 for 7 in 40 overs due to some tight bowling and good fielding from the visitors.
Skipper Chris Tyrrell top scored with just 21 and Jake Underwood contributed a useful 17. The wickets were shared between Charles Handy (2 for 14), John Church (1 for 12), Andy Riches (2 for 5) and Pete Axon (2 for 6).
With few runs to play with, the Braybrooke bowlers needed to be very tight and Mick Ward duly obliged with an excellent spell (8, 4, 5, 1). Credit also went to Will Johnson, picking up two wickets including the dangerous Charles Handy, clean bowled for 22. Fellow opener Nigel Crosby was caught in the deep by Dave Marks for just 9 runs.
After 17 overs, with Arthingworth at 50 for 3, the heavens opened and a long period of heavy rain resulted in captains James Handy and Chris Tyrrell shaking hands on the draw.
Langtons first team suffered a hiccup in their Everards Leicestershire County League division two promotion campaign when they were beaten by four wickets at Loughborough Town 2nds.
The toss would be vital on a surprisingly damp pitch that offered bounce off a length. Stand-in captain Andy Phillips lost it and the home side had no hesitation in bowling.
Langtons were in immediate trouble, losing Mayur Rao (0) in the third over. Worse was to follow in the seventh when Jamie Marchant (1) nicked behind, the very next ball Nick Jelley had to retire hurt having been hit in the jaw and Prem Prajapati (0) was caught at slip first ball, leaving Langtons 16 for 3, effectively for four. Fran Finnemore and Charlie Standley realised repair work was needed and they batted resolutely for 25 overs, putting on 65 until Standley holed out for 29 trying to up the run-rate.
Phillips (2) went soon afterwards bringing Julian McAlpine to the crease and he added impetus with an 18-ball 27 before he too was caught. The lower order of Arun Nair (5), Lee Linnett (2) and Joe Woodford (2 not out) hung around with Finnemore, who finished unbeaten on 76, allowing Langtons to post a modest 157 for 9.
Linnett bowled Loughborough’s opener in his first over but the third wicket pair scored steadily, adding 50 until Nair (11-1-28-2) removed both in consecutive overs. Woodford (6-1-22-1) made a further breakthrough before drinks, leaving the home side 82 for 4 and the result in the balance.
However the wicket had flattened, allowing the batsmen to hit out with confidence. Despite further wickets from Linnett (10.3-0-46-2) and Prajapati (5-1-14-1) some chancy shots allowed Loughborough to reach their target in the 40th over.
A shocking 44 extras offered up by Langtons, compared to the hosts’ eight, was the eventual difference between the sides.
In division five, Langtons 2nd Xl made a meal of a seemingly-routine run chase against bottom side Cropston. Having chosen to bowl first, skipper Neil Loake (7-1-23-3) had the visitors in immediate trouble. A counter-attack by the middle order was halted by the introduction of spinner Lee Wilson, who returned exceptional figures of 7-0-25-6. Unusually, the opposition’s No 11 was the prized wicket – he happened to be Leicestershire-based Commonwealth super-bantamweight boxing champion Rendall ‘the binman’ Munroe. On being bowled off his gloves by Nick Howells, he exclaimed: “Careful, these hands are insured for 50 grand!”
In reply to Cropston’s 141, only Jamie Kendall (27) and James Stephenson (29) got going in the top order and Langtons slumped to 102 for 8. However hard-hitting Howells struck 46, including four sixes, and when he fell with one required, young Luke Bishop kept a cool head to hit the winning run for a one-wicket victory.
The Sunday first team’s quest for maximum points at Rutland League division five bottom markers Market Overton was ruined by the weather.
Batting first with rain forecast, Langtons were able to declare with maximum batting points on 201 for 8 from only 31 of their scheduled 45 overs. Run-a-ball scores of 58 from skipper Jamie Kendall and 74 from Graham Scott did the damage.
Following one rain break, the hosts slumped to 86 for 7 when the heavens opened and play was abandoned. Wickets fell to Calum Drummond (3-1-13-1), Matt Pollard (6-2-14-2), James Stephenson (6-0-39-3) and Lee Wilson (0.2-0-0-1).
Bowden 1st team travelled to Rushden to play the host club’s 2nds in a game where they needed to secure points to edge further up the league table.
Stand-in skipper Sam Freer won the toss and elected to bowl. Good early pressure was applied by Jack Ferguson and Ed Ingram, restricting the flow of runs coming off the bat, however Bowden lacked discipline and gifted Rushden 40 extras, which would prove to become costly with the home side reaching 185 all out. Rob Gomez bowled tight lines for 3 for 39, and Ferguson did likewise for 3 for 38.
Bowden’s top order batted at a steady pace, Mick Brammer (24), rebuilding every time a wicket fell. A mid-order stand of 61 between Chris Knowles (72) and Rob Gomez (24) enabled a strong hope of a tight finish, however the wickets steadily fell down the bottom order and Bowden had to defend the final overs, the only of the which was a cameo by Ed Ingram, who struck an unbeaten 20 as the visitors ended on 174 for 8.
Bowden are at home this week, hoping for a more controlled display against Old Northamptonians 3rd XI.
Leicester Phoenix visited Harborough South on Sunday, when home skipper Andy Gibson won the toss and invited the opposition to bat.
Phoenix’s ambition was soon clear as they attempted to hit the cover off the ball at every opportunity. The scoring remained rapid throughout the innings but wickets fell regularly, with Dan Hall, claiming four, and Graham Cowie, two, the most successful of the South bowlers. The innings finished on 192 for 9.
In reply, South initially struggled against some high quality bowling but Paul Burrows (34 not out) and Andy Gibson were just getting the measure of the Phoenix attack when the rain arrived and put a permanent dampener on proceedings.
A week of promise for the young Medbourne under-13s started well but ended in disappointment.
They started opened the week away against Countesthorpe and, although missing four key players on duty with the district squad, they scored an easy victory.
Countesthorpe batted first and Sam Noble (1 for 22) took an early wicket and was well supported by Joe Bell, Harry Clarke (4 overs for 8 runs) and Harry Lovell (3 overs for 9 runs), which restricted the hosts to 95 for 2 off their 20 overs.
In reply, Medbourne made an excellent start with openers Jake Noble and Fin Clarke (both 25 retired) performing well. Despite the loss of a couple of wickets the momentum was continued by Harry Lovell (25 not out) and Henry Sedgewick, who ensured Medbourne reached their target in the 15th over.
At the weekend, as county champions, the Medbourne youngsters were up against Ratcliffe-on-Trent in the first round of the national cup and this proved a much tougher prospect.
Put in to bat on a wicket with the ball swinging and seaming, Medbourne were reduced to 8 for 3 after four overs. They were never able to recover, with only Toby Williams (17) reaching double figures as they were all out in the 20th over for 56.
In reply, Ratcliffe were gifted runs despite some tight bowling from Williams, with the second over going for 24 – including 11 wides.
An excellent contribution from Khalique (32 not out, retired) and Fish and Marshall saw Ratcliffe home in the only the seventh over.
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Weather for Market Harborough
Thursday 17 May 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: 7 C to 12 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: South east
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 9 C to 13 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North east
