07/06/2011
Rovers 192/9, Betley 3//32, Savage 2/24, Farish 2/44
Saints A 112/8, Tapp 34, Good 28

Saints A lost by 80 runs.

A pleasant evening at Port Soif saw Saints take on league leaders Rovers. Asked to bat first, Rovers started in imitable fashion, with the first ball going for 4, and very little respite for the next 4 overs, by which time they had reached 80 without loss. Spenny and Fezzle struggled with a strong cross-pitch Port Soif breeze giving Goodie a real workout behind the stumps. Wickets came as a miserly Ishy and Scrappy pegged them back, and although they continued to hit freely, the run rate slowed up considerably. DJ2 had a rough introduction to Div 1 cricket after tweaking his shoulder after a couple. Everyone chipped in with wickets, Fezzle a couple, Scrappy a couple and new sign youngster Kitt Betley bowled superbly and was rewarded with three wickets, with thanks to some good catching from Uncle Fezter. Fielding was good, with some good commitment from Tappy, Kitty and Ishy in the field. What might have been a 200+ target was restricted to 192, with the extras worth a telling 24 to the total.

Saints’ reply struggled to get going. Faced with a run rate of nearly 10, for any chance of forcing a win there was little choice but to go for it. RV found the middle of the edge and top edged a ball straight down fine leg’s throat, which on any other pitch would have sailed over for 6. Brocky looked in good touch again but an ugly wipe undid his previous good work and was bowled for 15. The star of the show was young Tapp, who batted sensibly and creatively for 34, the scoop up and over the wicket-keeper a particular highlight. Goodie gave him some fine support later in the innings, himself powered to 28, but the rate was always likely to escape them. Fezzle did his best later on, smashing his first ball out of the ground for 6, but finishing on 112 saw Saints finish 80 short of what was always going to be a tough challenge against a very strong side made up of at least 6 GPL players.