Weekend Report - 24/25 July 2010

Gus Flack and Nick Destefano gave OT's a good start with a 56 run opening stand, Destefano first to be dismissed on 20. Flack and Jody Brown continued and with the score reaching 97 for 1, the local side would have been satisfied. Five wickets fell for 32 runs to put them on the back foot, without leading run scorer Max Smith away on business, Flack fell four short of a half-century, Brown for 19 and Colin Morris for 2. Paul Longland for 19 and Shapland for 3. King meanwhile was building a nice cameo innings bring his new side closer to their target. He shared a 49 run partnership with Trodd and when the keeper was dismissed for 19, Steve Kay stepped up with a bright 20 runs. With Jon Dowling nursing an injured finger after a fielding accident, he was unable to bat until last man in. The end came quickly, King finally out for a creditable 58 and Wyatt out without scoring they fell just 15 runs shy.

The Second XI also failed to defeat their league leaders at the Sports Centre in a match dominated by spin bowling against Ventnor Second XI. The Islanders came with 11 wins from eleven outings this season and got off to a flyer posting 69 runs in the first 10 overs as both seamers Steve Smith and Allister Perrin could not stem the flow. It was the introduction of Nick Wood and Mark Whytehead to the attack that slowed the progress down. Whytehead was particularly mean with runs conceded as he dismissed two Ventnor batsmen. Nick Wood also collected a brace before Danny Mills playing his last match of the season, as he has a hand operation during the week ran through the later batsman to take 4 for 17. Steve Caldecott also collected two wickets and their 185 all out considering the start was a good performance by the OT's bowlers. Rob Newman behind the stups collected one catch and three stumpings and skipper Stuart Tulk's safe hands snapped up four catches.

Mike Trodd playing his first match since breaking a finger in a First Team match, and young Rob Newman started with a 57 run stand which augured well, but the Ventnor spinners then came into their own. Trodd, Newman and Mills were dismissed in quick succession and as the batsmen edged to their target then continued to lose wickets at valuable times. Jack Bransgrove had other ideas however as he and Jonathan Whytehead push the run rate up as 43 runs were scored at a brisk pace, however both went with the score on 147. Bransgrove top scored with 35 in just 45 balls, and Whytehead 24 in just 20 balls, however there was nothing left in the tank and the remaining batsmen succumbed to 172 all out and 12 runs short in the end.

As the Third's set out on their quest for victory number seven of the season, East Tytherley Second XI stood in their way. So when skipper Jim Stewart won the toss and elected to bat expectations were high to set a victory target beyond the bottom side in the league, things got off to a steady enough start and at 67 for 2 it looked like that big score was on but the home side lost 5 wickets for just 22 runs in a seven over spell and collapsed to 89 for 7. Along came Nathan Baker to score an impressive 48 off just 46 balls and with the able assistance of Rob Peters (25 not out) added 52 for the eighth wicket, Peter Newman followed with 18 not out helping Peters add 54 for the last wicket to take the home side to 210 for 9 in their allotted overs.

East Tytherley's reply got off to very slow start and they lost their first two wickets for just 6 runs. It didn't get any better as Pete Cox (3 for 18), Nathan Baker (3 for 10) and Roji Aujla (4 for 4) wrapped up the innings for just 33 and a comprehensive win for OT's by 177 runs with full points from the game to maintain their higher order status in Regional North West Division 3.

There was victory also for the Academy side as they defeated Pylewell Park in the New Forest by 4 wickets. Pylwell Park won the toss and made a bright start with a half-century stand. Tim Trant and Dan Collins then took a wicket each as the innings slowed down. Wickets were falling a regular intervals with the top scorer Todd out for 29. Collins took 2 wickets as did Stuart Wood, and Wood contributed a spectacular run out as he picked up the ball and threw down the stumps directly. 176 on the Hunts Park ground was not enough to trouble the Academy boys.

Tim Trant the young Colt scored a sprightly 31 and Stuart Wood top scored with 36, Sam Draycott then finished the task to give them a comfortable victory with 5 overs to spare.

Scoring 244 in 40 overs at Pylewell Park in the Sunday friendly may have satisfied the home side as they made hay with the young OT's bowlers, those with the exception of Jack Salter who bowled 8 overs for 13 runs including 5 maidens.

They however were not aware that this side regularly chases down targets and this was to be the case again. There were runs down the order for Mark Whytehead (61), George Eldridge (61) , Rob Newman (51) and Steve Kay (50 not out) as they won with 10 overs to spare.