Shere 22Aug04

Kings visited the picturesque ground of Shere on a beautiful summers afternoon looking to put their heavy defeat at the hands of Melrose behind them. Kings went in to the game without several key players in Perry, Pipe and Sones. Having won the toss the hosts decided to ask Kings to bat first and with Paul Norman delayed in arriving at the ground Kings opened with Dave Miller and Nick Tighe.

These two made a very useful start with a scoring rate around 6 runs per over as Tighe adopted an aggressive attitude from the start with some fine shots, especially against Bisset. Miller was also soon into the groove driving well off the back foot. However it was Tighe who led the way and his fast scoring rate soon forced Bisset out of the attack to be replaced by Weller. The opening pair had added fifty before Tighe drove on the up only to be well caught at point (52-1).

With Evans now joining Miller much was expected from the pair that had done so well the previous week. However bad luck struck when Evans played on via his foot with only 10 runs added (62-2) and Kings suffered a further set back when Gordon Young called for a run which Miller had no intention of taking and the Kings all rounder was out by some distance when the fielder hit the stumps from cover (71-3). Kings good start had given them hopes of a total of around 180 but this seemed a distant hope following the loss of these wickets.

Miah and Miller continued to build slowly against the tight bowling of Weller and Green and these two helped to keep the score in check, despite not taking any further wickets. However when Whittle and Richardson were introduced Miller went on the attack with a flourish of boundaries, yet when Whittle beat the defensives of Miah Kings were still somewhat off the pace at 92-4. A breezy knock from Wright saw the score past the three figure mark before Richardson claimed his wicket (109-5). MacKenzie, unable to produce the fireworks of the previous week, became the 6th wicket down for the addition of just one run.

Miller punished the returning Bisset with two big sixes and passed fifty in the process, in what had been a measured innings. But Miller perished when he pulled Richardson to mid wicket, having added 37 with Norman, to be dismissed for the second week in a row on 60. (147-7). In the dying overs Smith (148-8) and then Rob Young (148-9) were dismissed by 'grubbers' from Shere skipper Cross, before Norman and Bygrave managed to see the score to 157-9.

Kings made the best possible start to their defence of the total when Nick Tighe struck in his first over, comprehensively bowling Mitchell without score, and he soon claimed a second wicket when Frost followed in similar fashion. This superb start got even better when the left handed Green was also bowled by Tighe to put three of the top four back in the pavilion. Rudman and Whittle then dug in deep to stop any further slide, until Rudman started to play some shots, especially off Bygrave.

However once the field was adjusted the pressure started to build again and Whittle in an attempt to break out was drawn out of his ground by Bygrave only to be superbly stumped by Smith. It was clear there was only going to be one winner in this game now and the noose tightened when Norman, who had replaced Tighe, bowled an accurate line and length to restrict the batsman further still. The pressure was too much for Bisset who was bowled by Norman and the stubborn Rudman was then caught behind off the same bowler. When Weller was also bowled by Norman it seemed only a matter of time before Kings finished the job off.

But Richardson, supported by Cross, decided attack was the best form of defence with some lusty blows off Young, but Kings leading wicket taker had the final say when he beat Ricahrdson all ends up. The end was not long in coming and the returning Tighe claimed his fourth wicket when Cross could only give a return catch off Tighe's slower ball to dismiss Shere for just 70. All the bowlers finished with impressive figures but Tighe (4-20) and Norman (3-6) had been outstanding.