Woodmansterne08May05

Kings third game of the season saw them travel to Woodmansterne hoping to put an end to the run that had seen them lose their first two games of the season.

On an unsettled and cool afternoon Kings, with a strong bowling line up, won the toss and decided to bowl first.

The opening overs saw Kings well in control with both Nick Tighe and Simon Pipe causing both batsmen to play watchfully on a slow pitch offering some assistance to the bowlers. Tighe was unlucky not to get an early breakthrough when he had Park pushing forward and the induced edge flew between keeper and first slip. Park had another life when he drove straight back to Pipe but the bowler just failed to hold onto the return chance. Kings were totally in control and the runs scored were often less than the overs bowled. Having made such a tight start Kings decided to rest Tighe and brought on Sones. This eased the shackles a little allowing Meadowcroft to free his arms with some pulls across the line. However Kings did breakthrough when Pipe bowled the uncomfortable looking Park (38-1).

Meadowcroft continued to enjoy his luck with his heaves across the line and twice balls fell just short of fielders. However Pipe struck again when he dismissed Edwards (50-2) and then Meadowcroft's luck ran out when he lost his leg stump, as Pipe picked up his third wicket (51-3). This brought the two Millers' together who started to up the scoring rate, with 1 Miller finding the short boundary with a couple of lusty sixes. However Gordon Young out thought Miller in an intriguing battle (87-3) and the same bowler frustrated Geldard into a rash shot to become the 5th wicket (101-5). Soon after Paul Norman claimed K.Miller (105-6) and Kings were now back in control. A fine catch by Owen Mears gave Young his third wicket when Griffin picked out the Kings fielder at mid-off (110-7). Then Young claimed his fourth wicket when Titchenor spooned one up off the outside edge to Evans at cover (116-8). Hines uncomfortable stay was ended when Norman trapped him plumb in front (118-9) and it fell to Norman to end the innings when Lunch drove straight to Miller at mid-on (122).

During the tea interval a heavy and prolonged shower came along and delayed the restart by 30 minutes. This rain made a slow outfield even slower and made the slow pitch even harder to score on. Kings reply got off to a bad start when Miller, second ball received a leg stump yorker which he played around and was bowled for his first duck since July 2003 (0-1). The next ball Evans got the same delivery but he put it away to the boundary - but next ball he miss timed a drive to mid-off where Lunch took a good catch. Kings were now reeling at 4-2 after just four balls.

Less than three overs later Gordon Young got a bottom edge and Miller took a good catch behind the stumps (6-3). There now followed a hard fought period of consolidation as Bygrave and Norman fought to keep out the rampant Woodmansterne bowlers. They seemed to be starting to weather the storm when Griffin produced a quicker ball to beat the defensive push forward from Norman and Kings were reduced to 16-4. Pipe's introduction changed the tempo of the game as he started playing his natural game against the change bowlers, despatching Bull for a big six into the trees. As Bygrave tried to help pick up the tempo his determined stay was undone by Titchenor (39-5). Kings enjoyed a good spell now as Tighe and Pipe went onto the offensive pushing on the scoring rate against the second string bowlers.

However this must have rattled Woodmansterne as after just 10 overs between the change bowlers the openers returned. This time is was Hines who did the damage. First his bowled Pipe (53-6) and then Tighe in trying to cut a ball slanted across him was superbly caught by the keeper diving full length to his right (64-7). Smith and Mears held defiant until Hines deceived Smith into offering a return catch (64-8) and it seemed Kings would hang on when Mears and Skipper Young saw it down to three overs left. However Hines slower ball did for Young who pushed a catch straight to Geldard at silly mid-off. Claiming a draw was now down to Mears and Sones, and despite some nervous moments the two stoically held firm defying the bowlers to claim a hard fought draw on a deceptively slow pitch.