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Sulhamstead CC V Kings CC 29-Jul-07 |
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On a slow pitch the batsmen had to be wary but the early bowling seemed to hold little threat for the Kings openers. However, the pitch played its part when Dave Perry played a touch too early on a straight drive and he could do little but splice the ball back to the bowler (0-1). This brought Richard Evans in to join Joel Miah and they played with due consideration following the early loss of Perry. Runs slowly started to flow as Miah leant into some fine drives, including a magnificent straight six, however Evans was more sedate in picking up runs here and there. The score had reached 48 by the 15th over but in the same over Miah was caught to leave Kings struggling a little at 48-2. However the game was about to be turned on its head as James Melligan upped the tempo with some aggressive hitting. In no time at all the run rate had doubled and Melligan had surpassed Evans' score despite the latter having been at the crease since the first over. Melligan really punished the bowling hitting a towering six straight down the ground and in one over hit 3 successive cover drive boundaries. By the 25th over the score had raced to 122. Melligan brought up his half century with yet another straight six and brought up the 100 partnership with his eight four, a partnership put together in just 14 overs. However as Melligan again attempted a big shot he was bowled for a superb 68 (150-3). The fall of wicket seemed to inspire Evans and he too started to open up, passing fifty in the process, as he and new batsman Simon Pipe really pushed on. A series of boundaries and some good running saw Kings past 200 in the 36th over before Evans was adjudged leg before for 79 (220-4). A late flurry from Pipe and Dave Wright took the score to 243 by the end of the 40th over. Pipe ending up 34 not out, with 88 runs being scored in the last 10 overs. The home team had little response to some fine bowling from father and son combination of Nick and Samuel Tighe, and although an early wicket was not forthcoming the bowling was good enough to prevent the required rate being achieved. The breakthrough did arrive when Wright took an excellent catch at slip off Nick Tighe, and this was followed not long after when Samuel Tighe picked up the other opener, caught behind by Steve Smith. Such was the pedestrian pace of the innings from Sulhamstead it was soon very clear that there was no attempt being made to chase the total. Despite some excellent bowling by Miah, only Pipe managed to make another breakthrough. Nick Tighe did pick up a late wicket when he returned to bowl some spin at the death, despite some late hitting out by Longman it was all too little too late and the game dragged to an inevitable conclusion of victory for Kings with Sulhamstead falling 86 runs short of their target - their only consolation being a slowly compiled, and fortunate unbeaten fifty by young batsman Dove.
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