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Ashfords Solicitors lost to Doctors by 7 wickets Ashfords 122
for 7
Doctors 123
for 3
Ashfords won the toss and chose first use of the good Knightshayes batting strip but could make little headway against the accurate pace of Sam Powell and the guile of Phil Barker. J.Harris attempted to break out but pulled Barker (2-12) straight into the hands of Ed Johnson at square leg and when the same bowler brought off a stunning caught and bowled to dismiss D.Sibley the home side were struggling. R.Kitson (14) and D.Rice (12) went on the offensive but both fell to Charles Macadam (2-28) and when Peter Reed (1-31) bowled C.Freeman the Doctors had regained ascendency. Adrian Hills and Richard Breeze put together the best partnership of the innings and steered their side towards a par total. When both retired on 25 not out the returning Powell (1-11) and a rapid burst from Josh House (1-15) kept the target within bounds. Harris (1-14) made a breakthrough when Johnson slapped a rising ball to point and S.Walker’s accurate away swingers were hard to get away until Graham Fergusson arrived and belted him over midwicket for six. Tom Guppy was also accelerating nicely when he fell to an improbable one-handed catch at deep square off Simon Combe (1-12). This presaged a savage assault on the change bowlers by Fergusson and Harry Lee and in no time both had retired unbeaten on 25, the latter having blasted a six over the pavilion which smashed a car windscreen. House (14) played fluently until he got an off break from N.Hickson (1-16) which bit and lifted and which he was good enough to edge to the keeper. The match was in the balance until Powell (27 n.o.) played the consummate captain’s innings and as assured cameo from David Gwynne Jones (12 n.o.) saw Doctors to victory with 2 overs to spare. |
