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Pencombe lost to Doctors by 7 wickets


Pencombe        66 all out

 

Doctors            68 for 3

 

 

  Doctors chose to bowl first after a heavy lunchtime downpour had livened up a hard Pencombe wicket.  John Down and Mike Sullivan have bowled well here in the past and their double act was again lethal as the ball darted around and neither gave the batsman any thing loose to hit.  Down struck in the first over when he had Bob Townsend caught by Sullivan at slip and the intense pressure paid off in the eighth over when Stuart Barrett was run out by a fine pick up and throw from Andrew Paisley and then Sullivan captured the prized wicket of Owen Thomas (10) as Alan Dunkley took a superb overhead catch running downhill with the wind swirling and the sun in his eyes.  The metronomic Sullivan (2-8) was justly rewarded with another wicket but when he and Down (1-12) were rested Pencombe’s troubles had only just begun.  Phil Barker came on and regularly beat the bat without luck but it was Sam Powell’s strength and relentless accuracy that precipitated the home side’s disaster.  At first Brian Pilliner (12) and Phil Brook (14 n.o.) rode their luck in a stand of 30 that looked to be rescuing Pencombe but then Powell upped a gear and reduced the innings to ashes with 4 wickets in 10 balls.  His final figures of 5 for 16 (all clean bowled) reflected a prodigious effort and when Peter Reed (1-6) removed the last man the collapse was complete.

 

  When Doctors batted the sun came out and the pitch became even more spiteful.  James Brown (1-28) bowled with hostility and Pilliner used his experience and local knowledge to the full to make the ball swing, seam and spit.  Dunkley (12) played with skill and composure until he was lbw to an unplayable shooter from Pilliner (2-9), but the innings of the day was played by David Williamson who defended stoutly, showed good judgement in leaving the ball and put away bad balls with panache.  He received commendable support from Paisley and although Doctors’ victory looked easy on paper it was a titanic struggle and Williamson’s 37 not out was equivalent to a century in easier conditions.