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Doctors beat Bridgwater Solicitors by 189 runs Doctors 316 for 7
Solicitors 127 all out
Doctors reverted to the tried and trusted opening partnership of Keith Powell and John Ogle and they made a steady start on a damp wicket with a sodden outfield against tidy bowling from Nigel Yeo and Amjad Arif. As the batsmen got used to the slowness of the wicket the scoring rate mounted with Ogle unfurling his trademark stylish cover drive and Powell whacking the ball over cover and past mid off. James Mumford and Alex Ward slowed the run rate but the stand was worth 83, a season’s best for Doctors, when Ogle (28) gave his first and only chance off Mumford who was the pick of the Solicitors’ bowling. Powell and Graham Fergusson motored along at six an over and Powell brought up his fifty with a glorious off drive off Mumford (2-44). Sadly for Powell (53) his next ball was a long hop which he hit straight to Ward at point. This brought in Ali Witts for a blistering century stand with Fergusson featuring a volley of skimming fours and soaring sixes. Fergusson retired on 102 not out but the punishment was not over as Sam Powell contributed a brutal 42 runs off 4 overs. Witts (51) was caught off Ward (1-34) and the returning Yeo (2-52) caught and bowled Powell as he and Arif (2-29) collected late order wickets to prevent a total rout. Yeo and John Sherwin opened the Solicitors’ reply with a steady fifty stand despite good opening spells from Jeremy Budd and Charles Macadam. Oliver Budd obtained bounce and turn in both directions without any luck but it was the excellent Ali Witts who broke through when Yeo (15) was bowled. Sherwin’s classical technique was complemented by a forceful innings from Edmonds as they took the score on to 81 but the match turned when Sherwin (49) went for a second run to Phil Barker at cover. Barker’s good throw went to the bowler’s end where the alert Sam Powell gathered and hurled the ball to keeper Fergusson for a fine run out. Edmonds (23) succumbed to a superb, diving, one-handed catch by Witts at midwicket off Peter Reed (3-26) who then joined Barker (1-9) and Sam Powell (1-8) to cut a swathe through the middle order thanks to good catching by Fergusson and Keith Powell. Richard Budd (2-1) administered the last rites when Solicitors’ captain Ed Boyce bottom-edged into the base of his stumps. |
