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Doctors beat Spaxton by 11 runs Doctors 135
for 7
Spaxton 124 for 5 Doctors chose to
bat first and were forced into circumspection by accurate spells from Scott
Bellinger and Andrew Jeanes. At last
Keith Powell (24) was able to loosen the shackles with a series of sumptuous
drives through cover and extra cover until over confidence got the better of
him and he was bowled by Ian Jeanes (2-27).
The same bowler then snaffled the highly prized wicket of Graham
Fergusson, caught by Rob Prescott at point and Doctors, in the persons of
Alan Dunkley and David Gwynne Jones, had to regroup. Gwynne Jones (14) was starting to open out
when he top edged a skier to bowler Gary Meadows (1-20) to give just reward
for a good spell, bowled despite a finger injury sustained taking a hard
return stop. Dunkley (35) was batting
beautifully when he was most unluckily run out while backing up as
non-striker, the ball hitting the boot of bowler Rob Adcock (1-28) and
ricocheting onto the stumps. Adcock’s flighted deliveries were
rewarded with a deserved wicket and Mr Reliable, John
Down (1-26) bowled with his usual economy and had a fascinating duel with his
friend and rival Meadows (15). The
batsman was initially ascendant with two fours to third man but the bowler
triumphed in the end thanks to a top edge which resulted in a high return
catch. Fergusson (2-19), flighting his
leg breaks into the wind, made two vital breakthroughs and Spaxton were
struggling at 20 for 3 but Dave Pople and Andrew Jeanes responded boldly to
the crisis and began a controlled onslaught.
They had profited from a couple of dropped half-chances off the
unlucky Steve Dorrett (1-34) and had added a priceless 72 runs when Pople
(33) went for one big hit too many and lofted the ball to long off where
Fergusson took a remarkable catch diving forward. Ali Hewson bowled a match-winning containing
spell but the match was finely balanced up to the last two overs as |
