Home

Results

Teams/Availability

Match Reports

News

Averages

History

Doctors beat Spaxton by 3 wickets


 

Spaxton            103 all out

 

Doctors            104 for 7

 

 

  Spaxton’s innings got off to an uncertain start against the pace of Dan Bingham and guile of Harry Lee, now reincarnated as an off spinner.  Lee made the first breakthrough and there was a mini collapse as Steve Nicholls hit the ball straight back to Bingham and set off for the most suicidal of runs and then Wayne Pither, fresh from a mammoth innings of 190 last weekend, was bowled by Lee’s well disguised quicker ball.  Nigel Davey (18) and Will Robbins (12) made good some of the damage with a salvo of pull-drives but when both were bowled by the unstoppable Lee (4-24) the rot had set in at 47 for 5.  Things then got worse as Mike Robbin’s blistering drive off Peter Reed (1-20) was brilliantly caught by the diving Lee at short extra cover and Ed Johnson was bowled by a fine ball from Jeremy Budd (1-14).  Spaxton’s saviour was Andrew Jeanes who laced impenetrable defence with a variety of quality shots.  An optimistic call for a second run underestimated the arm of Keith Powell and led to the downfall of Scott Bellinger, and the usual quality spell of swing bowling from Phil Barker (2-9) deprived Jeanes of further partners.  The return of Bingham (1-17) saw the end of Jeanes’ fine innings, last man out for 40.

 

  A penetrative opening spell by Davey (3-23) and the immaculate length of Robert Seymour meant that Doctors pursuit of their modest target took a somewhat tortuous route.  Johnson (1-23) dismissed the dangerous Justin Pepperell caught by Davey at cover but opener John Ogle remained solid as a rock and eventually found a durable partner in Graham Fergusson.  Dealing mostly in ones and twos against accurate bowling and good ground fielding they built an excellent partnership that took Doctors to within sight of victory. Jeanes was recalled to the attack and induced a faint edge from Fergusson (22) to keeper James Venton. Ogle’s match-winning knock of 39 was ended by Bellinger (2-2), the first of two wickets in two balls as Doctors wobbled with only five needed for victory.  Jeanes (1-20) strove manfully for another wicket but the nerveless Barker sealed the win with a cover-driven boundary.