|
Doctors 114
for 4
Taunton Deane 79 for 6 Doctors elected to bat on a well grassed Wyvern Club strip of uneven bounce and found run scoring very difficult against the sharp and accurate opening duo of Collins and Pike. David Gwynne Jones was far too early on a pull shot off Collins (1-17) and was caught at midwicket by Ralph Willoughby-Foster, and for a while Charles Macadam and Alan Dunkley were so bogged down that after 10 overs the score had only limped along to 30 for 1. Dunkley (12) broke the shackles by advancing down the wicket to drive Paul Grayson (1-18) for 4 over mid on but an attempt to repeat the shot found the hands of Weetch at long on. Not for the first time Macadam played a sound anchor role, punctuated by occasional classical pulls and cuts and, not for the first time Doctors were indebted to Graham Fergusson for the vital acceleration. Their stand of 51 was ended when Fergusson (32) drove D.Martyn (1-16) to Weetch, and soon afterwards Macadam (36) departed, run out in confusion over what should have been an easy two. A brief flurry from Julian Graham and Sam Powell took the total to 114 and at the halfway stage neither side was sure whether this was a good score. Weetch looked in good touch but no-one was secure on this wicket and a mistimed flick off his toes off John Down (1-18) went straight to Graham at square leg. Steve Hughes (23) defended well off the accurate Mike Sullivan and punched the rare bad balls to the boundary until he missed a swinging full toss from Powell and was clean bowled. Powell used the conditions well, bowled a full length and claimed man-of-the-match status with a devastating spell of 3 for 11. With Dave Hollis keeping it tight at the other end and Fergusson (1-7) coming on to obtain some sharp turn with his leg breaks the game ebbed inexorably away from Taunton Deane. Willoughby-Foster (24 n.o.) was his usual obdurate self but no one else was able to get into double figures and Doctors ran out easy winners.
|
