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Taunton Deane Council tied with Doctors T.
Deane 130 for 7
Doctors 130 for 6
The Council won the toss and, having chosen
to bat and survived a challenging opening burst from Josh House, lost the
dangerous Louis Knight to a good catch at long off by Will Chandler off the
canny bowling of Robert Seymour (1-21).
Steve Hughes (21) played with authority until he hit Jeremy Budd
(1-28) straight to House at point and two wickets in two balls for Peter Reed
(2-24) reduced the home side to 51 for 4.
Captain Jon Pike and Kevin Dunn repaired the damage with an excellent
50 partnership compiled in steady rain but when Pike retired on 30 not out
Dunn (21) promptly pulled a ball from Phil Barker to Alan Dunkley at deep
square leg. Nick Collins (12) hit out
boldly until the final over when he became one of two stumping victims by
Graham Fergusson off Barker (3-19). Doctors came out of the stalls at a gallop
as Dunkley and Adrian Fisher drove and pulled their way to 48 off 6
overs. The partnership ended when
Dunkley (29) fell to a super ball from Pike which cut away off the seam to
hit off stump. Knight (2-5) was a real
handful, bowling fast left arm in gloomy light on a pitch freshened by the
rain, and his two wickets included that of Fisher (26) well held at point by
Pike. When Pike took another wicket
Doctors were struggling but a bright cameo from House (10) lifted their
spirits until his soaring pull to deepest midwicket was held by the ubiquitous
Pike. Another wicket for Collins
(2-28) had the visitors in trouble at 88 for 6 whereupon Andrew Paisley was
joined by skipper Barker for a most enterprising fightback. Boundaries and
quick singles began to flow and the equation became 22 off 2 overs to win and
then 10 from the final over, bowled by Pike (2-18). All looked lost when only singles came from
each of the first five balls but a commanding pull to fine leg by Paisley
(25.n.o.) off the last ball meant that the match was tied. Barker finished on an invaluable 15 not
out. |