Harpsden lower order crumbles

Holyport Vs Harpsden Sun

Holyport 1st Innings 192/8 Closed (Overs 40)
M Taylor+ b W Stevens 11
Cox b A Balaji 8
Price b T Ham 11
A Pyle c A Norton b Wright 42
M Fowler c Wright b T Hancock 48
G Rolls b W Stevens 33
Davies c N Sweet b T Hancock 4
Thompson b T Hancock 3
Kass not out 5
Hawkins not out 1
extras (b2 lb8 w6 nb10) 26
TOTAL 8 wickets for 192


Harpsden Sun 1st Innings 178/10 All Out (Overs 37.1)

N Sweet c ? b Kass 16
Matt Thomas b Kass 5
Mark Thomas lbw b Griffiths 2
A Norton*+ c&b Griffiths 28
W Stevens b Kass 81
T Hancock b Davies 27
Wright b Davies 0
A Balaji lbw b Davies 0
T Mitchell c Cox b Kass 2
T Ham run out 0
T Stevens not out 0
extras (b1 lb4 w11 nb1) 17
TOTAL 10 wickets for 178



Having watched the first ball of the game disappear over the boundary for six Harpsden may have felt as though it would be a long afternoon in the field. But fortunately for them their first three bowlers all chipped in with a wicket to stem the flow of runs. Balaji was particularly economical only going for 15 runs in his 6 overs. For Holyport a period of consolidation followed through the more than competent Pyle and Fowler, having reestablished their dominance these two started to pick off boundaries at regular intervals. The young Harpsden bowlers stuck to their task but ultimately did not have the penetration to do any damage. It was left to Tom Hancock still struggling with injury to pick up the key wicket of Fowler; he would go on to take two further wickets to end with 3-37. Harpsden could be happy with their effort in the field but a score of 192 was still going to require at least two of the senior Harpsden players to score big runs.

Unfortunately this was not to be as the Holyport openers took regular wickets to leave the score at 24-3. With Norton and W. Stevens at the crease Harpsden had hope but need more than the 55 run partnership that followed. Hancock came in to partner Stevens and the pair managed to get Harpsden close but were pressurized by the knowledge that Holyport only needed one wicket to expose the very inexperienced Harpsden lower order. This proved to be the case when Hancock was dismissed, Stevens saw partners come and go and when Ham was run out Harpsden’s chance had gone.