Stratford Bards 1st XI Match Report

Date:- Sat. May 19th

Venue:- Stratford Bards

Team:-

S. Quirke

M. Woolley

M. Fawthrop  

G. Strain †

D. Swinburn

B. Lee ¤

S. Capron

S. Weaver

M. Greenway

L. Clark

T. Mole

Alcester & Ragley 1st (132 all out) lost to Stratford Bards 1st (139 all out) by 7 runs

A&RPCC surrendered their unbeaten start to the league season by the tightest of margins in an enthralling game at Alscott Park.

Bards were asked to bat first after losing the toss and were given a good start due to some wayward bowling by the early Ragley bowlers, who were struggling to control the ball in the blustery conditions and were conceding wides consistently. There were some early successes for Ragley as they had the dangerous Sandy Masangeweni brilliantly stumped by Gary Strain off the bowling of Tim Mole, and in form batsman Simon Wootton run out both for 9. Out of the first 50 runs scored 25 were extras, a statistic that was to prove costly in the final outcome. The only real partnership in the Bards innings came between Ndima(40) and Dave Currall(30 not out), this was broken by Steve Capron who again bowled with good pace and accuracy in difficult conditions to have Ndima lbw. At this stage the score was 125-5 with 12 overs left. Bards looked on course for a reasonable score at this stage until a remarkable collapse saw the last 5 batsmen all score 0! Shaun Quirke was the destroyer in chief taking 4-15, all clean bowled, and Marc Woolley again showed the kind of form he is in by taking a miserly 2-22 from his 10 overs. Currall was left stranded at the other end on 30 as Bards were all out for 139 in 37overs. Ragley had conceded 39 extras in this total.

In reply Ragley got off to the worst possible start losing both openers without a run on the board. Matt Greenway(27) and Shaun Quirke(19) then lifted the score slowly to 50, until Quirke was caught at midwicket from the bowling of Ed Dixon. Greenway and Mark Fawthrop(14) then raised the score to 69-3, until Ragley had their own collapse to subside to 70-7, mainly instigated by a good spell by Matt Petty (3-15). This included the wicket of Greenway, who was lbw off the bowling of Wootton. All the Bards bowlers bowled with great accuracy to make scoring difficult and force the Ragley batsmen into mistakes as they tried to increase the run rate. At this stage Ragley required 70 runs from 22 overs with Woolley and captain Ben Lee at the crease. They began inching towards the total and after 15 overs together they had succeeded in turning the game back in Ragley's favour as the total was reduced to 20 runs required from 7 overs. Then disaster struck as Lee was run out for 26, after it looked like he was going to guide his team home, and then 2 balls later Mole was run out for 0. Number 11 Capron joined Woolley(12 not out) to try and score the 19 runs needed for victory. Capron lifted the score to 132-9 with some good strokes until he was bowled by Tom Smart to leave Ragley 7 runs short and the Bards overjoyed. Ragley were left to rue the extras they had conceded in such a small total, and the run outs at the end that ultimately cost them victory as they were cruising at that stage. There were a remarkable 10 ducks in a bowler dominated game, 5 on each side.