Same old story for the Rs as they miss out in last over again......

 

Rowington entertained Bearley in the curtain raiser of the new 2011 season and, with damp conditions, were promptly inserted to bat.

 

Clive Haywood joined skipper Scott Rogers in a new opening partnership and it was Haywood who threw down the gauntlet to the rather lack lustre Bearley bowlers; with 13 overs gone the score was 56 when Haywood (22) nicked one to the keeper. Tom Jefferson joined Rogers and they briskly moved the score to 82 before Jefferson (15) played too early and tossed one up to mid on. Rogers followed 16 runs later, holeing out on the boundary to another poor ball for 41. Simon Cross was joined by Alex Smith and they formed a good partnership to get to 136 before Cross (17) got caught, and he lived up to his name as the changing room door took a pounding on his return! Smith moved the score past the 150 with Eike Gilbert before he went for 30. Gilbert was joined by the youngster Danny Chinn and they proceeded to reap the runs off some poor bowling until Gilbert went for 19. With the score on 186, Greg Pryor came in and added a couple but Steve Jay (5 no) and Chinn (29 no) guided the Rs to 208-7 off their 45 overs.

Urquhart 2-37, Ramsden 1-40 and Ross 4-37 the Bears bowlers.

 

After a sumptuous tea the Rs' opening bowler, Steve Jay, kept his usual tight line to thwart any attempt at a good start for the Bears' openers. Unfortunately wickets were proving hard to come by as Ross L and Ross D grabbed runs where they could and it was not until the agile veteran Andy Shaw came on that the tide started to turn. He bowled D Ross for 42 and had his brother caught by Chinn on the boundary for 41, but the score was still in touch with the total. Ramsden was joined by Wood and they also started slowly but got into gear and Wood eventually holed out off Rogers' second spell for 38. Then, as the pressure mounted, Ramsden (41) was run out by Simon Cross and it was looking tight, Bearley needing 21 off 4 overs. Leech came in and added 6, his bark much more appealing than his bite, and Urquhart put three on when Chinn nabbed him. With two overs to go Bearley had tied the score - Danny Chinn roared in for the penultimate over and bowled a superb maiden - so as last year the Rs moved into the last over with the score level and Rogers bowling. Hicks gave a great big swoosh and missed the first ball, he tried the same tactic for the second ball but this time connected and it was 6 runs and the Bears had grabbed a victory by 4 wickets. The Rs can look back and rue the 4 dropped catches that undoubtedly had a huge bearing on the outcome of the match.

The bowling - Jay his usual thrifty self 0-17, Rogers a little expensive 1-35, Chinn a superb spell 1- 23, Gilbert getting back to his best 1-51, Shaw bowled sleek and stylish for 2-45 and Leon Clarke in the Jay vein with a tight 0-24.

 

Stratford Bards next week as the Rs try to stage a recovery and become a class act!

Steve Jay