The Rs turn back the clock as experience outshines youth!

 

Rowington travelled to Kineton on Saturday and, in fairly damp conditions, decided to bowl. This decision looked a good one as, despite the strong wind, the old allies, Steve Jay and Eike Gilbert, managed to keep the score down and take wickets as Kineton crumbled to 34 - 4; with Gilbert grabbing Briggs (18), Adams (12) and Hammond first ball for a duck and Jay having the skipper, Millard, stumped by the agile keeper, Tom Jefferson, also for 0. Jay and Gilbert  were then taken off with the score on 46 - 4  off 15 overs.

Kineton's Daly was at the crease with J Adams and together they managed to add over 30 runs in three overs off the Rs change bowlers, Danny Chinn and Leon Clarke, but another change of bowling saw Rs skipper, Scott Rogers, come into the attack. Chinn swopped ends and the tide turned again as Rogers had Adams (22) LBW. Woollat came in and helped Daly to move the score to 119 before Chinn bowled Woollat for 20. Daly was still there, despite being dropped three times, and he and Dexter pushed on to 160 before Rogers grabbed Dexter as he lobbed one up to Chinn at gully for 17. Then Daly's luck ran out and Jefferson caught him off the returning Gilbert for 81. Tail enders Brown (22) and Lowley (3) helped Kineton end their innings on 216 - 8.

The Rs bowlers Jay 1 - 22, Gilbert 4 - 30, Chinn 1 - 64, Rogers 2 - 47, Billy Sly going for 19 and Leon Clarke 25.

 

In reply Rowington were soon 1 - 0 as Clive Haywood was bowled by Millard for 0. Scott Rogers didn't last much longer, going for 3, again off Millard. Simon Cross joined Alex Smith and they moved the score to 38 before Smith got caught by the keeper off Brown for 20. Tom Jefferson and Eike Gilbert  went for 3 and 4 respectively off Brown and Southerton. Cross was still there but losing partners with Page (11) and Chinn (5) both falling to Southerton and the score on 106 - 7. In came Billy Sly and, with his usual swashbuckling style, he managed to up the rate with Cross and they were soon piling the runs on until Cross was sent back from a single and was superbly run out for 60. Rowington were 183 - 8 and needed 34 runs. Leon Clarke lasted a few balls and, with Sly, added 5 before Clarke went for 0.

 

The score was 188 with just Sly and his old 20/20 opening partner Steve Jay left to come. As Jay came to the crease 29 runs were needed off 22 balls, Kineton were celebrating.......but Jay and Sly had other ideas.....together they smashed any wayward balls to the boundary and it became very quiet in the Kineton camp. After 10 balls the two had added 20 runs and, with 2 overs left, 8 runs were needed. Sly nudged a single, Jay did the same, 6 needed, another single from Sly and 5 needed off 9 balls, two more singles left Jay on strike with 3 needed, a nice full toss from Woolley gave Jay the chance for a boundary which he gratefully accepted and the Rs had pulled off a fantastic victory.

 

Sly ended a superb innings with 65 not out, Jay helped with 16 not out - Rowington 218 - 9.

 

Brown 2 - 22, Millard 2 - 22, Southerton 3 - 17 and Woolley 1 - 19 the wicket takers.

 

Steve Jay