Westbury travelled to local rivals Trowbridge in the last away league game which has a vital bearing on the season’s end league placing, with the winners of the game probably remaining in the above league.
Westbury made two changes from the last week’s home defeat against fellow strugglers Rockhampton, with Luke Dilena and Osmond Shallow coming in for Sam Burdock and Michael Coles.
Trowbridge won the toss and had no hesitation in deciding to bat first. They opened with Tom Oakley and Sam Julyan and they made a blistering start against the Westbury opening attack. So much so that after 12 overs they made 63 without loss, with Oakley being the dominant batsman.
During this partnership Oakley completed his league 50 made off 37 balls in 56 minutes. When the total reached 76 Westbury struck for the first time when Oakley was bowled by Senneck for 57.
Evans then joined Julyan at the wicket and they took the Trowbridge score to 113, Julyan was then dismissed caught by the Westbury captain for the day Richard Oakley off the bowling of Esau for 43. After his dismissal the Westbury bowlers took five wickets for 79 runs. Veal, with the lower order took Trowbridge to 222 all out in the 48th Over. Richard Mills had the best figures of (3for 14 off 4 overs) ably supported by Richard Oakley (3 for 40 off 10 overs) and Dan Gill (2 for 45 off 10 overs).
During the tea interval there was a long break due to a heavy rainstorm, which meant that the Duckworth-Lewis calculation came into force. Westbury were eventually set a target of 184 runs to win.
When Westbury batted they made a very bad start with both Whiting and Shallow out for 0 with the total at 0. Mills was then joined at the wicket by Esau and they counter-attacked the Trowbridge bowling attack. They made a fifty partnership but when the total reached 54, Trowbridge struck for the third time by having Mills bowled by Veal for 25 and the very next ball dismissed Gill for 0.
Esau was then joined at the wicket by the former Westbury captain Senneck and they took the total to 110 when Senneck was out caught by the Trowbridge opening batsman, Tom Oakley for 18. Esau continued to attack the bowling but when the total reached 134 he was out for 63 caught by Mitchell off the bowling of Reynolds. With his dismissal the Westbury hopes faded, despite a last ditch effort of the Westbury lower order and at the end of their allotted 30 overs Westbury reached 158 for 9 wickets, leaving Trowbridge victors by 26 runs.
Christoper Lack
