WESTBURY & District CC travelled to Gloucester City Wingate on 29 Jul, after the previous week’s fixture versus Goatacre was abandoned without a ball being bowled due to persistent rain.
In damp conditions, faced with a green pitch and uncut outfield Westbury won the toss and decided to bowl first. This decision proved to be a sound one, when Richard Oakley quickly dismissed the GCW opener, Hemmings, with the score on just 13. However, runs began to flow despite the best efforts of the Westbury Captain, Alex Senneck, who was keeping it tight from one end whilst utilising the bowler friendly conditions.
With the fall of the GCW captain with the score on 33, the oppositions best player Scott Montgomery came to the crease. With a bit of luck on his side and positive endeavour, he was able to move the score board along with a mix of aggressive stroke play and some obdurate defence.
The Westbury bowlers found it difficult to break the middle order of the GCW batting line up and were soon facing the prospect of having to chase a larger than expected score.
The Westbury bowlers rallied late on and despite the highest partnership of the day (70 between Montgomery and Maroofkhail) bowled GCW out for 187. Highlights from the bowling figures were Oakley’s 3-52 and Coles 3-23.
At the resumption of play and with 187 to win, Westbury got off to a sluggish start and were soon under pressure. Whiting and Coles were dismissed early by the impressive Nel and a rebuilding act was required to get the innings back on track. Varley and Dickinson steadied the ship but they too were dismissed soon after getting settled. The same could be said for Mills who having done the hard work of getting himself in and scoring freely injudiciously left a delivery from the spin bowling of Collinson and was LBW. Senneck and Hudson came together with the score on 81-5 and were acutely aware of the need to score runs as well not to lose wickets. The weather was closing in, the light getting poorer by the minute and rain was threatening, the Duckworth Lewis scoring system was sure to play it’s part.
With 100 passed and with Westbury looking more and more dominant, Hudson was caught brilliantly at slip, for a battling 37, from the bowling of the GCW captain, Collinson. With Dan Gill at the crease with Senneck, Westbury went ahead of the D/L par score and were in the ascendency. But with the rain getting steadily heavier and the light even worse than before the umpires kept the players on the field. despite the potential of danger to the players and the obvious change to the playing conditions. With the game getting ever tighter and with Westbury in the slight ascendency Senneck was adjudged LBW to a freak delivery that pitch, cut back and hit him in front of the stumps. Gill quickly followed to a lifting delivery from Nel and then Scott was impressively caught and bowled with the final score on 163.
Sadly, this result has put a dent in the title hopes of Westbury as other results for the top sides went against them. Therefore, next week’s clash versus Cheltenham takes on even greater importance and they look to bounce back after such a disappointing result to the team bottom of the league.
The Elliots Butchers Man of the Match was Alex Senneck for his 2012 and 31 runs.
