WESTBURY entertained bottom club Hatherley and Reddings on Saturday 8th July, hoping to complete a league double over their opponents and to also place pressure on the teams above them.
Hatherley and Reddings won the toss and had no hesitation in deciding to bat first on an as usual, very good Westbury wicket.
Hatherley opened the batting with Green and Kelly and they made a bad start when Kelly was out bowled by Oakley in the first over. Green was then joined by the Hatherley wicketkeeper Hill and shortly afterwards Westbury struck again when Hill was brilliantly caught at slip by Varley from the bowling of Senneck with the total still only on 11.
The Hatherley captain Soma arrived at the wicket and they started to rebuild the innings scoring more quickly than before. The first 50 came up in 96 balls.
On reaching the total 62 Westbury struck for the third time when Green was adjudged Leg before for 24 off of the bowling of Hudson. Soma was then joined by the Herefordshire minor counties batsman Hage and they took the total to 96 when Soma was dismissed for a confident score of 45.
Hage and Weekes and then took the attack to the Westbury bowlers and the scoring rate increased mainly due the attacking batting of Weekes.
When the total reached 143 Westbury struck by having Weekes caught by Gill for a belligerent innings of 36 made off just 26 balls.
Hage with the help of the lower order, then took the total to 217 all out. The last 4 wickets fell for 36 runs with Carroll the main instigator by taking 2 wickets also with the help of Varley. Hudson had the best figures of 3-31 (from 10 overs) ably supported by Carroll (3-52 off 10 overs).
When Westbury batted they made a confident start with the openers Whiting and Coles and they took the total to 30 when Hatherley broke through by having Coles bowled by Hage for 10.
Westbury lost 3 quick wickets when Varley (8), Scott (0) and Whiting (24) were out with the total sliding from 30 for 1 to 43 for 4.
Mills and Hudson then dug in against a very good spell by the Hatherley bowlers, whereby gradually they got on top and started to score quickly. The 100 came up in 21st Over.
After the drinks break Westbury lost their 5th wicket when Hudson was caught by Hage for 21 with the total at 101.
Shortly afterwards Westbury lost their 6th wicket at 111 when the Westbury captain Senneck was caught behind by Hill for 2.
Mills with the help of Gill dug in to prevent the opposition bowlers taking a strangle hold on the game but continued to keep the score board ticking over.
Mills completed his second league 50 of the season in the 29th over off 60 balls and gradually got on top of the Hatherley bowling, the hundred partnership coming up in 155 balls. By this point the balance had shifted in Westbury’s favour and the win dully came about
At the end of the innings Mills had scored a chanceless 110 not out and Gill was unbeaten on 23. The Churchill Financial Services Man of the Match was Richard Mills. This was a very good win after early setbacks and it has given the team a lot of confidence.
