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First of all sympathies to Aiders who has a neck injury and so missed the game. Get well soon our injury prone pal!
At the peaceful setting of Ulgham, surrounded by mist, Rowlands waited anxiously for their final three men to appear and fielded innitially with Daves Charlton and Moore making up the numbers. Guy Saxton took matters into his own hands with Alan a little nervous behind the stumps. First over, Sax bowled Cameron and in his second over he took out the other opener Darren Stillwell. James Morris joined in the wicket taking and in his second over had Ruddock caught by Alan. Pins were reeling at 13-3 after four overs, Sax having conceded just one of these! MoM Sax bowled out with 4-1-9-3 when he bowled out his third victim after two lucky edges skidded to the fine leg boundary from outside off stump! James completed ghias spell with 3-0-20-1. Keith then took over and had the ball bouncing and moving well off the hard pitch. He claimed a suberb, nonchalent c&b to dismiss Ainley then later bowled Jackson to record 4-0-17-2. Not the one to miss out, Don had number three bat and mainstay of the Pins' innings, N Eyes caught behing by Alan for 24, then trapped Sanderson 'plumb' (Davy Greener officiating) lbw for 3-0-18-2 to reach 20 wickets for the season. Pins were dismissed for 66, with number 11 not batting, when Alec Dodds was run out. Runs had been difficult in the humid conditions although two sixes and four fours were hit with Ian Richardson on 16 not out at the end.
Rowlands sent in the new recruit Ben o'Brien and James Davidson. Ben hit two fours in the first over off Richardson and James one off Stillwell in the second over but was promptly bowled by him for a rare dismissal. Colin was next in and soon off the mark with a trademark single. Ben kept hitting boundaries else fending off dot balls until he was run out for 20 (5*4) in a mix up with Colin. That was 31-2 and Rowlands seemingly in total control in the sixth over with the arrival of Roy at the crease. Pins were fielding and bowling tightly and this pair became becalmed with only the occasional single and rare two coming in the next five anxious overs. The score moved only to 42-2 off 10 and it took late acceleration by Roy who hit three boundaries and one from Colin whose powerful shots always seemed to find a well placed fielder. Colin was caught for his solid 19 leaving Rob Burns to run two byes and a 1 for Roy without facing a ball. Rowlands were home by 7 wickets in the 13th over of 14 and one batting point was secured. This win takes Rowlands back to the top of the table with three games to play (Friday, Wednesday, Wednesday). Another new recruit, Dan 'Hedgehog' Metcalfe, late replacement for Lewis, had fielded enthusiastically.
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