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Rats!

Rowlands assembled a strong and oversubscribed team at Corbridge to play the Ratcatchers. However two first teamers from the home side stole the show.

Alan lost the toss and Rats insisted on batting and agreed to wait another few minutes for Roy and Pratty who were slightly delayed. Ed Common at super pace removed a stump from M Keedy in the first over of 16 which conceded only 2 runs but this brought Tristan Douglas to join Ryan Billinghurst. The pair set about all the bowling and took the score to well over the three figure mark. They hit big shots and nurdles to tease Alan's constant changing of positions in the field. Chad stopped the rot by taking out Billinghurst with a spectacular, rolling caught and bowled for 51. Dave Covell eventually bowled Douglas for 102 and claimed a second wicket with a straightforward catch by Roy. Chad took a second smart c&b with Rats finishing on 176-5. Bowling was: Ed 4-0-41-1; Dave 4-0-43-2; Pratty 2-0-33-0; Don 2-0-27-0 and Chad an impressive 4-0-26-2. Humshaugh Paul kept well and youngsters Ben Hennessey and Nick McIntyre impressed in the field with Ed encouraging. One or two dropped catches gave Rats a firm edge.

Rowlands reply saw the tragic early loss of Richie Straughan for a duck to a caught behind when he did not learn his lesson from the previous ball that nearly took him the same way! Ed and Roy battled away until Roy was caught driving for 17 (2 fours). Chad blended well with Ed and made a quick 19 (4 fours) before a jaffer from Billinghurst took him out of the equation. Dave Covell showed urgency, with Rowlands not far behind the required rate, to hit 25 (2 fours) before another catch was taken. In came Ben to impress with 15 not out in good support of the tiring Ed; strimming all day, striving all night with water in demand! Man of the Match, Ed was out bowled on the last ball with light fading for a creditable 74 (7 fours) and the final score 159-5. Not so far behind and three points gained. Rats!