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Rowlands take ten points from Firemen - doused on a diabolical pitch!

Rowlands claimed their 5th maximum of the season and their second in a week leaving them needing 7 points to mathematically claim the title.

Alan lost the toss in this 14 overs game and we were put into bat. Alan immediately struggled with the extremely variable bounce and Peter Hamil had him caught by Andy Lineham for 2 in the first over. Incredibly, Roy came in and played the same shot with a repeat consequence at the end of the same over! James and new recruit Chris Barr steadied the ship and took the score to 62 before James was out to a catch in the deep for 22 (3 fours). Meantime Chris was hamering the ball, hitting three sixes off off Hamil's third over which went for 27 and he completed on 4-0-44-2. Andy Lineham finished on 4-0-37-1, also taking punishment. Hamil then caught Chris, out for an inspired 62 (5 fours and 5 sixes). Matt came in and scored 11 (1 four) but struggled to combat the pitch and the slow stuff that the change bowlers were serving up. Colin McGuire in particular had him all tied up and frustrated! Brian Smith scored one before getting one that popped for a simple catch and jarrod only managed 4 without any fireworks this time. These two had fallen to Turnbull who recorded 3-0-19-4. The tail end camoe came from Don with 10 runs (2 fours) in the last over before he skied one into the covers. Martin and Dave hardly faced a ball and each were not out without scoring.

The Firemen's reply saw only the last pairing of Colin and Scott McGuire getting into double figures (17* and 10) as Rowlands took their turn to exploit the uncertainties in the pitch. Dave with 3-0-19-3 and the nominated MoM, Jarrod 3-0-16-4 worked their way through most of the side with three stumpings by the alert Alan as the firemen failed to find level ground behind the crease! Matt and Roy took catches after Roy was almost decapitated by one that flew past him. Martin and Don got to clean up. martin got 2-0-11-1 but Don took some late punishment with some flighted filth (2-0-17-1) before taking a one handed caught and bowled to remove the final troublemaker, Scott McGuire.