Game 3 v Earls Barton III

St Michael's Cricket Club

Opponent	:	Earls Barton III
Date	:	14 May 2005
Venue	:	Weston Favell Upper School
Result	:	Won by 2 wickets

Innings of: Earls Barton III

1	S Wheatman	st Ahearn	Swann	21	Bowling	O	M	R	W
2	J Perrin	st Ahearn	Cannell	21	M Baker	12	2	33	0
3	S Morrison		run out	86	M Swann	12	1	51	4
4	D Sharp	ct	Marlow	5	T Marlow	8	0	30	1
5	I Vass	b	Cannell	15	S Cannell	10	0	38	2
6	J Wilson	b	Swann	10	I Geddes	3	1	17	0
7	D Wills	b	Swann	1
8	R Patel		not out	1
9	M Holliday	b	Swann	4

	Overs	45	Extras	16
	Wickets	8	Total	180

Innings of: St Michael's

1	D Harrison	ct Wheatman	Patel	56	Bowling	O	M	R	W
2	A Bartley	ct Ruckwood	Vass	22	B Ruckwood	10	1	37	1
3	J Brown	b	Vass	0	I Vass	13	2	39	2
4	M Collier	LBW	Patel	4	S Wheatman	6	0	38	0
5	T Marlow	b	Gray	22	R Patel	10	3	37	4
6	D York	ct Wilson	Ruckwood	30	M Gray	5	0	23	1
7	B Ahearn	ct Wills	Patel	7
8	M Swann		not out	10
9	I Geddes	ct & b	Patel	4
10	S Cannell		not out	1
11	M Baker
	Overs	44	Extras	26
	Wickets	8	Total	182

Match report

St Michael's made it 3 wins out of 3 starts on Saturday as they squeezed a 2 wicket victory over Earls Barton 3s at a cold Weston Favell to go top of Division 12 of the Northamptonshire Cricket League.

St Michael's skipper Ian Geddes once again proved what a useless caller of the toss he is by calling wrong again and so faced the prospect of fielding first for the first time this season

Earls Barton made a brisk start with openers Wheatman and Perrin both going for their shots. Wheatman was first to go, dancing down the wicket to Malc Swann and missing the ball, whereupon keeper Brian Ahearn whipped off the bails for a good stumping. Ahearn was at it again soon after when Simon Cannel sneaked one passed Perrin for the keeper to make it two stumpings out of 2.

St Michael's catching was not as sharp as last week, with at least 4 chances going down. None proved more costly than the putting down of Spencer Morrison whilst he was still in his 40s. He went on to make 86 before running himself out just before the end of the innings. Malc Swann returned the best bowling figures of 4-51, but Martin Baker's 0-33 off 12 tight overs also restricted the scoring towards the end when a score of over 200 looked likely. As it was, 180 off 45 overs would still be a tough ask.

The St Michael's reply got off to a steady start with openers Dale Harrison and Al Bartley making good progress before Bartley was caught off a Vass delivery that bounced twice. Bartley, unsure as to whether to leave it or smack it to the boundary, couldn't make up his mind and spooned up a simple catch to square leg.

Harrison's fifty came up with a flourish of boundaries before he succumbed to Patel's spin for 56. Tom Marlow and Danny York put on a good partnership that almost saw St Michael's home until Marlow had one swipe too many and was bowled by Gray for 22, whilst York was caught for 30 of Ruckwood.

Brian Ahearn was looking good before he misjudged a delivery from Patel and was caught, and Patel struck again soon after to have St Michael's skipper Ian Geddes caught and bowled for 4 in the penultimate over.

The nerves was now on edge, but old head Malcolm Swann stepped forward to swipe the last ball of the penultimate over for 4 to secure a 2 wicket win in the fading light.

Next week, a trip to the far reaches of the County beckons with Raunds second the opponents.