Wellesbourne 1st v Broadway 1st – Premier Division, Saturday 2nd June

Wellesbourne (19) 176 all out beat Broadway (8) 161 all out by 15 runs

Another five wicket haul for Andy Beale and a promising 1st XI debut by Richard Pedley

After the now customary wet week the sun shone as Wellesbourne took the spoils. Both sides were on losing streaks but it was Wellesbourne who managed to break their run, despite losing their wicketkeeper rolling his ankle in the pre-match warm up.

Wellesbourne lost the toss and were asked to bat. On a damp, green wicket the openers were circumspect and rode their luck early on. They lost vocal opener Prasad when he gave Smallman slip catching practice off Stewart, having collected only a single run from the first 8 overs. Stewart and Powell bowled with patience and control in helpful conditions.

After an initial expensive over when he was introduced Smallman dismissed both the Maynard brothers. Jamie went first again caught at slip for a duck, Gary followed, having survived a couple of chances already, clipping straight to Powell at mid-wicket. Smallman finished with 3 for 24, and helped reduce Wellesbourne to 77 for 4.

Wellesbourne recovered and at 144 for 4 were poised to post a formidable total. The re-introduction of the Dutch maestro van der Bealer  (5 for 38), completely changed the outlook. His first ball cleaned bowled the dangerous looking Shearsbyfor 31, and his second trapped the hapless Jackman. Three of the lower order perished in identical fashion to his guile. With mid-wicket posted well in from the boundary each tried in vain to clear him and Horsburgh safely pouched all of them. Having gone beyond 30 overs without a wide, Wellesbourne’s 4th batting point was secured with one, before the last man was run out in the final over trying an unlikely second run, leaving them 176 all out.

The reply started badly with N Evans trapped in front in only the fourth over, but G Evans (19) and Humpston (23) batted in their accustomed positive fashion and lifted the score to 41 for the early after the first ten. Humpston with a couple of brutal blows knocked Maynard out of the attack. However from a position of almost total control, Humpston gifted the initiative by reverse sweeping Stevenson (3-26) straight to slip. When G Evans feathered his namesake to the keeper, Powell miscued to long off and Phillips missed a straight one, Broadway’s dominant position had evaporated in the sunshine leaving them 91for 5.

With run rate not an issue a promising recovery mixing good running and patience was prematurely ended when M Evans (23) was run out by G Maynard’s direct hit. The game looked lost at 107 for 7. The tail wagged significantly though with useful contributions from Smallman 13, Horsburgh 18 and debutant Pedley not out 12, leaving Broadway with 16 to win off the final two at the crease and two overs left. When Stewart miscued over backward point he was snaffled at the second attempt which brought an entertaining contest to a close.

Broadway entertain Shipston next hoping to return to winning ways.