Match Report

First XI vs Mere

Lost - 12 points.

Hale Barns turned up to find, despite a damp outfield, a dry wicket. A quick cut, roll and mark and we were up for reversing the previous week's defeat.

Mere skipper Pinnington called correctly and, after a bit of hesitation, inserted the home side. Jake Warner and Mike Filson opened up with a good before Warner was (I think!) caught behind by M Eckstein off of Pinnington.

Filson continued to flay the bowling with a number of mighty sixes and fours as he put together his best knock of the campaign so far. His personal fifty rattled up with less than 60 runs on the board.

However, this belied the fact that it was a tricky pitch to bat on which was underlined when Jaiswal was adjudged LBW and Filson skied one to be caught in the ring in quick succession. Hale Barns 68/3.

Pinnington was bowling his heart out (22-7-60-5) and it was left to Wood and Collins to rebuild the innings. They put on a fifty partnership before Collins (17) and Wood (33) were back in the pavilion within deliveries of each other. Dunley again showed he has the potential to become a quality allrounder with a composed 17 not out to add to his other knocks and HBCC fell just short of the desired 170 max bat points.

This was an above par total on the wicket and HBCC were confident they could bowl Mere out. Dunley and Molloy took the new ball and, once more, ripped the heart out of the opps top order taking two wickets each with Jaiswal superbly running out their Aussie Nickolls with a direct hit.

Problem was Dan Eckstein had hung about despite the audacious movement of Dunley and the stoatish wile of Molloy. At 5 down he decided to take the attack to the bowling and with some magnificent hitting - big straight 6 into the mansion a la Chris Gayle - turned the game on its head.

With an able partner in Pinnington (36 not out) - they put on a 100 partnership in no time. It was at that point that we shelled Eckstein 3 times in succession. This was to prove costly.

A last throw of the dice so the reintroduction of Molloy. Who bowled Eckstein of this pads for a superb 90 - I haven't seen better in the almost 4 years I've been at Hale Barns. Unbelievably, Molloy then followed up with two more in the same over. Game, somehow, back on.

Pinnington (who had a great all round game) and Jones, however saw them home. Jones somehow managed to smear the ball about despite apparently playing the ball from square leg against Dunley.

A funny old game - Out of the 10 Mere batsmen who walked to the wicket - half of them would go back with a duck! However, a class act won the game for Mere.

Next week is a must win game v Barrow.