Wimborne & Colehill 2nds back on winning trail

Ferndown Wayfarers 2nd XI 143ao lost to Wimborne & Colehill 2nd XI 199-7 by 56 runs

 

Wimborne & Colehill got back on the winning trail after a good all round team performance enabled them to get a 20 point win on a questionable pitch at West Moors.

 

Winning the toss and electing to bat, skipper Neil Tape hoped his batsmen would get the best of the pitch, and the openers Hall and George Bartlett got the team off to a solid start, with runs coming well from one end and none at all from the other opening bowler. Wiley slow bowler Ballam was quickly introduced which slowed the scoring rate at both ends, but on a pitch that was already showing incosistent bounce it was important to accumulate runs without the need to go ballistic. Bartlett was first to go caught off Ballam for 9, and he was soon followed back in to the pavilion by Jones (1) by the same bowler, who took his figures to 2-8 from 6 overs. Hall was then joined at the crease by Dunk, and the two of them started to move the score along, punishing short balls to the boundary and getting singles by making the most of some less than stellar fielding by the home team. They put on a partnership of 50  before Hall got a horrible delivery that popped off a length leaving him fending off for an easy catch after scoring 43.

 

Collison was in and out in one ball after being trapped lbw in front first ball, leaving Wimborne 87-4. Fenner then entered and with Dunk taking the leading role in the partnership, the two of them put on 76 for the 5th wicket. The partnership was ended when Dunk was on the receiving end of a ball that stayed very low, and he was lbw for an excellent 72. Cook then came to the crease and quickly set about upping the run rate with some powerful hitting, and clipping the first of two sixes into the leg side. Trying to up the run rate, Fenner was bowled for 11, but Cook continued his good work, hitting a second powerful 6 whilst Oliver (3), and Nye (2*) edged singles to give him the strike. After the 45 overs Cook had scored 34*, and Wimborne & Colehill had got to 199, an excellent score on a track that was certainly giving some assistance to the bowlers.

 

The Ferndown Wayfarers response got off to an excellent start with opening bowlers Cook (0-19) and Tape (1-30) struggling with their length early on, despite Tape snapping up Stanton (12), caught at silly mid off by Cook. Spin was quickly introduced to the game with Nye and Tim Bartlett both bowling by the 7th over, and the introduction particularly of Bartlett slowed things right down, with his first 3 overs being maidens. Nye snared the wicket of the second opener Thake (21), caught in the gully by Bartlett, and he was soon followed by Charlton (0) thanks to a juggling catch by Oliver, and Fillingham (0) who was caught by Tape. With their opponents 54-4, Wimborne & Colehill knew they had to push forward the advantage and not let the Wayfarers batsmen back in, but as they got more comfortable with the slow bowling the 6th wicket partnership laboured along to 27. Bartlett finally got the wicket his tight bowling well deserved, Smith caught excellently by Cook running in and diving forwards from the boundary. Bartlett finished with figures of 1-33 off his 12 overs, but it was the excellent start to his spell that really pushed the match back in Wimborne & Colehill’s favour. Ferndown Wayfarer’s then put on another decent partnership, this time of 45 for the 7th wicket, frustrating Wimborne who knew the chance was there for all 20 points if they could bowl their opponents out.

 

The wicket finally came when Oliver tempted Forrest (17) out of his crease one too many times, Fenner whipping off the bails behind the stumps. The 8th wicket came soon after, with the same two involved in the same way for the wicket for Jones (5). Oliver (3-17) then got his 3rd wicket of the innings, Tape taking his second catch of the game. With attacking fields now set to ensure the taking of the final two wickets, Collison (1-18) had Stroud caught by Oliver, and then finally Ballam (3) snicked off behind off Nye (4-24), and Ferndown Wayfarers had been bowled out for 143, 56 shy of Wimborne & Colehill’s total.

 

This was a good team performance and victory on an ‘interesting’ surface, with Dunk, Hall and Cook setting the tone with the bat, and Nye, Oliver and Bartlett excelling with the ball, along with some good fielding by the whole team. 20 points was well deserved, and with 3 wins out of the last 4 completed games the team are starting to show what they can do. Tape will be hoping that run of form continues next week at home to Bere Regis.

Category: 2nds