Match Scorecard

Match Report

Wooburn hang on after collapse

The 2nd XI played out the last 5 overs to secure a draw against promotion rivals Chiswick & Latymer 3rds, after at one stage being comfortably in control of their run chase. A dismal middle-order collapse destroyed hopes of victory, but skipper Jeff Morris, well supported by Ben Sturgess, Phil Cuthbert and Steve Vinter, ensured that total disaster was avoided.



At the start of the day, Jaffa won a useful toss and inserted the home side on a rock hard pitch. The only concern was the whereabouts of Pete Selleck. The early overs saw Chiswick opener Naqvi making the most of some overpitched deliveries, but once Phil Cuthbert came into the attack, his scoring slowed.



Smally made the early inroads, removing the top three, while Curtley tied them down at the other end. Pete Selleck took a couple of useful wickets, but Carey made the most of a dropped catch to hit a rapid 63. Towards the end, Longley and Bryan took the Chiswich total up to a challenging 248-6.



The Wooburn reply got off to an excellent start, 50 coming up in the tenth over, before Angus was caught at mid off. Run machine Pete Selleck fell to a good yorker, but Rob Rogers and Alan Cuthbert put the innings back on track, and the Narks reached 110-2 with 25 over remaining.



Against mediocre bowling, the game looked in the bag, but the careless dismissal of Alan started a collapse that effectively put us out of the game. 110-2 became 126-7, and we faced a battle to hold on for a draw.



Ben Sturgess hit some nice shots, before Jaffa and Phil came together in a morale boosting stand of 45 for the ninth wicket. Phil, content to let his brother do his running, hit 32 before holing out to cover. It was then left to the dependable Steve Vinter to survive the last five overs.



An opportunity lost and now we face a real battle over the closing weeks of the season.