Match Scorecard

Match Report

Match Report

Wooburn Narkovians 2nd XI continued their winning ways, but made hard work of chasing Royal Ascot 2nd XI’s modest 87 in a match reduced to 74 overs by the weather. It was left to the experienced pair of Stuart Savage and Graham Dare to add an unbeaten 36 for the sixth wicket to ease Wooburn to victory.



Royal Ascot surprisingly opted to bat first under threatening clouds and it was not long before the players were forced from the field for a prolonged rain delay. 26 overs were lost, but when the game restarted the batsmen showed little urgency, seeming intent only on survival. The Ascot score reached just 17-2 from the first 17 overs, Rob Rogers reeling off seven successive maidens in a miserly spell.



In the wet conditions, Wooburn employed their slow bowlers throughout to good effect. Peter Harper picked up the majority of the wickets, taking 5-52, with only Baker showing any real intent to hit the ball. He made a quickfire 32, but the visitors could still only muster 87-9 from their 39 overs.



The Wooburn reply got off to the worst possible start when Angus Porter was out in the first over. Derek Milsom and Rob Smith soon followed, as all the top order batsmen struggled on the slow pitch, with the unlikely slow medium pace of Ames proving particularly effective. Alan Cuthbert and Dave Jordan managed a couple of boundaries each, but their dismissals left Wooburn at 53-5 and the match in the balance.



With plenty of overs in hand, Savage and Dare knew that occupation of the crease was all that was needed, and they bided their time, patiently knocking off the remaining runs to complete another Wooburn win. Ames finished with creditable figures of 4-30.