Match Scorecard

Match Report

Match Report

Wooburn Narkovians 1sts continued their unbeaten start to the Thames Valley League season with an ultimately comfortable eight-wicket victory over Old Merchant Taylors 1sts at Wooburn Park on Saturday.



With hindsight, OMT’s decision to bat first probably turned out to be the wrong one, as the wicket, keeping low at the outset, played better and better as the afternoon progressed. Mark Tennant, returning from injury, demonstrated how important his bowling is to Wooburn by making early inroads into the visitors’ batting. Aided by having a couple of hundred children playing football right behind him as he ran in – courtesy of the annual Sportsfest tournament – Tennant sent OMT’s top three back to the pavilion in familiar fashion, reducing them to 41-3.



Lamb and Walter looked to be getting the innings back on track until James White, in the middle of a 10-over spell costing just 22 runs, picked up three wickets in two overs. At 79-6, the visitors’ innings could have subsided completely, but Lamb (70 not out) continued to bat sensibly, while McCabe and Daniels helped him to pick up the run rate. OMT’s cause was aided by Wooburn’s growing injury list, which left the home side looking a little laboured in the field.



Tennant returned to pick up two more wickets near the close of the innings, ending with 5-52 from 18 overs. Dave Small also bowled tidily at the death, as OMT finished on a creditable 188-9 from their 52 overs.



Andy Tennant and Tom Lees got Wooburn’s reply off to a tremendous start, compiling a century stand at a good rate. Tennant fell immediately after reaching a well-deserved fifty, at which point the runs dried up for a while and the required rate rose to five per over.



Fortunately, White was able to pick up the pace at the right time, dispatching 10 boundaries on his way to 56, before holing out with only eight runs needed. Dave Pidgeon joined Lees, who finished with a composed 64, to see Wooburn home with more than three overs to spare.