Saturday, August 6,  2011

Skipper Chris Ringham picked up his third six wicket haul of the summer as the
1st Xl completed a Tucker League double over Ramsey on Saturday, to extend their lead at the top of the table.

The left-arm swing bowler reckons it was his best performance of the year as he took 6-45 as the home side were surprisingly bowled out for just 87, having elected to bat first, in the seven wicket victory.

Ringham picked up his his first wicket with his third delivery and added a second after Matt Wilcox pitched in with a brace, as Ramsey struggled to 39-4 inside 10 overs.

Wilcox finished with 2-30 and Stuart Mills, who took two wickets in two balls and narrowly missed a hat-trick, returned figures of 2-8.

The Aussie was one of the three wickets to fall, for 22, with his opening partner Tommy Howgego carrying on from his unbeaten 63 at Foxton the previous week, to make another useful 23.

Carl Chapman smacked a typically robust 20 in the 88-3 finish, with Shardul Brahmbhatt hitting his first delivery over the ropes in his 10 not out, in what could be his final game of the season as he travels to India.

Sunday, August 7,  2011

A career best 89 at first team level from Josh Jackman steered the Sunday 1st Xl to a convincing 70-run victory at Uppingham and fourth place in Rutland League
Division 1.

The university student returned from holiday to share in a fifth wicket stand of 94 with teenager Tyler Phillips, who having missed a large part of the season through injury, made a competent 31 in the 208-9 total.

Jackman, coming in at No5, hit 14 boundaries during his stay at the crease - following a steady start by Tommy Howgego (25) and Matt Wilcox (18)

Phillips also managed a quick six over spell (1-14), before Jordan Morgan took the wicket of Uppingham dangerman Mark Cox. And with 15-year-old Toby Nulty and James Harradine both taking three wicket hauls, the home side were bowled out for 138.

Slow left-armer Harradine claimed a wicket with his first ball during his 3-17 off four overs, with Nulty taking 3-10 off just three overs.

Saturday, August 13,  2011

The two stand out players - Matt Wilcox and Chris Ringham -  brushed aside bottom club Granta 2nd Xl by seven wickets at The Avenue on Saturday, as the 1st Xl racked up their eleventh win from their last 12 Tucker League fixtures.

The side haven't lost since a close defeat at home to Foxton on May 14 and have been sitting on top of the league since June 11.

Skipper Chris Ringham took 4-21, to take his wickets tally to 30 in his last eight games, as the visitors were dismissed for just 129. Wicketless at the pavilion end, he switched ends to take three wickets within two overs as the ball swung - six overs in total ending in maidens.

All-rounder Tommy Howgego pitched in with 3-16 off just 5.4 overs and teenager Tyler Phillips, back from a serious back injury, returned 2-49...his first Tucker League wickets since his five against Ramsey on May 21. Phillips put in two good shifts of seven overs during the bowling absence of Wilcox.

The stage was then set for the Aussie to thump an unbeaten 82 off 66 balls in the 132-3 reply. The opener crashed 14 boundaries - one a 'six' off the final ball - as the win was secured in 19 overs.

Carl Chapman made another useful 24 off 15 balls.

Sunday, August 14,  2011

The Sunday 1st Xl's run of six consecutive wins in Rutland League Division 1 came to an end, when they lost by three wickets in the final over at The Avenue to Finedon.

Matt Wilcox hit 85 in the all out total of 206, with James Hilliard (30) and David Hodson (26) producing the back-up scores.

Tyler Phillips continued his recovery after injury with an impressive 4-43, as the visitors squeezed home with one ball to spare.

Saturday, August 20,  2011

The 1st Xl slipped to their first Tucker League defeat in three months, when they fell 10 agonising runs short at Nassington on Saturday. But they still remain top, although their lead has been cut to 12 points.

Fingers will no doubt be pointed at the frailty of the batting, but when games have been won most weeks with just the top four batsmen getting to the crease, it's not easy coming in with no runs under your belt.

Even so, it was a game March should have won - having been 120-3 after just 20 overs, requiring 168 to win.

Matt Wilcox cracked 10 boundaries, including a 'six' at the top of the order on his way to 56. He figured in an opening stand of 65 with Tommy Howgego (22) as they cruised to what looked a certain victory.

Carl Chapman (18) and James Hilliard (30) took the score to 134 before the latter became the first victim of leg-spinner Harry Chappell. With the wicket turning, he went on to take 5-34 as only one batsman got into double-figures from No5 downwards - the visitors being bowled out for 157.

Nassington too got off to a decent start at 99-2 and looked to be heading for a big score, as Wilcox was again unable to bowl.

Up stepped second team seamer Josh Jackman to pick up two wickets, with teenage opening bowler Tyler Phillips taking 3-47. But the real surprise package was the 4-8 return of occasional bowler Chapman.

Sunday, August 21,  2011

Another terrific innings from Josh Jackman and a four wicket haul from Tommy Howgego helped the 1st Xl to one of their most thrilling Sunday victories in Rutland League Division 1 - beating a strengthened Market Deeping side by 15 runs.

Jackman followed up his best first team score of 89 a fortnight ago with another 71 - Tyler Phillips also looking good for his 34 in the all out total of 140.

Jackman came in at No6 and hit 10 boundaries, including a 'six' after the visitors had made the worst start imaginable - four wickets down for just nine runs off seven overs.

After tea, Callum Young led the bowling attack with 3-15, but it was Howgego's
4-18 off just four overs and Jackman's 2-2 off two overs that clinched victory, as the home side were rolled over for 127.

Saturday, August 27,  2011

Back-to-back defeats for the 1st Xl has thrown the race for the Tucker League title wide open - Saturday's six wicket reversal at the hands of Wisbech Town leaving them just a single point clear at the top.

Having slipped to their first Saturday defeat in three months the previous week, March put up a lack lustre performance as they lost at home in the local derby fixture, after being bowled out for 149 on a wet wicket.

With water  seeping under the covers on the original track, the toss was an important one to win. March were inserted and Matt Wilcox was dismissed off the final ball of the second over with just two boundaries to his name.

The in-form Carl Chapman helped recover the situation with a second wicket stand of 34 with Tommy Howgego (16), before going on to top score with 29. Five others batters got into double figures, including prolific second team run-scorer Rob Moden who hit a decent 25.

But in the end it was spin that again was their undoing, as Wisbech's Craig Johnson took 5-34.

Skipper Chris Ringham got March off to the best possible start with a wicket from his first delivery, but with Aussie Wilcox unable to bowl the league's most potent attack was blunted.

Short deliveries simply sat up and were dispatched and it was not until the introduction of Chapman's gentle seamers that wickets started to fall. He picked up a useful 3-49, but it was not enough.

Ramsey picked up a maximum 25 points to move into second spot, with Godmanchester's game abandoned through rain.

Sunday, August 28,  2011

Bourne skipper Peter Morgan hit a mighty 134 as the 1st Xl lost by 75 runs at The Avenue on Sunday in Rutland League Division 1.

The visitors were 129-8 at one stage until Morgan started to find the short boundary in the all out total of 236. Tommy Howgego with 4-60 and Josh Jackman with 3-41 were the main wicket-takers.

And just to add to the first team's bowling problems stand-in skipper Stuart Mills turned an ankle and had to leave the field after the fifth ball of his first over. He joins Matt Wilcox (back) and Tyler Phillips (back) on the treatment table.

And Wilcox's luck didn't get much better after tea with the bat, when he went for six - his second low score of the weekend. Mind you that wasn't quite as bad as his opener partner David Hodson, who managed to bag a pair!

Of the top order, James Hilliard scored 35 before Howgego and Jackman put on 50 runs for the seventh wicket - Howgego hitting 38 and Jackman 35. Callum Young weighed in with 24 in the final total of 161.