Match Report
West Of England Premier League (Wilts Division)
Great Bedwyn v Marlborough 6th June 2015
Marlborough 252-3: Bedwyn 191 all out
Marlborough won by 61 Runs
Marlborough extended their lead at the top of the WEPL Wiltshire division to sixteen points with a 61 run win away at local rivals Great Bedwyn on Saturday.
Marlborough elected to bat on what was a slow wicket which gave little help to the home bowlers as Marlborough produced another batting team performance posting a 250 plus score for the 5th time this season.
Again as in past week’s the Marlborough total was built on sound partnerships with three seventy five plus partnerships at the centre of their 1st innings total. Tom Palmer and Ben Head in the absence of George Penfold opened the Marlborough innings and the pair got off to a slow steady start and had taken the visitors to 76 before Palmer was dismissed for 20 just before the drinks break.
Marlborough looked to build on their solid start and with wickets in hand looked to accelerate the score but lost Tom Jacques shortly afterwards for 12. Peter Day joined Head at the crease and with Day playing the anchor role Head begun to tick the scoreboard over a bit more freely. The pair put on a further 75 taking the score to 171 when Head was bowled by Max Andrews 10 runs short of his century. Head had bated for 136 balls scoring seven 4’s and two 6’s.
Arran Dickinson replaced Head at the crease and he in turn allowed Day to take the lead role and the pair saw Marlborough through to the close adding a further 81 runs to the total as Marlborough finished on 252. Day ended on 67 not out off 64 balls and Dickinson 28 off 17.
Marlborough’s team performance continued in the field and kept the pressure on the home batsmen from the outset. Great Bedwyn also seemed to get off to a good start and had taken the score to 40 before Head made the breakthrough in dismissing John Palmer for 7 in the 13th over.
Great Bedwyn then lost wickets on a regular basis and despite a 50 run partnership between Rich Bossam and Neil Maycock which briefly looked to threaten the Marlborough total the hosts were dismissed for 191 in the 48th over. All six Marlborough bowlers shared in the wickets with Will Langton and Tom Jacques leading the way with 3 for 36 and 2 for 22 respectively.
Marlborough Captain Arran Dickinson was delighted after the game with their 5th straight win and at having extended their lead at the top of the table.
“This was always going to be a tricky game and one that we could easily have messed up in. We have a very good friendly rivalry with Great Bedwyn and the teams know each other really well so I’m very relieved to have come away with a fairly good win.
Again we have bated and bowled well as a team around some very good individual performances. The atmosphere in the changing room is top rate and we are becoming more and more confident with each gamed played.”
Marlborough 2nds returned to winning ways with a 7 wicket win at home to Chipping Sodbury. The visitors posted 227 in their allotted overs before Ben Lambert blasted 105 to see the Marlborough home with 2 overs to spare.