Marlborough 1sts – v. Swindon 1sts
Marlborough 185/9, Swindon 180/9. Marlborough win by 5 runs
A win at last! The match was delayed by 90mins by a squally shower that slowly passed through mid to late morning reducing the contest to 39 overs per side. Swindon won the toss and elected to bowl.
Marlborough started their innings briskly with captain Harrison Painter positive from the outset, supported by Olly Bendall. The first wicket fell in the 8th over when Bendall was bowled for 4 by Bennet-Thomas.
Will Taylor Joined Painter but was judged LBW for 6. A couple of quick wickets including Painter for 26 left Marlborough 57/4 and up against it.
Conner Hetherton joined Parth Gandhi in the middle and began to craft the recovery. Tidy and measured to start, Hetherton took singles when on offer and put the bad ball away. Swindon went to pace off the ball and Hetherton to advantage when opportunity knocked posting some mighty blows into the car park, with one over going for 18, giving the home side a chance of getting in the game. Gandhi fell for 7 after rotating the strike for Hetherton.
Hetherton finally holed out going for another big shot falling on a 51 ball 63. Zak Tunmore took to the middle and played some good shots and adding a further 20 to the total. Zach Collister and Richard Turnell chipped in with a few each. Bruce Crook entertained the supporters with a couple of fours on the way to an unbeaten 12 and Brad Whatley was 1 not out at the end of the innings. Marlborough posting 185/9 off their 39overs.
Marlborough opened their attack with James Hawkes, bowling with pace and accuracy from the forest end, his first scalp coming in the 3rd over caught by Z Collister. Painter opened at the other end bowling tightly and keeping the rate down. Zak Tunmore took over in the 7th over and with Hawkes looked to keep the pressure on. Hawkes took the next wicket a good low catch from Gandhi behind the stumps.
Hawkes & Tunmore continued to bowl very tightly, frustrating the Swindon batsmen and keeping the scoring low and run rate rising. Hawkes was replaced by Whatley who bowled his best spell of the season. Working through his variations claiming 3 wickets, putting the home side in the box seat.
Painter picking up a wicket of his own, he turned to Will Taylor to have a bowl who, like those before, bowled well and with good discipline. Picking up a wicket of his own, with pace off the ball working and other all bowled out, Painter took the gloves off Gandhi to allow him to bowl his off spin. Bowling remained tight and work in the field was excellent.
The rate climbed and Swindon needed 18 from the last over. A good piece of fielding from Bendall provided the run out of the dangerous Liyanage for 71 and leaving Gandhi to bowl out the over and secure a very welcome win for the Trees. A great performance from all the bowlers and others in the field.
Marlborough 2nds – v. Coastal Cobras
Coastal Cobras 197, Marlborough 200/2. Marlborough win by 8 wickets
This Saturday saw the 2nd XI travel to Woodlands St Mary to play the Coastal Cobras. The side arrived full of confidence after five wins in a row, knowing that a sixth was required to keep them in the hunt for promotion.
Coastal Cobras won the toss and elected to bat first, making a quick start, with openers Yasir Irshad and Javid Ahmad Niazi punishing anything off line. However, Marlborough opening bowler Udhav Bhan quickly settled into his rhythm and was rewarded with the wicket of Irshad, caught behind by Dave Slater for 15.
Bahn’s next over was even better, shaping two balls away from Cobra’s captain Edgar De Sousa before bowling a delivery that cut in, De Sousa leaving the ball and being bowled for 2. Bhan bowled through, finishing with figures of 9-1-29-2.
At the other end Mohammed Salman (9-0-39-1) supported with a disciplined spell, picking up the wicket of Cleatus Pereira, caught by captain Nick Crabbe for 15, leaving Cobras 75-3.
Javid and David Novais came together for a solid 4th wicket partnership of 66, running well and frustrating the fielders, before Novais was bowled by Hassaan Asif for 26. Javid went on to pass 100 but with Novais gone there was little support at the other end. Asif picked up the wickets of Ashlan (caught by Ben Head for 7) and Valenco (bowled for 0) with consecutive deliveries, finishing with figures of 9-0-47-3.
Head was bowling a dangerous spell himself, and after several chances had fallen short of the fielders, he was rewarded with the wicket of Stanley Vas (6), caught by Mohit Jaswal at square leg. Simon Wells, aging like a fine wine, was the man to finally dismiss Javid, caught by Salman for 105. There was another wicket a piece for Head (8.1-1-31-2) and Wells (4-0-16-2), just reward for two excellent spells, as the Cobras were all out for 197.
Nick Crabbe and Andy Crabbe opened the batting and got off to a flyer, reaching 40-0 after 5 overs and putting a decent dent in the chase, Andy Crabbe passing 5,000 club runs in the process.
After a couple of loose overs, Noor began to swing the ball and bowled Andy Crabbe for 15, with Crabbe playing a horrible hoick across the line which will probably give him sleepless nights. Nick Crabbe was joined by Pete Day and the pair batted patiently, offering virtually no encouragement to a Cobras attack that was lacking venom.
Indeed, it came as a surprise when Crabbe feathered an edge to the keeper off Ashwin Dias, out for 44 with Marlborough 88-2 from 18 overs. Whatever joy that brought to the Cobras was short-lived, as Hassaan Asif joined Day and quickly looked comfortable.
The run rate continued to fall as the pair combined good running with strong boundary hitting. Coastal Cobras looked all at sea and didn’t help themselves with poor ground fielding and a couple of dropped catches.
Both Day (58) and Asif (67) passed fifty and it was left to Day to strike the winning boundary and bring up the 200 for an extra batting point, securing the win in just 36 overs. It was a commanding performance from Marlborough, who host 2nd place Purton at the Savernake Forest Ground this Saturday.
Marlborough 3rds – v. Nationwide 2nds
Marlborough 200 all out. Nationwide win by 2 wickets
Nationwide won the toss and put Marlborough into bat. After the openers were removed, a great partnership from Niloy and Savin put together a nice partnership with some big hitting from both batsmen.
Niloy was then caught for a quick 36 and Marlborough were 91/4 at the halfway point of the innings. Savin continued playing very nicely, reaching 42 before also being caught.
Arran Aulja managed to shake off his night out/early morning in Old Town to put together good partnerships with Hari, who scored 31 on his debut, and Stu to take Marlborough to 200 all out.
Marlborough’s captain Charlie and Inder took one early wicket apiece, before Nationwide fought back to 94/2. Savin broke that partnership with his first wicket for the club bowling a great spell leading to more wickets falling and Nationwide struggling on 164/8.
Two huge appeals, one for a run out another for a stumping, were turned down controversially and Nationwide managed to win a very close game by 2 wickets with one ball remaining
Two local gardens to be open as part of the National Garden Scheme
