SJFCC – 79 all out (19.4 overs)
Gardenfields – 80-2
Top performers:
Watson – 25 not out
Hoskins – 18 runs and 1 excellent catch
A rather sub-par batting performance on another tricky Verulamium Park pitch led to us being on the receiving end of a bit of a thumping. No runs off the bat for the first two overs set the tone for the innings, and although Hoskins started to free his arms, once he was caught and Nick and Anthony had made early bids for the Ducks Trophy, the score was 20-3 with Hoskins having scored 90% of the team’s runs. Even Watson found the going tough, but some decent striking from Walmsley and Danni towards the end means we at least had something to bowl at.
Me and Walmsley opened the bowling and kept the run-rate down in the first few overs, with Hoskins taking an excellent catch diving to his left to give Walmsley a wicket. Watson also took a fine catch but the wicket was overturned thanks to a dubious no ball shout. Danni took first change and despite the first ball disappearing behind square for four, bowled the opening bat off his pad with the second. Sadly that was about as good as it got as Gardenfields then coasted relatively comfortably towards the target, reaching it with 5.1 overs to spare.