Sunday, 15 May 2016

Eason and Foster set up crushing victory

Skipper Will Eason 3-17
SUPERB swing and seam bowling by skipper Will Eason and Pat Foster set Horspath on the way to a crushing eight-wicket victory at Gerrards Cross in Serious Cricket Home Counties Premier League Division 2.

Having won the toss and put the hosts in on what looked a good pitch with a touch of moisture, Eason quickly got to work with a masterful opening spell. He took two wickets with consecutive balls in his first over to make it 1-2, trapping Australian Harry Nichols and Billy Hunt lbw before bowling Matthew Watson through the gate as the Bucks club slumped to 10-3.

Foster, coming on as first change, then got in on the act, having Daniel Hampton caught by Mark Skelton at extra cover. He then induced an edge behind to wicket-keeper Robbie Eason from Malkeet Dhaliwal, before Matthew Brown drove a delivery straight to Shahbaz Ali at mid-off to make it 26-6. 

Skelton was next to strike with Lloyd Belcher taking the catch at mid-on to see off Richard Knudsen, and when Foster and Shahbaz combined again to dismiss Jonathan Denning it was 63-8. Left-arm spinner Belcher wrapped up the innings by trapping Elliott Green lbw and then having Joseph Bracey caught by Will Eason at slip for figures of 2-2 as Cross crashed to 78 all out off 34.5 overs.

Foster finished with 4-17 and Will Eason 3-17, while Sam Westaway was unbeaten on 22 not out with his runs made up entirely of singles.

Jimmy Phillips had an early let-off in Horspath's reply when he was dropped at square leg by Dhaliwal off Hampton, before he hit Green for four boundaries in an over. He had made 23 when he sent a mistimed shot off Green to Bracey at mid-wicket, making it 36-1. Shahbaz Ali took the score to 73 with opener Robbie Eason, before he was caught behind by Nichols off Denning.

It was left to Rameez Raja to finish the job in style by hitting his first ball from Bracey for a straight six into the tennis courts. Robbie Eason was unbeaten on 28 as Horspath made it two wins out of two.

Posted by: Russ