In the Chair UPDATED
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Sat August 5th: Firsts Ede to defeat at Castle Eden
When the batting fails early in the innings it usually spells disaster for the team and so it proved against the League champions. Put into bat and with high hopes of another upset and with 9 games unbeaten the firsts found themselves at four for 4 with Tudor, Dench, Smith and Little all enjoying a view from the boundary with 3 wickets to Richard Ede. Despite a further loss of Bill Gardner, David Hunt and Paul Bentham rescued the side with a 50 stand but once gone this time to Banks for 33 and 35 respectively the innings quickly subsided and only Neil Cuskeran with 12 got into double figures . The innings closed on 114 with Ede four for 29 and Banks three for 22 doing the damage. In reply despite the early loss of John Spellman for 8 bowled by David Earle, Higgins dominated the Quays attack and with small stands around him saw the home side home by 6 wickets in a comprehensive win at 115/4. Michael Hunt three for 42 was the pick of the Quays attack. Whilst this is a setback this is the first league defeat in 9 games but when you consider that our Club have just about supplied Gateshead Fell with a team we have done well to recover.
Scores:
Bill Quay 114 (D Hunt 33, P Bentham 35, R Ede 4-29, Banks 3-22)
Castle Eden 115-4 (Higgins 32, Hunt 3-42)
Castle Eeden won by 6 wkts - Castle Eden 20pts Bill Quay 1pt
Sat August 5th Seconds home to Castle Eden
The seconds batted first and lost two early wickets with only 23 on the board. However Craig Falcus and Chris Forshaw took the score to 103 before both were out for 47 and 28 respectively. Three more wickets also fell in quick succession and despite 15 not out from Sam Wraith and 12 from Chris Dunn the innings ended on 144 with the wickets shared by Harding, Dunn and Kirtley. Eden’s reply got off to good start with 56 for the first wicket before Greener was out for 29 but other stands between Brown 24, Kirtly 28 and an unbeaten 38 from Magee saw the visitors home at 148 for 4 and a comfortable win.
Scores:
Bill Quay 144 (C Falcus 47)
Castle Eden 148-4 (Magee 38*)
Castle Eden won by by 6 wkts - Castle Eden 20pts Bill Quay 3pts
Sat 29th July: Stalemate at the top
Firsts at home to Murton
Top v second with 20 points to the winners which could decide the League but only 8 points separate the top 4. The Quay were at full strength but lost the toss and were put in and how the visitors must have wished they had batted first with Mattie Dench and Jeff Tudor putting on 120 for the first wicket before Joe Dodd had Jeff caught for 79 and he was quickly followed by Paul Bentham without scoring and Mattie was bowled again by Joe Dodd for 30. More quick wickets fell with half the side out for 147. A small stand rallied the troops somewhat with Bill Gardner 22 and Chris Little 24no and in the end the Quay totalled 200 all out with Joe Dodd and Calvin Stephenson each claiming 4 wickets but in all the firsts lost their way a little after the good start and could not declare any earlier. Murtons reply got off to a poor start when Michael Hunt had Loscombe caught by Sean Smith but Lowes and Coxall put on 40 for the next wicket before the Hunt’s accounted for them both for 20 and 25 respectively and when Ian King was also bowled by David Hunt for 10 with the total on 94 the Quay were in with a shout but against darkening skies and with rain falling the players came off and 12 overs were lost and sadly this was to play a major part in the game with Murton content to stay at the crease despite crashing 2 sixes from Calvin Stephenson. However it was a game neither side could afford to lose so a draw was the result. Michael Hunt 2/40 from 13 overs bowled well. We live to fight another day but have some hard games to come up.
Scores:
Bill Quay 200 (J Tudor 79, M Dench 30
Murton 103-4
Match Drawn - Bill Quay 8pts Murton 5pts
Sat 29th July: Rare win for the seconds away to Murton
Bill Quay batted first and were in deep trouble losing their first two wickets without a run on the board. However Neil Cuskeran and Chris Forshaw added 40 for the next wicket but when both were out for 19 and 27 respectively the seconds were struggling at 72/8. However Chris Dunn 37 and Andrew Scoles 27 took the final total to 129 with Upperton four for 42 and Mahwinney four for 58. Murton were also in trouble and were 29 for five early in their innings with Sam Wraith taking the first 4 wickets to fall. However Upperton was playing a solo innings but wickets kept falling around him this time to Neil Cuskeran who finished with fine figures of five for 21 and Sam four for when Murton finished on 109 all out and a welcome win for the young second teamers.
Scores Bill Quay 129 (C Dunn 37, A Scholes 27, Upperton 4-42)
Murton 109 (Upperton 63, Cuskeran 5-21, Wraith 4-28)
Bill Quay won by 20 runs - Bill Quay 20pts Murton 4pts