Heyes a revelation as 3s cruise to third successive win

Mick’s blog:

As you would expect I did another wonderful job leading the 3s to a good win.  Club Fantasy cricket followers who have me in their team  will be delighted about my second successive fivefor.  This week I turned my attention to the top order and was  disappointed to concede 19 runs.  See report below. 

 

Ipplepen III 145 for 9  Dartington & Totnes III 149 for 6

D&T (18 points) beat Ipplepen (5 points) by 4 wickets

Simon Heyes starred with an unbeaten 44 as the third eleven swept to their third successive victory.  It was a good win for the threes who had several players on debut.

Winning the toss again D&T inserted their opponents on a wet track at Cockington.  Alex Hartridge bowling downhill was unlucky not to get a breakthrough against Pens skipper Chris Partridge who edged a sharp chance to the keeper.  Ollie Perkins bowling uphill has an erratic opening spell and runs were flowing far too freely, as Ipplepen got off to a good start, on what appeared to be a far from easy track.  Partridge was forced to retire temporarily but this made little difference to the scoring rate.  After ten overs Steve Mackinlay and Mick Rusling came into the attack and the run flow was stemmed.  Rusling bowled opener Harris (12) with his second delivery but then the heavens opened and after an enforced break the match was reduced to 40 overs per side.

D&T sportingly agreed to continue with the pitch wet and the bowler’s footholds very slippery.  It appeared only a matter of time before rain would halt the proceedings for good.  In miserable conditions Rusling struck again bowling Powell for 16 with a full toss and then producing a beautiful delivery to bowl David Alsop for 18. The rain held off and after a while the sun shone. Debutant Tyler Walton came on with his off spin and bowled a good line and length.  He was unlucky not to take a wicket in his first over when Maynard cracked the ball straight to Mackinlay on the onside boundary but unfortunately he lost sight of the ball in the trees.

Hartridge returned bowling up the hill, since the footholds were too precarious downhill for pace bowling.  He soon took a wicket, bowling the returnee, Partridge (25), off his legs leaving the scorebook reading ‘Partridge bowled Hartridge’. Perkins (2 for 25) came back on, bowling downhill off a shortened run-up and had a remarkable transformation.  After trapping Maynard lbw for 14 and then bowling Powell he had a smile as wide as the Cockington bowl itself.  His final three overs yielded only 3 runs.

Rusling (5 for 19) had Thomas caught behind by Raud and then bowled Horrocks for 18 and Walton bowled Bolaise for 5 as Pens closed on 145 for 9, which seemed a good score on that wicket.

It seemed an even better score when Pens took two early wickets.  Darren Colegate, with his spectacles on debut, dug in.  Steve Mackinlay cranked up the scoring rate and exuded class, hitting three sixes in his 26, before succumbing to a top edge with D&T still requiring the best part of 100 runs. Colegate was keeping up an end but barely scoring and there was some anxiety that this could prove extremely costly.   Enter Simon Hayes who had not previously picked up a bat this season.  Hayes played a wonderful innings, the high point being a straight driven 6 which nobody was aware he had in his repertoire. Colegate procured a runner after complaining of tight hamstrings and his scoring rate accelerated as Paul Brint, running for him, was able to turn ones into twos.  31 overs had passed before Colegate reached the boundary and ironically he was run out for 29 in the 33rd over.  Alex Hartridge, who continues to bowl outstandingly, was run out with victory in sight and it was left to Heyes and the ‘born again’ Perkins to see D&T home to an excellent win with three overs to spare.

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