Shipston at foot of table after defeat (From Cotswold Journal)

Shipston at foot of table after defeat

7:20pm Thursday 9th July 2009

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Shipston 165-all out, Wellesbourne 167-7.

A GOOD start, a fine middle but a disappointing end to their innings left Shipston some 30 runs short as they crashed to a three-wicket defeat to remain bottom of the Cotswold Hills League Premier Division.

Batting first, Shipston’s Matthew Corby (21) and Julian Morris raced to 49 in less than 10 overs before the former was caught by Matjaszek off Matt Stephenson. Gary Betteridge matched Corby’s tally this time with Maynard holding the chance for Mike Plant.

Plant struck again, bowling Morris for 39, but 96-3 from 21 overs suggested a 200-plus score was on the cards.

Losing Howard Bentham (3) was a blip but Jack Murphy and Matthew Pratt were looking in control and in good form as the pair advanced the score to 156 by the 39th over.

Gary Maynard bowled Pratt (11) with the penultimate ball of his fifth over and Tom Stephenson had Murphy (39) caught by Matjaszek with the first ball of the next.

But it was his last over that caused a collapse of the Shipston tail, Maynard picking up three further wickets to finish with 4-28.

Not only had Shipston crashed to 165 all out, they had gifted the home side two extra overs.

In reply, Wellesbourne’s Gary Maynard offered a fairly straightforward catch in the third over that was not taken and went on to punish the visitors for that lapse, reaching 34 before Dave Pyne picked up his wicket in the 14th over.

Prasad had supported Maynard well and was unlucky when adjudged lbw to Betteridge for 28.

Plant (32) and Dave Barnet (34) had reached 132 and, with eight wickets in hand and only 34 needed from 16 overs, the game should have been a formality.

Bentham made the breakthrough with the ball after taking off the keeper’s kit and his replacement Murphy took the catch to end Plant’s fine innings.

Morris then removed Barnet caught by Pratt and Betteridge brought back into the attack his opening bowler Corby who bowled superbly.

Corby was unlucky only to pick up the one wicket, his 100th in the league, when Jarrett (8) edged to keeper Murphy. Morris struck again with the score on 163, Tom Hussleby (8) was the victim when Betteridge held on to the chance at backward point, another century milestone being the skipper’s 100th league outfield catch.

Six wickets down became seven with Michael Brown bowling at a lively pace too quick for Havers (7).

Skipper Tom Stephenson played out a maiden and, with just three runs needed and nerves jangling, Evans found enough of an edge to score the winning runs for Wellesbourne.

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