Defeat at Datchworth despite spirited bowling display

The visiting Northchurch side was invited to bat first and it was soon clear why, with openers Bexon and Suckling dealing with uneven bounce and sideways movement. Having negotiated the first few overs of the new ball, Bexon’s aggression cost him his wicket, identifying that going over the top would be a high risk option.

Datchworth were lifted by two in an over soon after. Smart, having started smartly, was undone by some alarming bounce that feathered his glove on the way through to the keeper, before two balls later Garraway received a very good Yorker that disturbed his stumps.

Northchurch needed to get a partnership going but Suckling was also back in the pavilion before long, having been drawn into playing a perfect delivery and edging to first slip.

Barry and Hobley settled down at the same time as the pitch looked to flatten out and the spinners were introduced, though lingering unevenness undid Barry, who chipped to mid-on in similar fashion to Bexon.

Hobley struggled for a partner as Lindsay, Patel and Fidler were all bowled in quick succession, before falling himself to a straightening delivery that ballooned to cover off the leading edge of a push to midwicket.

With ten important overs to get through, the last wicket partnership of Fantham and Vila felt comfortable and confident that they could add vital runs to the score. Things progressed well until one shot too many was the end of the captain, whose well struck hit to leg could not beat the breeze and dropped into the hand of his opposite number, ending the inning on 135.

Northchurch knew that they would need to bowl Datchworth out to secure victory. Intensity and energy were rewarded and the home team were reduced to four for 45 to keep the hopes alive. However, although the Church spinners were tough to get away, once the ball lost its hardness, the wickets were hard to come by.

Garraway eventually ended a partnership of 40 between Brilus, who had survived hitting the ball straight to mid-off early in his innings, and young Tom Vits. A quicker delivery found Brilus’ edge, then the gloves of Suckling.

By the time Romit Patel ran out Vits, another partnership of 40 with the watchful Sahni had all but won the game for Datchworth and it was left to Pybus to clonk the winners, leaving Northchurch to rue the couple of missed chances with the ball and the many missed chances with the bat.