Westbury Defeat 3rd's in Close game

On yet another baking hot day in haec aestas mirabilis Marshfield 3rds lost a tight encounter with Westbury and District 3rds by 2 wickets with just one ball to spare. Despite posting a total that on most occasions at Tormarton would be competitive, the unusually dry conditions and for once short outfield suggested that 173 was perhaps 25 runs short and probatum est.

Jim, proving himself yet again an excellent tosser, won and elected to bat. The Marshfield openers average age was perhaps a little high, but not as high as the age-gap between them, with the honourable Professor Guy boasting around 50 years more life experience than the youthful Josh Gay. Alas, a hoped-for epic partnership of Guy and Gay did not materialise. Richard, being fed a diet of long hops and full tosses rapidly plundered two boundaries but then, with a horrified, haunted look, gently pulled a further long hop to backward of square, and his Butleresque cameo was done. Not to be outdone, your correspondent strode out, faced one ball and then returned to the pavilion, undone by a fullish pitched ball that reared alarmingly, took a glove and looped to gulley. Two first balls in a row are starting to erode the confidence…

So astonishingly, considering the less than challenging nature of the opening over, Marshfield were now 8-2 at barely 1.05 pm. Young Josh was joined by George ‘Princess’ Pollitt, for once not nursing a hangover, and the two gradually eased into a partnership. Josh played nicely for his 9, looked comfortable for the most part, before departing with the score at 56. Two more quick wickets, Chris Ruddell and the Princess, who had never really looked fluent, and suddenly Marshfield were back into the mire, at 77-5.

The innings was rescued in the short term by the two Ollies, Rogers-Jones and Hendy. Their 45 run partnership included some crunching boundaries, but too often included long becalmed stretches, including one run a 30 or more balls without a run. It is certainly true that the pitch held some demons, but the bowling was never especially threatening. After the Ollie Double-Barrelled missed a straight one, the other Ollie was joined by Callum, who succeeded in raising the temp with four excellent boundaries. At the close Marshfield were 173 for 7.

After the now customary sumptuous tea, Westbury set about chasing down the required runs.

Early wickets proved elusive, and it fell to Graham Tanner as the first change to affect the breakthrough, inducing a swirling skier from Mawson which was well poached by Chris Ruddell. Graham then removed Shallow, leaving Westbury at 62-2, and with Nitz favouring the bottom hand it seemed that more wickets might quickly follow. However, some steady batting and a handful of luck allowed a partnership to form, taking the total to 126 before Ollie Double-Barrelled grasped a sharp caught and bowled chance at the second attempt. With limited runs to play with it seemed that Westbury would ease to victory, however for 162-3, the visitors collapsed to 172-8, and the wickets also reduced the scoring rate, so that Westbury entered the last over still needing 3 for the win. Despite some accurate bowling from George Pollitt, on the penultimate ball, Higgins beat the close field and the game was done. George finished with two wickets, Ollie Rog with three.

The total of 173 was clearly too few with the dry outfield at Tormarton. Marshfield could claim to have been slightly unlucky, although too many poor shots certainly contributed.

MoM Ollie Double-Jones for his attacking batting, tidy bowling and catch.

Tim Wooman