1st XI Match Report

DATE: Saturday 4th June 2005
OPPONENTS: North Warwickshire
VENUE: Atherstone
RESULT: Match Drawn
POINTS: Atherstone 15pts, North Warwickshire 7pts

Atherstone continued their impressive start to the season, claiming 15 points from their drawn game with local rivals North Warwickshire on Saturday after dominating most of the contest and falling only 2 wickets short of victory.

Asked to bat first after skipper Vic Clements had lost the toss for the fifth time in six matches, the Adders made a cautious start on a good wicket kept covered from Friday’s thunderstorms but still offering the bowlers occasional assistance.

The main foundation of the innings was laid by a third wicket stand of 100 in only 15 overs between Matt Pickering and Luke Reeves. Pickering hit a six and six fours in a polished 82 while Reeves made the North Warwick bowlers struggle after a nervy start, hitting two big sixes in his 59.

After both had departed, Simon Grayson (41 not out off only 26 balls) and Craig Wintersgill flayed the tiring attack, adding 50 off the last six overs to take the Adders to an imposing 274 for 5 off their allotted 50 overs. John Matthews perservered well for North Warwicks, taking 2-94 in 19 overs.

The North Warwick innings never really got started with Andy Freeman and in-form skipper Richard Adams departing early on and despite a third wicket stand of 47 between Andy Lawton and Steve Kelly, wickets continued to fall at regular intervals.

Steve Healey (2-52) and young off-spinner Ger Thomas (2-31) both bowled well while Matt Pickering completed a fine all-round performance with4 wickets but despite crowding the bat for most of the last 20 overs, the Adders were denied by an excellent defensive innings by Matthews and ran out of time with 8 wickets down.

Scoreboard