2nd XI Match Report

DATE: Saturday 27th August 2005
OPPONENTS: Marston Green
VENUE: Marston Green
RESULT: Atherstone Won By 221 Runs
POINTS: Atherstone 24pts Marston Green 1pt

Atherstone’s second team coasted to an emphatic 24 point victory against lowly Marston Green on Saturday and re-wrote the record books simultaneously.

With player availability a huge problem for Marston Green, the eleven players they put out were a combination of old and young but ultimately were no match for the strong Atherstone outfit led by Gary Moore.

The Atherstone total of 336-3 is the highest second team score on record, Rob Boal’s maiden ton was the highest individual score in the side this year and his stand of 181 with Paul Oldham was the highest second wicket partnership of 2005. The game encountered another milestone as for the first time in living memory all eleven Atherstone players took a shower after the game.

Batting first on a wicket of variable bounce, Atherstone lost in-form opener Luke Tibbits for just 11 but Paul Oldham joined Rob Boal at the wicket and found runs plentiful as the inexperienced Marston Green attack became more and more demoralised. Oldham contributed 73 in a partnership of 181 before he was unfortunate to be bowled off his pads in the 25^th over. Skipper Moore too was unfortunate as he received one of the few decent deliveries of the day shortly afterwards but seasoned veteran Mike Brooks helped Boal take the score skywards. Boal reached his first century going on to make a superb unbeaten 129 – a knock which included 20 fours and 2 big sixes. One legged Brooks hit two sixes of his own in a classy supporting 61 not out as Atherstone declared after 39 overs. 61 extras also helped the away sides cause.

In the second innings it was not long before all rounder Adi Williams made his mark, dismissing Bond for just 5. With fielders all round the bat and a slip cordon so coniferous that a few strands of tinsel and the odd bauble would not have looked out of place, the hosts were under intense pressure from ball one. Danny Blakeman got in on the act with three wickets of his own before semi-retired grenade-launcher Stan Riley entered the arena. The flabby flan flinger removed the obdurate Mahmood and another season’s first occurred when an Atherstone player actually held onto a slip catch, Paul Oldham doing the unexpected.

Blakeman was bought back into the attack and he wasted little time in mopping up the tail claiming career best figures of 5-16 in the process, Atherstone comprehensive winners by an incredible margin of 221 runs.

Scoreboard