Sunday
Match Report
DATE:
Sunday 14th September 2003
OPPONENTS: Witherley
VENUE: Atherstone
TOSS
WON BY: Atherstone
MATCHBALL SPONSOR: -
RESULT: Atherstone won by 10 wickets
Atherstone finished 2003 with their traditional Sunday friendly against
Witherley and pulled off a remarkable win to maintain their unbeaten
status in this fixture.
Always favourites on paper, the Ratcliffe Road
outfit made a brilliant start when Ian Niblock fresh from his Cuban
holiday produced a snorter to remove Alan Horton second ball.
Witherley
must
have feared the worst but instead received the worst – bowling
that is as Atherstone proceeded to sling down an assortment of pies that
wouldn’t have looked out of place at a Pork Farms distribution
centre. Mark Simpson and Chris Flay duly dipped their bread before young
Matthew Sworowski entered the fray and produced his best innings to date
with a classic village-style 63 which included a fine straight six off
the one bowler who impressed, Adi Williams.
Dropped catches aided the
visitor’s cause and some late striking from Steve Peart gave them
a seemingly formidable 200-6 at the close.
Atherstone’s strong
batting line-up had to deliver to avoid an embarrassing defeat but no
one would have predicted the nature of what was to come.
Openers Adi
Williams and young Alan Miller set the scene with an opening partnership,
which took the score past the fifty mark whilst just about keeping
along with the testing run rate. Simpson was his typically economical
self
while Sworowski caused the duo to work hard against his polished
pace.
The duo looked impregnable as bowler after bowler tried but failed
to
obtain as much as a chance against the pair who grew in confidence
and determination by the ball. Miller was first to 50, soon followed
by his
partner, Williams who has had to endure a testing year, as the
pair reached 150 without loss. Witherley’s heads dropped as Miller went on to
record a magnificent chanceless century, his first in senior cricket.
It was fitting that he should caress the winning four to end on 110 not
out, Williams adding loyal support with an undefeated 72, the stand being
worth 204, the second highest of the season.
Geraint Thomas’s men
have thus won more games than they have lost and have completed the 2003
season in fine fettle with many young players such as Rob Smith and Danny
Brooks showing good potential, developing well for future seasons.
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