Ley Hill were a victim of their own batting success, putting themselves so far
out of reach that Bradenham could only buckle down for the draw in reply. Mark
Curtis and Keith Strickland (left) set off with a century stand before Strickland was
run out by his partner for the second week in a row. Az Shakoor and Martin
Leadbitter followed with quickfire forties, before a startling batting collapse
saw four wickets fall for no runs, Ian Stewart and Rob Thompson bowled hitting
across the line. The team eventually reached 45 overs at an imposing 243 for 7.
The score was far too much for Bradenham, who quickly called off any ideas they
had of chasing the target. To their credit they buckled down to the job and
picked off the batting points, as Hill's bowling attack toiled on a flat pitch.
Craig Ottaway, Rob Thompson and Az Shakoor picked up two wickets each and
Uruguayan import Seb 'the Montevideo Express' San Martin (pictured right in an
unfortunate pose) chipped in with another scalp, but the overs ran
out quickly and Bradenham eventually steered themselves to safety on 151 for 7.
A disappointing result in the push for the championship, but there are still two
games left in which to pip Bucks CC to the top.Ley Hill: 243 for 7 (Curtis 60, Strickland 52, Leadbitter 46, Shakoor 41)
Bradenham: 151 for 7 (Thompson 2 for 24, Shakoor 2 for 35, Ottaway 2 for
38)
Man of the match: Mark Curtis, for a polished half century
Clowns of the match: The four batsmen who fell with the score on 223