Ley Hill v Monks Risborough,
21st
June 2003
Will Holman
Promoted from the second-string, Az
Shakoor clearly had fire in his ample belly, opening up with some real pace that
tested the Monks openers. Nevertheless, it was Liam O'Neill and Rob Thompson who
did the real damage. The Fridge - rapidly emerging as one of the best
acquisitions of recent years - appeared to deliver his spell with absolutely no
run up to speak of. Monks opener Amjad was the thorn in the visitors' side, and
without his patient 69 (a rarity in encounters involving Ley Hill players), Hill
would have been in an unassailable position.
The ground, thought to be modelled on Ley
Hill's dingly dells, did no favours for the visiting fielders. Thankfully no
colts were playing as the bairns may have been lost in the rolling hillocks of
the outfield. Paul Green had pulled out of the fixture just days earlier on
health and safety grounds. Catches went down and Monks moved steadily onwards to
end on 168 for 8.
A
brave choice of opening partnership - Craig Ottaway with Will Holman (left) -
did not pay dividends as skipper Lown quickly found himself replacing the
pinch-hitting Ottaway. The Lown and Holman partnership - which has historically
either provided concrete foundations or incubated a losing draw -
dragged out a 24-run partnership before skipper Lown
tactically ran out the tardy Holman.
The incoming
Mark Curtis was a breath of fresh air, classily stroking his way to 51 in the
time it had taken the first three batsmen to mark their guards. Ley Hill's
middle order were under pressure to up the run rate, and as wickets fell, it was
clear the visitors lacked the necessary strength in depth. Gunshot reports
echoed around the surrounding Chiltern Hills as Nick Lee excelled with 27,
but the final partnership of Liam O'Neill and Seb San Martin could not
provide the necessary 10 runs from the final over. San Martin extravagantly left
alone the final five deliveries as Hill spluttered to a disappointing losing
draw.
The missing
ingredient for Ley Hill was a decent score to match that of Mark Curtis. The
excellent fielding of previous weeks would have provided adequate insulation for
some lean batting. Nonetheless, there was enough in the bowling to suggest that
Hill will prove more than a match for high-flying Downley this coming Saturday.
Monks Risborough: 168 for 8 (O'Neill 3 for 23, Thompson 3 for 43)
Ley Hill: 159 for 8 (Curtis 51, Lown 35)
Losing draw for Ley Hill
Man of the match: Mark Curtis for a well-timed innings that gave Ley Hill
a fighting chance
Clown of the match: Several contenders: Nick Lee for uncharacteristic
drops, Will Holman and Jon Lown for their slow start that hobbled the run chase
Click here for the scorecard