After
inevitably losing the toss Hill were put into bat, but the openers hit the
ground running. Or rather one of them did, with the other barely hitting it at
all. Crowd pleaser and ladies' favourite Andy Rennard (left) was quickly into
top gear, racing to his half century with an array of drives, pulls and cuts.
But as he passed his 50, skipper Lown had reached a patient 5 not out,
displaying his full array of forward defensives and leave alones. He eventually
fell for 16 with the score on 116 trying to force the pace, and his demise
prompted a flurry of wickets, with seven falling for 76. Rennard went in the
nineties for the umpteenth time in his jug-avoiding career, with a general lack
of fitness the obvious factor. Martin Leadbitter picked up the pace with a
typically forthright 24 before Nick Lee closed the innings on 208 for 7 with a
flurry of superlative hitting.
The
score was no better than par for the course on an honest pitch and quick
outfield, but it soon proved well beyond Cadmore End as Hill's Caribbean-style
all-pace attack tore through the batting. Larger than life seamer Rob Thompson
(right) claimed the first of two wickets with his sixth delivery, and Lown
matched him with a rank long hop hammered straight to point. A fired up Craig
Ottaway contributed 3 for 43, two of them bowled by searing pace, before Az
Shakoor and Seb San Martin wrapped things up with a wicket apiece. It was all
over by 6.15, in time for a barbecue and beers in the sunshine to toast the 25
points.Ley Hill: 208 for 7 (Rennard 94, Lee 35*, Rennard 24)
Cadmore End: 115 all out (Ottaway 3 for 43, Thompson 2 for 41, Lown 2 for 23)
Ley Hill won by 93 runs
Man of the match: Andy Rennard for a sublime 94 and stout work on the barbie afterwards
Clown of the match: Az Shakoor for two dropped catches and low-quality sledging