OWMBY v OUTCASTS - LINCOLNSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION ONE

Outcasts maintained their unbeaten run when beating Owmby by five wickets on July 5th but missed out on picking up the maximum twenty points by failing to bowl their opponents out and therefore denying them of five valuable points, writes Glen Sands.
Owmby batted first and quickly lost Joe Atkin , bowled by the impressive Graeme Fletcher for nine with the total on 13 and Fletcher repeated the feat when picking up the wicket of Sam Atkin with just a further seven runs added. Kevin Bowring was his next victim , trapped LBW for six and another LB decision with the very next delivery to remove Looker meant he was on a hat trick but it was not to be as home skipper Raki Chander Nair kept him out. Dave Hill and Chander Nair then pieced together a stand of twenty six before Hill was caught by wicket keeper Richard Wroot off Darren Clark for 17 then Dave's brother Dan followed in the same fashion and Owmby were struggling on 51 for 6. Chander Nair and veteran keeper Ed Chappell then defied the Outcasts bowlers , taking the score to 96 when visiting captain Liam McAnaney bowled his opposite number who had reached 33. Chappell was standing firm until being brilliantly caught by Darren Clark to give Fletcher a five for and McAnaney then had Zack Bowring caught by John Stokoe to leave his side requiring just one more wicket to bag a full five points. However that last wicket just would not come and the Isle side were left frustrated as Owmby finished on 122 for 9 , Fletcher finishing with excellent figures of 5 for 30 , McAnaney taking 2 for 22 and Darren Clark 2 for 32.
Outcasts reply got off to a good start as Oliver Coulman and Andrew Lawson put on 38 for the first wicket before Lawson was very well caught by Dave Hill off Sam Atkin for 18. Josh Bramhill went early , stumped by Ed Chappell off Atkin for four but any concerns that they might collapse were allayed by Coulman and John Stokoe who took the total to 83 only for Stokoe to then find himself bowled by Jim Greenwood for twelve. The Priorymen did lose two further late wickets before reaching their target , one of which was Coulman for a splendid half century but the match was brought to a close when the umpire called a wide with the scores level , leaving Liam McAnaney's side to rue the fact that they failed to pick up that elusive tenth wicket.
Next up for the team is a local derby at Haxey 2nds on July 12th where they will hope to maintain their outstanding run.