'MAIDEN TON' CAPTAIN HAMMERS HYKEHAM

By Andy Richley, Market Rasen

Market Rasen’s 2nd XI (Lincs div four) won their second game of their 2010 campaign in convincing style, winning by 146 runs thanks to an outstanding 133 not out from Rob Chamberlin (pictured) and a fine team performance with the ball.
Both sides came into the game on the back of close defeats, Rasen to Alford and Hykeham at the hands of a Leonard-inspired Morton and both were obviously keen to move back up the table. Unfortunately for the visitors, it was the home side who were to gain some much needed traction up the table.
Hykeham won the toss and Steve Roe lost little time in putting Rasen in. Whilst it was a lovely, hot afternoon at Rase Park, Roe had few concerns with his decision early on as a mixture of fine bowling from Will Murray and some injudicious shot selection from Rasen’s top order reduced the home side to 34 for 4. Little did Roe and his troops know what was to come as Rob Chamberlin ambled to the crease to join Rasen skipper Andy Richley with Rasen simply looking to give themselves something to bowl at.
Chamberlin’s fine knock put paid to any such fears from the home side, as he set about the bowling from the off. Playing mainly off the back foot, Chamberlin made the Hykeham attack pay for their lack of discipline, cashing in on anything left remotely short to stroke 19 fours and two (DLF) maximums. With Richley taking on what was, in the main, a watching brief, Hykeham rang the changes in an attempt to make a breakthrough. However, only Mark Leverett was able to apply any kind of control once Chamberlin was under-way and Hykeham suffered in the sun as the pair put on 134 for the fifth wicket in 27 overs (two runs short of the Division record). With the outfield hard and fast Chamberlin’s innings didn’t lack for boundaries, but the running of the pair between the wicket and the way in which they rotated the strike was notable – if a little hard on the Rasen skipper.
The return to the attack of Murray saw Richley bring up his maiden fifty and then depart next ball, to leave Rasen 168 for 5 and Hykeham a way back in. However, that man Chamberlin closed the door behind his skipper, and motored on to, and past, his hundred. With the lower order biffing away around him to good effect Rasen were able to post an imposing total of 246 for 8 from their 45 overs.
Hykeham toiled manfully in the field with Leverett particularly unlucky to garner no reward for his efforts. Will Murray’s first spell threatened to take the game completely away from the home side and whilst his second spell saw the ball travelling more off the bat, he picked up another three wickets to finish with a deserved 5 for 45, having carried the fight for Hykeham.
In reply Hykeham started steadily, but positively, with Roe and Lee Buick looking to lay the foundations for a successful run-chase against Rasen’s new-ball pair of Aaron Wells and Dan Norburn. Unfortunately for Hykeham, once Rasen’s opening bowlers found their range, any pretensions to victory melted into the early evening heat as their batting capitulated. Wells made the break-through, castling Roe with a fine delivery and then sending Murray back. Wells’ third wicket came thanks to a breath-taking catch from Rob Chamberlin. Not done for the day after his efforts with the willow, he pulled off a magnificent one-handed, diving catch at mid-on from a full-blooded, albeit airy, Andy Pilgrim cover-drive that left the Hykeham ‘keeper well and truly ‘stumped’ (sorry about that) and the Rase Park crowd on their feet.
Not content to let his partner grab all the glory Dan Norburn the struck to remove three in one over from the River Rase end. Once Lee Buick’s lonely vigil was undone by a sharp catch at gully from Dan Quinlan Hykeham were 37 for 7 Rasen thought themselves done and dusted, not allowing for the combative hitting of youngsters Matt Dunn (25) and Tyler Jelley (24). The pair put on 56 for the eighth wicket, lending the scorecard some respectability for Hykeham until the spin of Luke Chambers tore through the tail to bowl Hykeham out for 100. Apart from Rory Jackson’s lone scalp, the wickets were shared around the Rasen attack with Dan Norburn taking 3 for 21 and Aaron Wells and Luke Chambers each taking 3 for 11.