LIMMER'S ALL-ROUND EFFORT REWARDED

Richley, Limmer, Corden and Nash - probably not the lightest slip corden you'll ever see!

By Andy Richley, Market Rasen

This time last year, Rasen 2nds were in the midst of a frightful start to their Lincs League 4 campaign; played 4, lost 4. What a difference a year makes. 2011 has seen MRTCC 2nds fly out of the blocks and they built on last week's convincing win over Caistor 3rds with a comfortable six-wicket win over a depleted Hykeham 2nds.
With Rase Park receiving its first proper soaking in weeks an hour or so before the game, the toss was always going to be vital and, having won it, Rasen lost no time in inviting Stephen Roe's Hykeham to have a bat. With humid, overcast conditions to start the game and a substantial slip cordon - both in terms of numbers and combined tonnage - Dan Norburn roared in from the Gallamore Lane end and immediately had the ball hooping and moving at pace.
However, it was his young new ball partner, James Fussey, who made the first breakthrough, inducing Will Murray to steer a short ball outside off stump straight to the grateful hands of Liam Underwood in the covers. This was the Lincolnshire U14 bowler's first senior wicket for the club and the confidence this provided was plain for all to see, as the youngster turned in a sterling new ball spell, continually asking questions of the batsmen and despatching Roe with a ball that caught a thin edge through to the 'keeper. Fussey's first spell left him with the figures of 2 for 19 from 6 overs and Hykeham in a hole.
At the other end, Dan Norburn was eager to join in the wicket-taking action, and did so in the third over, having Matt Scott snaffled at third slip by Andy Richley. Norburn continued to beat the bat and was unlucky to see a couple of chances grassed in the slips. The Hykeham batsmen looked to make the most of the chances they'd been given, with Matt Murray doggedly dropping anchor to support a pugnacious counter-attack from Mark Leverett. The experienced all-rounder started circumspectly enough, but once he'd found the measure of the pitch and the bowling, he lost no time in despatching the cherry to all parts. Norburn came in for some particularly severe treatment in his last over to ruin figures that would otherwise have been very tidy indeed, with Leverett smashing him for 14, with some mighty blows.
Rasen's young side stuck at their task in the field as Hykeham's 4th wicket pair started to build a partnership but, asa against Caistor 2nds last week, there was a noticeable drop in intensity that the side will need to work on going forward when the next wicket doesn't magically appear. Rasen rang the changes with the ball, with Jim Dodds and Paul Bett coming in for a little stick early on in their spells. Bett was particularly unlucky to come away wicketless, beating Murray on numerous occasions, but the youngster stuck at his task and left the veteran without a scalp.
Richard Limmer reaped the rewards of Bett's hard work, steaming in from the Gallamore Lane end to remove Murray, caught behind, and trigger a collapse that would see Hykeham lose their last 6 wickets for 36 runs. Dodds' left-arm seam asked some different questions of the batsmen, with his extra height and bounce when he hit the right areas keeping them honest and it was the veteran leftie who removed the danger man; Leverett, castling him for a battling 52 as he played down the wrong line.
With their tails up in the field, Limmer cashed in, tearing through the Hykeham lower order. The all-rounder worked up a decent head of steam and beat the outside egde on numerous occasion. With Mick Corden ready and waiting at slip, it only seemed a matter of time until the next chance came his way and, on this occasion, the game didn't disappoint, with Corden flinging himself to his right to pluck the ball, one-handed, from the ether and hand Limmer his second wicket. Hykeham continued to battle, but when Limmer picked up Jones, caught at cover, and then clean bowled Tyler Jelley with a ball that swung back from leg to take off, the visitors had 91 on the board and their last pair at the crease.
With plenty of overs remaining and the pitch drying out, Hykeham's last wicket pair had some fun, putting on 23 before the return of James Fussey saw Phil Baker's stumps uprooted and the innings ended on 114. With the ball, the key men for Rasen were; Richard Limmer (4 for 9 from 6 overs) and James Fussey (3 for 31 from 7.1 overs), with Norburn and Dodds picking up a wicket apiece.
With the sun now out, the pitch and outfield dry, and a small total to defend, Hykeham had to make early inroads. Unfortunately for Rasen the visitors did just that, removing Mick Corden for 0 as he steered a short ball from Phil Baker straight to gully. With only the openers getting a hit last week, Rasen's untried middle order could have been vulnerable, but Andy Richley joined Ivan Nash in a stand of 59 for the second wicket that seemed to put the home side well on their way to victory. Both Nash and Richley played and missed against Baker and Leverett early on, but the pair dug in and were soon looking relatively comfortable, with only an ill-advised 'quick' single from Richley seeing the pair split thanks to some excellent fielding from Hykeham.
The skipper's ill-advised flight of fancy over his pace - or lack thereof - sparked a mini collapse, as Nash holed out for what, to that point, had been an untroubled 36. It was all the more surprising as Nash had looked set fair for another fifty after last week's fine effort. James Fussey then came and went without troubling the scorers and Rasen had slumped to 64 for 4. Thankfully Rob Chamberlin (33 not out) and Richard Limmer (16 not out) got the job done, with Chamberlin unfurling a couple of delightful cover drives and both players hitting the cover off the ball whenever they were given the chance. The pair saw Rasen over the line in the 22nd over to hand a 6 wicket win and 20 points to the home side.