Tamar League

Whitchurch v Bridestowe

WHITCHURCH were on the wrong end of a thrashing from Bridestowe in Saturday's Tamar League match.

Bridestowe opener Phil Hatton carried his bat for an unbeaten 168 but he could, and perhaps should, have been caught off the second ball of the match. He skied a ball from Kit Reeve to mid-wicket but somehow it evaded the fielders.

Later, when he had scored more than 100, he did the same from Richie Freedman's bowling. This time two fielders went for the catch with the inevitable result. In between he treated onlookers to a masterly display of batting, despatching the ball to all parts of the ground and the countryside with monotonous regularity. In comparison Mark Fogerty's fine innings of 82 seemed quite restrained.

Graham Horler was Whitchurch's most successful bowler but his otherwise respectable figures were spoiled when the Bridestowe batsmen took 22 runs from his final over leaving him with 3 for 77. Reeve was the other wicket-taker with 1 for 70. The Bridestowe innings closed at 314 for 4 from 40 overs.

Facing a target of almost 8 runs an over, the Whitchurch batsmen had no alternative but to attack. Mark Warwick (26) started well but then skied the ball to square leg where young Gary Sizmur took a fine catch.

Andy Mitchell (16) and Joe Pulley (22) played some good shots but wickets fell regularly and it was left to Graham Horler to put up a final show of resistance with 38 not out at the end of the innings.

Wickets were shared among the Bridestowe bowlers with Steve Sizmur bowling particularly well, taking 3 for 15 from 10 overs. Whitchurch were all out for 133, a losing margin of 181 runs.

Bridestowe took 20 points, Whitchurch five.