Tamar League A division
Milton Abbot v
Ordulph Taverners
THE weather was nearly as hot as the atmosphere on the pitch in this tightly fought battle between these two old adversaries.
Early good tight bowling from the Ordulph attack of Folley (1 for 25) and Smith (2 for 22) kept Milton on the rack, with only 49 runs found their way on to the board in the first 20 overs.
With the pressure now on to up the Milton run rate chances were taken and inevitably wickets started to fall. Most of the Milton main danger men came and went cheaply as it was left to Ed Sowerby to hold their innings together, showing what a class bat he is with a solid powerful 69.
Ordulph, however, changed the field frequently to deny Sowerby the strike as much as possible, in doing so allowing Dhanjal to work on the other batsmen. This Dhanjal did with great relish and with an inspired spell of controlled bowling picked up five Milton wickets in his seven overs.
With the eventual fall of Sowerby again to Dhanjal the Milton innings was wrapped up at 161 all out.
Ordulph's plight was not helped when both Dhanjal and Wellard fell for modest scores to Barber with some inspired bowling. Well supported by a sharp Riggs (3 for 42) Barber fairly rattled through the Ordulph top order as they had Ordulph with their 'backs to the wall' on 63 for 6 after only 15 overs.
Of the Ordulph top order only new signing Sherrell really presented any problems to his former team with a typically belligerent 25.
However Ordulph have started to find a new resolute depth to their batting, and again it was Smith (34) of the middle order with Jim Wellard who put together a superb stand of 54 for the seventh wicket.
Back came Milton with both Smith and Wellard falling in quick succession to the hostile bowling of Riggs. Ordulph, with eight wickets down, still required 45 runs to win, with the tail of Folley and Sandison at the crease.
Adopting a simple plan of blocking anything straight and having a go at anything else, the Ordulph pair slowly but surely moved to within sight of the finishing line. With four overs to go a big six from Folley followed by a four took Ordulph to within four runs of winning before the gritty innings of Sandison was brought to an end by a superb 'in swinger' from Baxter.
It was now down to one hit or one wicket that would decide the game with Holding now back into the attack for Milton.
Keeping his cool Folley waited and then a leg side delivery from Holding was guided past the 'fine leg' fielder for four to hit the winning runs for Ordulph to win by one wicket.