Tamar League A division
Ordulph v Miton Abbot
CROWNED champions Ordulph took to the soft field against Milton who needed to win to have any chance of avoiding relegation from the league.
Winning the toss captain Melhuish put Milton in to bat on a very 'bowler friendly' wicket. Balls were soon skidding all over the place. Milton openers Hall and Sherrell played some sensible 'watchful' cricket and took the score along slowly.
It took 11 overs before Ordulph's Smith made the first breakthrough removing Sherrell (18) stumped by Wood. Despite other wickets now starting to fall, Hall continued to play decent cricket providing the backbone of the Milton innings. Eventually Hall fell for 42, deceived by the flight of a useful delivery from Lethbridge.
The arrival of Jenkins provided a rapid additional 40 supported well by Baxter (13 no). With the fall of Jenkins bowled by Folley, the Milton score progressed to 138 for 6 in the allocated overs.
Ordulph openers Wellard and Sharland made a mockery of the difficult wicket by taking the game to Milton. Wellard in particular was punishing anything short of a length with some powerful hitting. With 91 on the board by the 19th over the Ordulph pair were fast taking the game away from Milton.
Suddenly though a bowling change to Baxter and Barber brought about the demise of Wellard (58) and Sharland (24) in the space of a couple of overs, and from that point the whole complexion of the game changed.
Milton scenting blood, wickets began to tumble at an alarming rate now with Hall (4 for 16) and Barber (3 for 32) getting amongst the wickets, Ordulph's batting was collapsing without trace.
With the score trickling along Ordulph managed to get within seven runs with two wickets left but even this did not deter Milton as Hall stepped up to account for the last two wickets with no further runs being added. Milton had done it and retained their division one place thanks to Calstock losing to Cornwood.