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Whitchurch Wayfarers v Chairman’s XI

AFTER a week of unrelenting rain it was a surprise to all involved that the final match of the season was played in glorious sunshine and gentle September warmth.

Inevitably the pitch showed the effects of the rain having the consistency of icing on top of a Christmas cake. Being put into bat the Chairman’s XI showed little regard for the conditions as Hodge (11) and Gray (not out 60) raced to 47.

Gray and Barriball (53 not out) peppered the boundary. The match ball visited several nearby streams and suffered accordingly. A brief respite for the club side saw three quick wickets.

Any hope of a low score were despatched as rapidly as the ball with Rob Mutch launching an imperious 51. The Chairman’s XI posted a healthy 213.

Only Josh Towl (3-29) had any joy with the ball with others taking home figures they would rather forget.

The reply did not start well with an under the weather captain Ben Powell making a very brief appearance. Josh Towl (61) and Neil Tamblin (19) put on 62 in a defiant, if sometimes painful, stand against aggressive bowling. With half a dozen sixes to his name Towl was eventually undone by one that kept very low.

With three quick wickets falling and the score teetering on 87-5 the game looked as if it would finish early. The experienced hands of Hall (26) and Credicott (32) steadied the ship taking the score to a more respectable 150. The run rate was an increasing problem and as soon as these two started to address this issue the wickets started to fall. First Hall went to a run out followed by Credicott who was beaten by a quicker ball from Bone (1 for 26).

Apart from a typically swash-buckling and brief 13 from Sambells the game was done. The wickets shared with two each for Mutch, Witcher and Hodge. Both sides retired to the clubhouse where the presentation of the ‘tie’ was made to the club chairman Gavin Hall by losing captain Ben Powell.