Hills Plymouth Cricket Club

30th May 2009
Skewen v Hills Plymouth
(First XI)

SKEWEN SKEWER THE CRICKET CLUB

Skewen                                                                                     170 for 9 in 50 overs

Hills Plymouth                                                                      141 all out in 40.1 overs

Hills’ fourth successive away game brought a third successive defeat at Skewen. The home side opted to bat, but lost their first wicket in Richard Gibby’s first over, Rodgers caught at gully by James Kelly for 4. Chris Birch soon took his first, McLaren lbw without scoring. The batsmen maintained a good run-rate, but a bowling change brought immediate success when Steve Manning bowled the dangerous opener J Jones for 21. Birch took the next two wickets, Thomas caught by Gibby for 15, and Rees bowled for 30, to take his day’s tally to 3 wickets.

Skewen reached their century in the 30th over for 5 wickets, losing their sixth when Williams was caught and bowled by Andrew Lewis for 17. Lewis took his second wicket when he had S Jones caught by David Kelly for a duck. Kelly himself came on to bowl and took 2 wickets, Jenkins lbw for nought, M Lewis caught by Stephen Baber. The final wicket proved elusive, but late runs flowed as last batsmen J Lewis and A Churchill remained undefeated on 11 and 13 respectively.

Hills’ reply once again started brightly, David Kelly storming to 27 runs before being bowled by Thomas. James Kelly soon followed, trapped lbw by J Lewis for 9. Clark Thomas chipped a catch to S Jones off the same bowler, and Chris Shopland fell for 6 in a similar manner. A solid stand of 32 between Steve Manning and Stephen Baber was broken when Manning was adjudged lbw to young leg-spinner Churchill for 27. Dan Davies and Baber took the score on to 114 before Baber was bowled by Jenkins for 26. When Richard Gibby was given out lbw to McLaren the writing was on the wall for Hills.

Davies was bowled by Jenkins for 24, Andrew Lewis caught by S Jones for 4 and Chris Birch caught by Williams for 1, leaving Johnny Baber at the other end. Hills fell 20 runs short of their target, claiming just 7 points to their opponents’ 27.