Twos Thrashed

By the time Stagg came out of the attack, the Second Team’s score stood at a very sorry 48-6 after the top order had been blown away. Opener, Andy Dixon offered some resistance for 50 minutes, but was defeated by Stagg’s full length quick delivery that saw his off stump uprooted.

Lawrence Snookes and Jake Seagrave then dug in, and at one point there were no runs off the bat for over half an hour, the only additions to the total being a couple of wides and a no ball. They batted for four minutes short of an hour before Snookes headed for a second run, only to look up when he was three quarters of the way down the pitch to see that Seagrave was still in his crease. Ed Pike saw the score to 100 and two batting points with 17 not out which included two drives though extra cover for four off Stagg after he returned to the attack.

The Second Team were defending a total of only 113 which never looked anywhere near enough. But they did get the early key wicket of captain Elliot Evans who was averaging 78 this summer. He edged his second delivery from Snookes, Benn Kempster at second slip leapt high and to his left but the ball flew thorough his fingertips. But when he faced his third ball, this time from Nick Grant, he turned the ball square for Pike to a take straightforward catch at square leg.

Grant struck again four overs later as Dan Pope gave umpire Martin House one of the easiest LBW decisions. There could have been more success, but two catches were dropped and another taken was off a no ball as Ickenham strolled to victory within sixteen overs.