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Half centuries from Luke Gale and Liam Kinch and four wickets apiece from Micky Ruddle and Eamonn Bourke sparked Sileby's First XI to a comfortable win over Ashby Hastings in the Everards Premier League.
With a side shorn of their leading wicket taker in Matt Ellis, and without both their overseas and contract players, to bowl out a competitive side like Ashby was a magnificent effort from all concerned and will give them great heart going in to the massive clash with fellow strugglers Hinckley Town next weekend.
Having lost the toss and being asked to bat first, Sileby got off to a reasonable start with Jake Gillett and Richard Preston again opening up for Sileby. The pair saw off the first nine overs but Preston departed in the tenth, caught by Chris Dooley off the bowling of Richard Lewis for 19.
Gillett followed soon after, caught behind by wicketkeeper Oliver Hunt, Jonny Sparks the successful bowler. From 36 for 0, they had slipped to 44 for 2 and Ashby would have been hopeful of bowling out Sileby cheaply.
Gale and Kinch then put on what proved to be the pivotal partnership of the match as they piled on 143 runs for the third wicket, with both men passing the fifty mark in the process. The pairs alliance lasted for 27 overs and saw 17 fours and a six hit by the teenagers.
Their partnership was eventually ended by Ian Giles as he had Gale caught behind by Hunt for an excellent 67 from just 70 balls. He was quickly followed back to the pavilion by Dave Torr (2) and then Mo Khan (1) as Sileby slipped from 187 for 2 to 204 for 5, which rapidly became 211 for 6 as Kinch was also snared by Giles for 68.
It was at that point that Sileby again dug in and Ruddle, who has become such a pivotal player for Sileby this season, added 32 with Nigel Kinch (10) as Sileby closed on 252 for 7 - an excellent effort.
Ashby's reply began positively, but Sileby then started to peg things back, with Mark Sharman to the fore once again, and it was the left-armer that made the initial incisions in to the home batting as he enticed two leg before decisions as he removed Hoult for 34 and two balls later Sam Carline followed for 18 to leave Ashby 58 for 2.
Justin Moore and Luke Jenkinson consolidated and added a further 51 runs as they took advantage of a tiring Sharman and some loose bowling from Liam Kinch, although his first four overs went for only seven runs he finished with 0-41 from nine overs.
The double bowling change of Sharman and Kinch from the attack proved to be the master stroke by skipper Gillett and it was one that brought almost immediate results as Ruddle, who returned for his second spell, had Jenkinson caught by wicketkeeper Sean Dudley for 23 and two overs later he got a double as Gale caught Moore for 26 and two balls later he enticed Sparks in to a rash shot and Nigel Kinch took the catch to reduce the home side to 123 for 5.
Bourke, who had been the second bowler introduced by Gillett, had been quietly going about his business at the other end, as Ruddle had been causing havoc at the other, but it was now time for the former Syston spinner to get in on the act. He had Hunt caught by Torr for three and that was followed up by Ruddle who bowled Dooley for five in the very next over.
Lewis and Giles dug in temporarily but their partnership was ended by Bourke, who bowled Giles for three, but Sileby's victory charge was temporarily checked by a more meaningful partnership between Lewis and Matt Ryan as they put on 38 for the ninth wicket.
However, their stubborn resistance was only delaying the inevitable as they had 11 overs to survive and Sileby well and truly had their tails up.
The final blows were delivered by Bourke, who had Lewis caught by Nigel Kinch for 25 and then bowled Jimmy Neal for a duck to dismiss the home side for 186 and give Sileby a very welcome 24 points.
Ruddle finished with 4-43 from 12 overs, Bourke 4-26 from 8.2 and Sharman 2-55 from 14 and they were backed up by some excellent ground fielding, catching and out cricket.
Sileby now face the second of their three back to back away matches with an away trip to struggling Hinckley Town next weekend where they will have a stronger side available and will be looking at carrying on the momentum from this match. |
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