Last-ball victory for Lympsham

LYMPSHAM travelled to Barrow Gurney hoping to extend their unbeaten run and did so with a last-ball victory.

Luff won the toss and inserted Barrow Gurney on a good wicket with a lightening fast outfield. Barrow Gurney made a brisk start but two quick wickets from Summers reduced them to 45 for 2.

The next three batsmen all played well and got their fifties, Grove 54, Hardy 54 and Holdaway 53, all fell to the spin of Bailey (11-0-52-4). The Lympsham bowlers all stuck to their task and reduced the home side to 229 for 8.

Lympsham made a bad start when M Tucker played a rash shot and got caught at cover for two. A Greed, stepping up to the first team, played solidly before he nicked one behind.

Luff joined Howson and between them they added a 111-run partnership until Howson was caught for a confident 75. With only 64 required off 11 overs things were looking good. With the loss of Tuttiett (8), Gooding (9) and Coles and Summers who both failed to score things began to look grim for Lympsham.

Luff however kept the score ticking over and 28 runs were needed off the last three overs. Enter G Tucker who hit two fours off his first two balls and with Luff they then required 10 off the last over.

Luff took a single off the first ball. Tucker then dispatched the second into the adjacent maize field. A couple of singles made the scores level with one ball to go. With all of the fielders in saving the single the pressure proved too much for the bowler and in bowling a wide he gave Lympsham victory in the most unsatisfactory way.

Luff was still there at the end with 66 not out, but the Lympsham Concrete man of the match went to Geoff Tucker for his match-winning innings of 16 not out off only six balls.

Lympsham 2nds lost the toss and were invited to field in the humid heat. The two openers Steve Wilcox and Simon Cowgill bowled tightly, making it hard for the Stoke Bishop openers to score, however they only managed to pick up one wicket due to a run-out by Steve Wilcox off his own bowling.

The remaining Stoke Bishop opener took advantage of the change of bowling, taking 26 runs of young Liam Morris' first two overs, However Liam kept persevering and got his reward with his first wicket in his third over and then bowled the Stoke Bishop opener Smith for 55 in his fourth over.

The wickets then slowly began to fall with Stoke Bishop eventually being bowled out for 186 off the last ball of the innings.

Lympsham's reply started in a confident manor with joint Academie Fiscale Ltd men of the match Rod Simpson and Darren Clapp putting on 89 for the first wicket in 20 overs.

However both openers then departed in quick succession. The innings was then rebuilt after two more quick wickets, getting Lympsham back in control of the game. With victory in sight Lympsham then lost their last six wickets for 26 runs to finish up four runs short.

This was a game that Lympsham should not have lost and will be looking for an improvement in their batting in the coming weeks.

A reinforced Lympsham Development side elected to bat first against Axbridge last Sunday. Openers Richard Ford and son Tom made steady progress before Richard retired having scored 54.Tom (40) followed shortly after with the score on 104 -1.

Richard Coles was the next to retire having had a smashing time at the crease scoring 69 which include six sixes. The score was now 224 off 32 overs. Two runs were added before Mike Ebbelwhite was caught off Peters' bowling, having failed to trouble the scorers.

Tom Gooding, who had looked comfortable, became Peters' second victim when he was bowled on 45 with the score on 248 for 3. Haydn Tuttiett was the third player to retire, his quick 51 in just four overs pushed the score to 300 off 37 overs.

Liam Morris (4) and Jack Luff (8) both fell to Syed. James Hall (0) became the fourth player to retire, unfortunately this was due to an injury rather than a 50 scored as Lympsham finished on 314 for 5 off 40 overs.

Lympsham players took to the field in joyous mood. Liam Morris picking up the wicket of opener Saunders (8) with the score on 44. Axbridge opener Grinstead retired after scoring 51, Allowing Dave Samways to swing the willow. Axbridge soon found themselves two wickets down with score on 91 as Follows (0) was run out.

Ali Petherham then took three wickets in just five balls as Syed (0), Packham (6) and Samways (22) all fell within eight runs of each other, bringing the score to 99 for 6.

Father and Son pairing Dave and Jack Luff were brought into the attack. Luff Senior picking up the wicket of Jarman (7) and Matthews (1). Luff Junior, not wanting to be left out, picked up the wickets of Peters (3) and Saunders (4) and although Grinstead was recalled from the pavilion all was in vain as Axbridge finished 127 all out.

The Window Merchants man of the match goes to Rich Coles for his 69.