Uphill Castle’s batsmen had no answer to the bowling of Staplegrove’s Ian Bishop as they went down by 121 runs.

UPHILL Castle were well beaten by third-place Staplegrove, going down by 121 after a poor batting display.

After losing the tosss, Uphill opening bowlers Markus Bail (10-1-37-2) and Mitch Fox (10-1-50-1) found it hard going.

Fox eventually got the breakthrough when Pantling’s edge carried skipper Bail in the slips. Fox carried on causing problems and bowled in tandem with newly-introduced bowler Kieran Ward (10-2-36-3).

Ward’s accuracy and George Chapman’s (10-0-36-1) control brought the game back and the young spinners caused Staplegrove all sorts of trouble.

Ward had Dan Sizer well caught by Krish Kumar and also had Pantling (73) well held by Disney. Ward continued to cause trouble and dismissed the dangerous Ian Bishop.

Bail returned and picked up two wickets in his second spell, while Chapman had Craggs brilliantly caught and bowled.

Kumar (5-1-30-1) and Millard (1.1-0-1-2) bowling at the death, saw off the tail enders, with the wily Millard ending with two wickets in seven balls, as Uphill limited Staplegrove to 200 all out.

Uphill openers Gareth Williams (18) and Dave Millard got off to a confident start, but Millard was the first of Bishops (10-2-18-6) wickets. Chris Disney fell the next ball and Williams was caught off the bowling of Cleverly.

Oultram lasted three balls before he was caught, soon followed by Kumar. Sixteen-year-old Paddy Holyday worked hard to stay at the crease and after Mitch Fox was bowled by Bishop, Under-19 captain Ward was trying to work hard with Holyday to postpone the inevitable.

Holyday was the next to fall, which brought in Bail (17 not out). Ward fell in Bishop’s next over which brought Chapman to the crease.

Uphill’s top order collapse gave the tail little chance of any positives and when Chapman edged behind, Bail and Dave Bickell (14) were looking comfortable until Bickell was caught in the slips to bring the Uphill innings to an end.

Uphill travel to Wellington on Saturday looking to improve on the batting performance and fight to avoid relegation.

STAPLEGROVE

T Pantling c Disney b Ward 73

J Pantling c Bail b Fox 29

D Sizer c Kumar b Ward 25

S Hayes c Williams b Bail 25

I Bishop lbw Ward 1

A Jeanes c Fox b Bail 8

B Craggs c&b Chapman 5

M Bird c Kumar b Millard 14

P Hardy b Kumar 2

T Phillips c Bail b Millard 2

R Cleverly not out 0

Extras 16

Total 200

Bowling: M Fox 10-1-50-1; M Bail 10-1-37-2; K Ward 10-2-36-3; K Kumar 5-1-30-1; G Chapman 10-0-36-1; D Millard 1.1-0-1-2.

UPHILL CASTLE

G Williams c Sizer b Cleverly 18

D Millard c Bird b Bishop 4

C Disney b Bishop 0

K Kumar c Craggs b Cleverly 5

T Oultram c Hayes b Bishop 0

P Holyday b Bishop 3

M Fox b Bishop 1

K Ward lbw Bishop 6

M Bail not out 17

G Chapman c Craggs b Hardy 5

D Bickell c Bishop b Hardy 14

Extras 6

Total 79

THE seconds travelled to Wellington looking to continue their recent good form, but came unstuck with a 55-run defeat.

Wellington batted first and got off to a good start before Andy Leech (3-48) removed both opening batsmen and supported by Sam Frost (2-27), Tom Llewellyn (1-23) and Kieron Chapman (1-65), Wellington’s innings closed on 231-8.

Uphill got off to a bad start batting with Mark Hodder getting out second ball, but Andy Llewellyn (31) and Sam Frost (58) put Uphill back in the game.

After that, only Tom Llewellyn (21), Ian Tasker (15) and Leech (13 not out) got into double figures and the innings folded to 176 all out.

Autosmart man of the match was Sam Frost.

UPHILL Castle Cavaliers lost narrowly in an exciting finish against Burnham.

Having lost the toss, Uphill were put into bat first. Notable contributions from Paul Kuht (60), Jack Biggs (29), Ben Hodder (16) and Sean Tanner (18) took Uphill’s score to 169-6 in their 45 overs.

Burnham’s innings got off to a flying start before being pegged back by Matt Davis (10-41-1), before Burnham lost wickets steadily with Tom Miller (9-0-37-3) and Jacob Matthews (12-3-31-4) bringing Castle close to victory, but they couldn’t quite grasp the last two wickets needed and Burnham got over the line in the 43rd over.