Out of luck Stony miss their chance
Northants Cricket League round-up
Stony Stratford fell to a heartbreaking one-run defeat to Premier Division high-flyers Finedon Dolben on Saturday.
With the rain delaying the start, the match was reduced to 38 overs a side and Stony skipper Dion Ebrahim won a crucial toss and elected to field.
Steve Bellew produced his best spell of the season, bowling with good pace and swinging the ball into the right hander late. Opener Gary Herbert was the first to go, top edging an attempted flick through mid-wicket to Ebrahim to fall for a duck.
Clint Tomlinson was then next to go to Bellew for four and when John Dunne was caught behind off the very next ball, Finedon were 12-3 and in trouble.
And 12-3 soon turned to 13-4 as Andy Daniels was bowled by Bellew.
Andy Roberts took the attack to Stony and hit 16, while opener Greg Evans did well to hold the innings together.
Nathan Hawkes took over from Bellew and he tempted Roberts into a big drive edged behind to Mike Avery, before then snapping up Chris Goode (13) thanks to a fine catch by John Lambe at cover.
Hawkes (4-25) bowled full and straight and with good pace and this proved too much for the lower order as Finedon fell to 76-9. No 11 Will Sneath hit 10 not out and with Evans (47) managed to put on 23 for the last wicket before Bellew had Evans caught to finish with 5-24.
Finedon were out for 99, as Mike Avery claimed four catches and a stumping to support a fine bowling display.
Stony's reply got off to a steady start as Ebrahim and Nick Allen put on 31 for the first wicket, despite the ball continuing to zip about in tough conditions.
Even when Allen went for 10, followed next ball by Lambe, there was little panic in the Stony ranks. However, the game was about to turn on it's head.
Ebrahim and Hawkes had got the score to 51 when Ebrahim uncharacteristically mistimed a shot straight into the hands of Phil Materna at mid on.
At 51-3, Hawkes was given out lbw to Goode and Stony were making life difficult for themselves.
Things soon went from bad to worse as Goode snapped up Graeme Carter (2), then Materna bowled Jarrod Pretorious for 11. And when Mike Avery chipped a catch to Sneath for five, Stony were 70-7.
Bellew and Richard Lines then gave an incredible game another twist when they battled hard to put on 26 to bring Stony to within four runs of a dramatic win.
When Bellew hit a full toss to Goode at mid off, the Finedon celebrations were muted as Stony needed four runs with two in hand.
But it wasn't to be, Lines falling lbw in the next over to Roberts before Oswin Peter attempted a drive to cover which would have won the game, only for the ball to squirt of his bat to Daniels leaving Stony all out and one run short.
Nightmare continues for 2nds
Stony Stratford 2nds lost their fifth game of what is turning out to be a nightmare season in Division Three.
Stony posted 192 at Wollaston 2nds, with 49 from Michael Brown and 30 from skipper Chris Swain.
Jimmy Canwell and Neil Allen both added 26 to the total, but it was to prove insufficient as the home side cruised home inside 38 overs, thanks in the main to Andy Luck's 41 not out and 35 from Harmit Bahra.
Stony now sit second bottom in the table having lost five of their seven games to date.
Oundle Town look unstoppable at the top having won all seven of their matches.
There was a better outcome for Stony 3rds who moved up to third place in Division Seven after their six-wicket win at S&L Corby.
Corby were rolled out for just 119 inside 38 overs with Steve Osborne claiming 4-33 with his mystery spin.
And Stony's second win of the season was wrapped up when Osborne completed a fine day with an unbeaten 68 as his side cruised home on 120-4 in what proved a quick reply.
Out with the Old and in with the new
Wicken extended their lead at the top of Division Five thanks to their three-wicket victory against Old.
After winning the toss the league leaders opted to bowl and soon had most of the hard work done as they reduced Old to a mere 120 all out.
Opener Ben Street led the scoring with 26 before he was taken down by David Pollard (2-30), while fellow opener Mark Bocking had 22 on the board when he was bowled by Deep Kumar for his one wicket of the day.
Pollard took his second wicket in the form of Sam Street who fell for five, caught by Peter Geyton. And as the Old middle and lower order fell, Mark Onan-Read returned figures of 4-22, with Graham Pitcher adding 3-28 in good support.
And Wicken reached the winning target of 121-7 to make it six wins in seven games as opener Liam Wright led from the front by making 48.
But when Brendan Pollard fell for six and Mathew Wootton and Kevin Fairey followed without any score, Old had their chance. However, it fell to Kumar to steady the ship as he wacked 31 before Pollard (6) and Pitcher saw Wicken home.
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Weather for Milton Keynes
Saturday 11 February 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: -6 C to 0 C
Wind Speed: 5 mph
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Tomorrow
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