GARGOYLES LOOK BETTER IN THE SUN

A return to winning ways for Alstonefield Cricket Club on Sunday, as they defeated Ashbourne by 4 wickets in a game that ebbed and flowed on the most perfect of summer days.

Captain John Salt chose to bowl first on a drying wicket and although Amrit Singh and Mark Wright were accurate, the classy James brothers built an excellent opening stand of 70, before Henry was out LBW to Phil Bagshaw for 27. Teddy James had been the more aggressive and had reached 44, when a full bloodied on drive was amazingly caught one handed by a startled Ian McKay.   The Gargoyles now exerted real pressure on the Ashbourne batsmen,

with Amrit Singh exceptional in completing his 7 overs for a miserly 19 runs. Although Fleming had more lives than the proverbial furry feline, he had made 41 when he skied a slower ball from Mark Wright at 140. With wickets falling in the last 2 overs, Ashbourne couldn’t manage the final surge and ended their innings at 148 for 7 wickets off their 35 overs.   

 Energised by superb teas and a large crowd, occupying the new seats, the Gargoyles experimented with a new opening partnership, never to be seen again, as both Neil Shotton and Ian McKay were back under the awnings after only 8 balls.  Amrit Singh immediately showed he was capable of clearing the field and the dry stone walls, with 4 immense straight sixes, but at the other end, Mark Wright and Phil Bagshaw joined the quick procession back to the scones. When Singh attempted one wall-clearer too many, the Gargoyles were 63 for 5 and he had scored 40 of them.

The situation required some wise old heads to steady the ship, which is exactly

what Andy Siddons and the increasingly mature John Salt achieved. This pair put on 46 invaluable runs, before Siddons got a stinker of an LBW decision, on 21. There were still over 20 overs remaining for the Gargoyles to knock off the 40 required for victory. Simon Smith joined his captain in the middle and needed no second chances this time, as he bludgeoned 32 off only 18 balls to see the scoreboard tick round to 151 for 6 wickets off only 21 overs. All in all a perfect afternoon’s cricket.