Cirencester Cricket Club > News > March 2003 > Defeat leaves Cirencester on the brink

Defeat leaves Cirencester on the brink [Sunday 9 March 2003]

Another performance littered with inexperience and inconsistency meant that Cirencester will go into the final day of the Swindon Indoor Cricket Association season knowing that they must win in order to make sure of staying up in Division 3.

Andy Walker and Dan Hudson opened the batting for Cirencester and were faced with a swinging ball for the first time this season. Walker was bowled in the second over before Hudson launched a counterattack, hitting a six and a four before needlessly running himself out. Andy Cooper and Andy Reynolds also perished leaving Simon Rowe and Rich Hudson to rebuild the innings.

After a slow start to the partnership, they grew in confidence and mixed solid defence with good running to begin to give Cirencester a total to defend. Rowe then took advantage of a last-over bowling change to crash a boundary that left Cirencester with a first innings score of 81. Despite being over 20 runs short of the score they had originally wanted, it was a very good effort from Rowe and Rich Hudson in difficult circumstances.

Cirencester knew they needed early breakthroughs and after a pacy opening over from Andy Reynolds, Dan Hudson pounced to run out the Litten Tree opening batsman. Reynolds and Andy Walker continued with an accurate start to the innings and this resulted in two further run outs.

The pressure was now on the Litten Tree batsmen and this showed as they offered a firmly struck chance to mid-on. However, the chance was spilled and as Litten Tree advanced towards their score, Cirencester knew they needed quick wickets in order to force a victory.

Dan Hudson was introduced into the attack but unfortunately produced an over that added considerably to the extras tally. As Litten Tree hit the winning runs a few balls later, Cirencester walked off knowing this was an opportunity missed, despite playing one of the leading sides in the divison.