Cirencester Cricket Club > News > July 2003 > 1st XI make it four wins in a row

1st XI make it four wins in a row [Tuesday 8 July 2003]

Gloucestershire County Cricket League Division 2
Cirencester - 215/6
Old Richians - 111 all out
Cirencester won by 104 runs

On an overcast day at Cirencester Park, Cirencester duly completed thier fourth win in a row with an emphatic victory over a now struggling Old Richians side. On what looked, due to rain during the week, to be a slightly softer, but still good wicket, Cirencester, having won the toss, elected to bat first.

Once again openers Reynolds and Walker put together a solid base to Cirencester's innings with a stand for the first wicket of 47 in 15 overs, before the latter was lbw for 23. Walker was then joined by Richard Graham, who yet again became the main stay of the innings. With a mixture of sound shot selection and good running between the wickets they took the score onto 73 before Walker was bowled for 33 trying to force the pace.

Graham was then joined by Donwil Rodrigoes, who for the second week in a row played with freedom mixing good solid shots with some flamboyant ones. These two played with some ease to move the score quickly onto 147, until Rodrigoes was beaten by the low bounce of the pitch being trapped lbw for 40, still unfortunately 10 runs short of his first league half-century.

It was left then to Graham, who with the help of the lower middle order, particularly Mark Clayton, to steer Cirencester passed the 200 mark for the second week in a row. They ended their allotted 45 overs with an excellent total of 215 for 6. Richard Graham finished 79*, a fine effort by Cirencester number three on a fairly slow wicket.

In reply, Cirencester's opening bowlers James Shackleton and John Turner once again turned the screw on the opposition and with the help of Dominic Jeffcott, reduced Old Richians to 22 for 3 in 15 overs. With the game, even at this early stage, effectively won, Cirencester did take their foot off the pedal slightly, allowing Old Richains opening batsman Wilkes a couple of lives before Ian Butler dismissed him for 26 with the total on 66.

With Butler continuing to bowl a good line and length , Rodrigoes was then brought on to bowl his leg spin variety, which after the first over, he bowled with a good deal of accuracy. Despite a little late order resistance from Sorty (13) and Cambridge (17), Cirencester were always in control, and with Butler and Rodrigpes taking three wickets each, Old Richians were bowled out for 111 in the 38th over, over a hundred runs short of thier target.

Cirencester had therefore completed yet another excellent win, batting positively throughout their innings and supporting their accurate bowling with some solid ground fielding. This 22 point maximum win takes them into the top four of Division 2.