Day Three
Cricket Web Colts vs Cricket Web Red
at Fardin Qayyumi CC
Cricket Web Red rest their hopes on their last batting pairing following start city in Goffmouth. The pitch showed little intention of playing ball with the hosts, and it was another toiling day for bowlers, with the exception of Martin West, who snared three wickets to keep the Colts below 600.
Red started positively, with both Luff and Mørk smacking boundaries at will, but Mørk was well held by Daniel Towns at 36. It set a tone for the day; most Reds quickly wafted runs, exccept for Gray, and then toddled off after silly mistakes, mostly to Dylan Cole, who picked up two wickets. Jamee Gray was the sole purveyor of grit, lasting 135 balls, but couldn't even register a half-century before Towns at square leg picked up another catch.
David Kennett was sent out after tea to ward off the older ball; it worked poorly, as Wilson had him caught at fourth slip after fourteen overs, but the bowlers had been tired out and Kearsley batted well at the other end. The second new ball arrived three overs before stumps, and Kearsley promptly edged it behind - only for Fitzsimmons to floor an easy chance. Thus, Red remain alive by the skin of their nails.
Cricket Web Colts 592 all out (165)
Wilson 90*; West 5/116, Kennett 3/129
Cricket Web Red 294 for five (82)
Kearsley 59*, Luff 56, Dauth 55
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Cricket Web Black vs Masters XI
at Pickford Reserve
Alex Blackman's 270-ball score helped Black to three batting bonus points at Pickford, but they still remained far in arrears of the hefty Masters total after yesterday's capitulation. The rest of the order did largely as expected, as the Masters' bowling proved too effective.
The morning had been decent for the hosts, only losing Chaulk to another questionable lbw decision, while Blackman ground his way to 47 at the interval. Warne's bowling rotation was rarely successful, as conditions were once again in favour of the batsmen, and Blackman made the hundred with a beautiful four just before the tea interval and the new ball. It seemed as though Black would have a considerable tail fightback, having already scored more for the sixth and seventh wicket than for the top five, but Bond and Odoyo with the new ball proved irrestisible, and despite an entertaining 15 from Pickup, Black were bowled out 243 runs behind. Asked to follow on, Black lost Ritchie cheaply yet again, as he was caught at the wicket from an Odoyo inswinger, but with 65 runs in thirteen overs they certainly showed aggressive intent.
Masters XI 551 all out
Cricket Web Black 308 all out (92.1)
Blackman 116*; Klusener 4/49, Odoyo 3/54
Cricket Web Black (following on) 65 for one (13)
Smith D 31*
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Cricket Web Blue vs Cricket Web Green
at PDV Dome
Cricket Web Green fought back admirably to keep the Dome contest alive, though the third bonus point eluded them. Thamba Mamesh provided an atlantean effort to keep the Blue bowlers at bay, scoring more than sixty percent of the runs in another frantic day's cricket.
Ben Read and Thamba Mamesh continued the aggressive route from two days ago during the morning session, adding fifty runs to ten fours in what turned out to be a depressing session for the hosts, who had hoped to press the advantage they had got from the other two top sides stumbling.
Chances were abundant, but Blue simply weren't good enough in the field to make them count, and half an hour into the afternoon Green had levelled the scores for no loss of wickets. Then, Rob Bowen had a simple catch to dismiss Ben Read, and Green were effectively zero for one.
A triple haul from Trav Demeza dragged Blue right back into the match, however, as Gonzalez, Dinnen and Reddlapalli all fell to simple catches, and a large responsibility fell on Mamesh' shoulders as he attempted a rescue operation from the effective total of 96 for five. He needed support, however, and with Dubb-Lynch and Chapman both gone easily, it appeared as though it would be a one-man act; after tea, however, Andy Cameron's surprisingly solid bat held out eighty-five deliveries, allowing Mamesh to complete the double century.
Cricket Web Blue 471 all out (139.2)
Garven 3/78
Cricket Web Green 347 all out & 375 for seven (76)
Mamesh 209*, Read 64; Demeza 4/126
Code:
Blue 9 9 0 67 51 244
Black 9 6 3 51 51 240
Red 9 8 1 57 52 239
Colts 7 6 5 57 51 226
Green 6 10 2 47 52 190 E