Sunday XI Match Report

Garstang Sunday team kicked off there 2017 season with a home game against Great Eccleston. With Garstang fielding a team with 8 juniors it was really a look to the future. Great Eccleston won the toss and decided to have a bat on a rock hard wicket. Garstang's opening bowlers of Reon Jennings and Will Humphries started well and kept the scoring in check. Humphries made the break through getting Salman Munshi caught at mid wicket for 6. Jennings followed that up the very next over, clean bowling Elliot Wright first ball for 0. The introduction of Lewis Wellings and Yuvraj Chhabra into the bowling attack brought about a further couple of wickets with only opening batsman Matthew Moat looking comfortable at the crease. Jennings was brought back into the attack and made an immediate impact by removing the impressive Matthew Moat for 41 with the help of an outstanding diving catch my Harry Tomlinson. At this point Garstang hoped to get the innings wrapped up for but some dogged resistance from Ian Cossens (13) and Dave Walker(13), and some clean hitting from Alex Rhodes(23 not out) took the score to 152. Matthew Cocks finished off the innings with two wickets in an over to finish with figures of 2-17. Jennings finished with 3-11, Humphries 2-38, Wellings 1-31, Chhabra 1-19 and Will Bookless bowled well for no luck finishing with 0-25. The other wicket to fall was a run out by Robert Heath.

After a lunch break of pie and peas, Garstang set about the target of 152 with Harry Tomlinson and Yuvraj Chhabra opening the batting. The pair got off to a steady watchful start. The first wicket to fall was Tomlison adjudged LBW to Elliot Wright for 3. Robert Heath joined Chhabra at the crease and despite looking comfortable was bowled for 2 by Alex Rhodes. Next in at number 4 was big Will Humphries who wasted no time in taking the attack to the Great Eccleston bowlers, launching his second ball for 6 over the mid wicket boundary. Humphries obviously thought that attack was the best form of defence as he continued to launch the ball to all parts of the ground making 22 in quick time before being bowled by Rhodes. From there the Garstang batting struggled to cope with the off spin of Rhodes with wickets falling at regular intervals, with only Yuvraj Chhabra scoring freely and showing his undoubted talent. With a 50 for the taking a mix up between Chhabra and captain Ray Riley resulted in Chhabra being run out for 37. Two overs later the Garstang innings was over, being bowled out for 82. Great Eccleston's Alex Rhodes finishing with outstanding figures of 9-1-39-6.