Burton Leonard 2nd XI v Harrogate Strays
Burton Leonard 2nd XI suffered their sixth defeat of the season losing by nine wickets yesterday when they were soundly beaten by Harrogate Stays.
After losing the toss and being asked to bat first on a damp pitch, the Burton innings began steadily and although losing openere Ollie Moffat cheaply, Matthew Rangeley and Bryan Slack laid the foundations before Rangeley mis-cued a pull shot straight to mid on. Next in to bat was Ben Drummond who imediately carried on where he’d left off the previous wednesday and the run rate picked up slightly and 57 runs were added in the next thirteen overs before Bryan Slack drove straight to cover.
Ben Drummond then added 50 runs with Chris Sladen and passed fifty for the first time on a saturday this season before eventually being caught out on the boundary looking for quick runs at the end of the innings for a well earned 71, which would have been more if the four sixes he hit had counted on the Stray’s ground. It was left to Stuart Barker (8*) to end the innings with Chris Sladen (26*) and Burton had posted a decent score of 176-6 off their 45 overs with a batting point safely in the bag.
After an excellent tea in the Harrogate Tavern enjoying Burton old boy Tom Henry playing for Harrogate 2nd XI on the country ground, The Strays reply began and the dangerous Stanworth began tucking into some legside gimme’s and the home side were off to a flyer and although Johnny Duffy and the subsequent bowlers all bowled well no early breakthrough was made and suddenly the target looked like it wasn’t going to be enough as Burton’s bowling attack looked about as penetrative as Pélé without his blue tablets. Eventually a wicket was taken all beit a run out, but with only 45 runs required off seventeen overs the game was effectively over and the final nail in the coffin came five overs later and Strays had completed a nine wicket win at a canter.
