Cricket: Spye Park v Burbage and Easton Royal

A fine spell of bowling from Nick Church helped Spye Park register their 5th win on the bounce beating visiting team Burbage and Easton Royal by 7 wickets.

After winning the toss, Spye skipper Bowater inserted Burbage and Church proved what a good decision it was by backing his captain with a hostile opening spell.

Bowling straight and quick he soon reduced Burbage to 15 for 4, taking the first 4 wickets himself.

After bowling Tom Walbridge in the match’s second over he then uprooted Burbage no 3 Paul Lavis` stumps first ball.

His second over, the innings 4th he removed the Burbage danger man Jit Bhanerjee for 11.

Burbage never really recovered from this start, despite the determination of No 3 James Beaumont who batted sensibly, putting away the bad balls.

Church soon bagged his 4th wicket, a caught and bowled and by now he had put his team in the driving seat, but he was also well backed up by his opening partner Nick Doughty who again bowled well and was unlucky not to get rewarded.

Beaumont gradually ran out of partners as James Taylor replacing Church at the pavilion end carried on where the opener had left off, getting the ball to lift and enabling keeper Andy Ellis to hang on to a couple of smart chances and claiming a caught and bowled himself.

A sharp piece of fielding from Bowater meant Burbage where reduced to 9 down when James Lavis was run out.

This left Mark Hulse to bag his 2nd wicket of the match, tempting the last man Ash Rosier down the pitch for Ellis to complete the stumping.

Beaumont was left on 28 not out as Burbage were 78 all out off 28.4 overs.

Taylor ending with figures of 3-24 from 5 overs and Church with stand out figures of 4-12 from 9 overs.

Spye`s reply started cautiously as openers Tim Hues and Ellis looked to grind out a win.

At 46 without loss things looked to be going their way with Ellis starting to get stuck in to the bowling, this was until the introduction of Rosier bought about a change of fortune for Burbage, he had Ellis caught behind for 28 and then claimed his second 2 balls later as Bhanerjee took the catch offered by Paul Fennell.

This gave renewed hope to the visitors as Rosier continued to bowl well, Andy Beal after a couple of lusty blows then holed out on the boundary for 14 to give spinner Adam Lavis his first wicket but it was too little too late as Hues 20no and Russell West 13no saw Spye over the line. Rosier finishing with 2-7 from 6 overs.