Batting collapse is Quorn downfall

ON SATURDAY, Birstall village were the visitors to Caves field to face Quorn and with a pale, straw coloured wicket and under blue skies, Birstall captain, Josh Saye, won the toss and opted to bat.

At first, the visitors made slow progress against the pacy in-swing bowling of Ross Errington and the accurate Adam Lee.

Only opening batsmen, K Mannn-Kler seemed able to time the ball with any degree of certainty. In the last over before the first drinks interval, Errington (3-20) snared Lalceta (14) and Kara (0), before having a huge appeal against Saye, for caught behind, turned down.

This left the innings delicately balanced at 53-3. Mann-Kler and the reprieved Saye then progressed the score steadily to 109, before Jamie Richardson (1-48) induced a mis-timed leg glance from Mann-Kler who was caught at mid-wicket for 62.

Once Mann-Kler departed, Saye upped the tempo as Birstall appeared to be heading towards a score in excess of 200. Andy Stovel (1-23) clean bowled Saye for 48 and a returning Lee (2-30) stalled Birstall’s progress, as their innings drifted towards a final score of 177-9.

For three overs after the tea interval, Quorn scored freely, as the wicket appeared to have flattened out completely.

However, Mann-Kler soon put paid to any hopes Quorn might have had of a comfortable victory chase, when he removed both openers in his second over, leaving Quorn 15-2.

Quorn’s desperately vulnerable batting lineup never seem to be able to come to terms with MannKler, who bowled his 12 overs unchanged taking 6-18.

Only Richard Cooper (13) was able to reach double figures as the home side’s innings crumbled timidly to just 59 all out in 25.1 overs.

Next week, Quorn face Newtown Linford and they will need to start scoring runs much more consistently if they are to avoid the looming spectre of relegation.