Seconds back in groove

BRAMHALL seconds returned to winning ways on Saturday, gaining 25 points against Brooklands to move up to fourth in the league table.

The game started in the expected way, with Bramhall losing the toss. Unsurprisingly, Brooklands opted to field first. Ruaridh Patel got the innings off to a brisk start, but was bowled for 11 from the 8th ball of the innings. Runs continued to flow, with Ellie Mason looking very composed. Neither Adam Siddall nor Tim Wood added much to the score, both being bowled to leave the total at 59-3. The arrival of Stuart Stoneman at the crease led to the partnership that effectively determined the outcome of the match. Together with Ellie he added 118 runs, scoring freely, and aided by a fair number of extras. However, when Stuart was out for 52, the innings subsided. Ellie was eventually 7th out for a fine 87. 177-3 became 188-8, and it was left to skipper Tom Drury to nurse the total past 200, with the last wicket falling at 201 off the last ball of the innings. Sam Higgins finished with 4-52.

Brooklands started well before the Bramhall bowlers found their rhythm, but scoring slowed after the first 3 or 4 overs. Adam Siddall took the first wicket, of James Robinson, and James Davenport added two more to leave Brooklands at 63-3 after 20 overs.

Mark Bloomfield and Sam Higgins settled in before Higgins was LBW to Ruaridh Patel for 19. Stefan Ray-Hills joined Bloomfield but both fell to the innocuous looking bowling of Tom Drury. After that the only question was whether Bramhall could winkle out the last four wickets on what was a good batting track.

Patel took the wicket of Si Lee, before the leg spin of Archie Tittle snared James Gill and Cameron Buchan.

Stuart Stoneman then wrapped up the innings, bowling the Brooklands captain to complete a victory for Bramhall, by 74 runs.