Davis too hot to handle as Marple crash

NESTON’S fiery opening bowler, Ash Davis, with a superb haul of 6 for 25, delivered in two sharp spells, undid Marple last Saturday.

Despite heavy rain having fallen the preceding evening, the Marple ground still had the colour of the Kalahari desert.

Neston skipper David Hurst, elected to field first on winning the toss, as there was still some dampness around, although warm sunshine bathed the ground.

Davis, given the new ball, was right on target from ball one. He began with a maiden, but his partner at the Seven Stiles End, Matt Stewart was initially a little wayward, and both Morgan and Ramsay were able to find the boundary with some pleasing strokes.

However, in his third over, Davis, bowling full, quickly and straight, was through Ramsay (5), shattering his stumps, Marple on 16 for 1.

Mark Bennett always looks to have time against the quicker bowlers, and he got the ball away for a couple of early fours.

Davis though, switched his line of attack to round the wicket, and Bennett (9) met the same fate as Ramsay, being comprehensively bowled at 33 for 2.

Mark Makin was also castled in Davis’s next over for a duck, and the Neston paceman certainly had the wood on the Marple top order, his figures at this stage being 3 for 14 from only five overs.

Marple skipper Paul Wood joined Morgan, and the fourth wicket pair managed to see off Davis’s initial spell. The scoring rate had slowed though, as both young slow left arm spinner Jones, and Stewart, in a much tighter second stint, put the squeeze on the Marple batting. Morgan had battled well to reach 27, but he was anxious against Jones and, trying to force the pace, played a loose shot outside the off stump and was smartly taken by keeper Evans, the score just 55 for 4.

Andrew Hall at number six played responsibly in partnership with Wood, and they added a further 33 runs to seemingly stabilise the innings.

Neston’s fourth bowler though was a mystery leg spinner, Prithvi Sarvaiya.

Hall (11), usually an excellent reader of wrist spin, failed to pick a perfectly pitched googly in the bowler’s first over and was bowled playing no stroke. This was a real blow to Marple as Davis had been reintroduced for a second spell, and one end was now open.

Wood (25) followed soon after at 98 for 6, caught by Evans off Davis, maybe feeling he had to try and push things along.

From this stage, although Mike Schofield battled to an undefeated 6 not out, Davis was not to be denied. He was too much for the lower order, and Sarvaiya’s wiles also proved to be unsolvable. He ended with 3 for 14 from just 4.1 overs. Marple collapsed to a meagre 114 all out. Despite the bowling being generally of a high standard, and the pitch offering some assistance, this was a very disappointing batting effort. Davis, in particular, deserves special mention though. He bowled at a pace not regulary seen in Saturday afternoon cricket, and kept a fullish length at all times, resisting any temptation to dish up any short stuff on a pitch were the ball skidded through at times.

With such a modest total to defend, Wood opted to open with his most successful bowler this season, veteran off spinner Andy Greasley.

He was his usual accurate self, and picked up the early wicket of Evans, as the Neston wicket keeper batsman played an ugly hoick and was caught at point by Ramsay.

Hurst’s new partner, Dom Smith (38), did not look totally convincing, but he was the dominant partner in a second wicket stand of 54. He began with a flurry of boundaries as Hurst looked to anchor the reply. Marple had a faint ray of hope as three quick wickets fell to leave the visitors on 85 for 4. Greasley was still causing problems, and then Moroney and later Wood asked the batters questions.

Hurst was there at the end though with 43 not out as a comfortable five wicket win ensued for Neston. Greasley had a commendable 3 for 48 for Marple.