Ashford see off ’Stones with 14 runs to spare

ALTHOUGH Sunday the sixth of May was warm and sunny, the ground at Oakhill was swamplike.

This Sunday was different and although the outfield was slow, the wicket, as prepared by Russell Andrews was up to County Cricket standards, hard and responsive.

Dave Cavanagh, the Greystones captain won the toss and put Ashford in to bat.

Tony Buck and Nigel Anderson opening the Batting with Nigel hitting the second ball for four, it was a lively start for Ashford with Reece Kenyon and Anthony Hill joining Nigel Anderson retiring on the maximum of thirty runs allowed in this form of restricted over cricket.

Useful contributions were added by John Morrissey and Nick Seymour.

Andrew Manson batting at number seven watched the tail collapse around him until he was joined at the crease by Paul Davitt the Ashford Captain, batting at number eleven; between them they added over thirty runs steering Ashford to an impressive 175 for 6 in their allotted thirty overs.

After Tea, the weather remaining bright but with an increasing wind, Greystones went into bat, Dave Cavanagh choosing to let his batsmen work in pairs for six overs before rotating them

The first pair S. Cunningham and C. Hatton defended well against some inspired fast seam bowling from Reece Kenyon and tricky spin from Tony Buck but were called in when Greystones were 15 off six without loss.

Dave Cavanagh tonked the bowling around scoring a quick 19, including the third six of the match but it was only Ian Smale who reached the magic 30 not out for Greystones, and it was not enough.

Good fielding from Ashford slowed the leakage of runs although they did concede 24 extras and were a tad unlucky in ‘umpiring’ decisions; they successfully defended their total and won the match with 14 runs to spare.