Normandy left with little to defend after another collapse
NORMANDY’S tough Surrey Championship Premier Division season continued on Saturday when they were brushed aside by league leaders East Molesey in a one-sided display which once again highlighted worrying frailties in the hosts’ batting order.
With matches moving to the longer 120-over format, Normandy were invited to bat and hopes were high that without scoreboard pressure and with plenty of overs ahead of them the batsmen could find some much-needed form and enjoy time at the wicket.
Those hopes were quickly dashed when Sam Holland, promoted to open in the absence of Freddy Austin, pulled up sharply after setting off for a single in the third over and limped off to take no further part in proceedings.
Normandy’s hopes for a competitive total rested largely on the experienced Olly Batchelor and Chris Jones but when the former was knocked off his feet in being dismissed leg before for two by Dominic Reed, and the latter nicked Knight behind for nine before the scoreboard had got out of the teens, the innings already had an ominous feel to it. When Ganapathy (6) and Olly Calcott (9) both followed with the score at 32 East Molesey had their tails up.
However, hope was given to Normandy (for the only time in the match) by a stubborn stand between skipper Vignesh Venkateswaran and Max Stevenson who together more than doubled the score and looked to have tamed the bowling before Stevenson (11) shouldered arms to one that turned from Jake Kings to make it 66-5.
Venkateswaran’s elegant 24 showed what a good player he has become but a hesitation when going for a second run proved his undoing and he was run out to make it 73-6, and with George Barlow also falling before the lunch break it was the league leaders who went into the interval much the happier.
Little time was wasted after the resumption with the Normandy tail being quickly cleaned up after just 31 overs and a target of 78 looked more likely to trouble the home supporters turning up to enjoy some afternoon cricket than it was the visitors. Russel Withey at least gave brief hope of an upset, the seamer who has been excellent in all his appearances this summer, bowling the dangerous Marcus Campopiano for one in another impressive spell of new ball bowling, but it was a solitary moment of success as Molesey cantered to a nine-wicket victory in the 21st over.
Normandy remain in eighth spot in the 10-team division with just two wins from eight.