Quorn end their season with win over Leicester Ivanhoe
QUORN’S 2017 season came to an end with the visit of Leicester Ivanhoe.
With the track looking slightly damp, although very flat, Quorn captain Andy Kenneth won the toss and elected to bat first.
Openers Tom Errington and Ben Ragg looked to be positive from the off, Errington played some aggressive, lofted shots, selecting his deliveries carefully. Ragg looked to use the pace on the ball to get his shots away.
Between them the pair raced to 62 from 11 overs, bringing up Quorn’s first 50 opening partnership of the season. Ivanhoe turned to spin with immediate effect as Harvey (2-18) turned one past Ragg’s bat to bowl him for 22.
Although playing well, the ball was holding in the wicket somewhat and it was this that may have contributed to Errington’s dismissal as he was caught on the mid-wicket boundary, having made 32.
Quorn’s 63-0 soon became 84-4 as successive batsmen failed, bringing the Cooper brothers to the wicket. Neither brother seemed at his fluent best as their partnership was truncated for just 24, when Ivanhoe’s tall left armer Cox (4-27) knocked back Richard’s off stump.
Chris Cooper planted Cox high over the mid-wicket boundary, but looking to repeat the dose next ball, he was caught just short of the line for 20.
Quorn’s innings looked to be imploding as they tumbled lamely to 125-8. Jon Reynolds (9) and Adam Lee (30) both fought hard to take the final total to 162 after 43 overs.
Ivanhoe’s innings started poorly when Beaumont was spectacularly caught by his good friend Ben Ragg for a duck. Quorn’s seamers Andy Stovel (2-16) and Adam Lee (1-13) kept the batsmen on a tight leash, giving them little width to play with, and when Andy Kenneth (2-47) struck twice in his third over Ivanhoe had slipped to 47-4.
Number four, Richard Clark came to the wicket and his innings stood out like a beacon in the dark.
Rarely troubled by the bowlers, Clark picked his deliveries with care, finding gaps in the field with unerring ease. Quorn’s leading wicket taker, Jon Reynolds (3-35), unusually for him took a while to get into his bowling, but when he struck in his seventh over it initiated a 3-11 spell as Ivanhoe slumped to 1188. Jack Child (2-6) bowled Clark for an excellent 61 and soon after took the final wicket to give Quorn a 39 run victory.
Quorn’s mercurial season finally came to an end, with a record of nine wins and eight defeats, which sees them settled comfortably in fifth place.
Their tally of just 20 batting points, the fewest in the league, is indicative of the problems Quorn have had with the bat this season.
A key target for next season must be to find some consistency in the batting lineup.