Stony Stratford have boosted their hopes of survival in the NCL Premier Division for another season after a fine 7 wicket victory at home to sixth placed Wollaston on Saturday. In a match interrupted by rain, Stony dominated the proceedings from the first ball to the last in what was probably their best performance of what has been an up and down season to date.
With the recent wet weather producing an unusually green pitch at the normally bone dry Ostlers Lane, the toss was always likely to be important and when Stony skipper Steve Bellew won it he had little hesitation in asking the visitors to bat first. Earlier in the summer, Wollaston racked up 250 against Stony when batting first but this time it was to be the Stony bowlers who dominated. With the ball swinging around and bowling at decent pace, Bellew got the ball rolling, having Liam Bates caught for a 13 ball duck before accounting for fellow opener Matt Jones (11) and then number four Simon Driver (0). Chris Guy then grabbed the key wicket of the prolific Jimmy Hart, caught behind by Jarrod Pretorius for 19 as the rain began to fall. The players left the field at this point briefly before coming back on for a couple more overs which was enough time for Habib Ullah, who had just replaced Bellew at the Bowls Club End to bowl Sam Kumar for 7. Stony really had their tails up now with Wollaston struggling on 48 for 5 but then a huge downpour arrived to keep the players off the field for the next hour. This meant that Stony had lost 20 overs from their innings so it was imperative that they bowl the visitors out cheaply and quickly too in order to avoid an awkward chase in just 35 overs.
Stony looked like they’d enjoyed one too many sandwiches at tea, coming out a little sluggish after the break and allowing Mark Ralph (25) and Chris Perry to put on the first significant partnership of the game, 54 for the sixth wicket before Simon Myatt bowled Ralph to get Stony going again. Perry had defended well thus far and had played quite a cautious innings, but looked in decent touch. Stony still needed to grab the key wicket of visiting skipper Steve Musgrave, which they did with opposite number Bellew coming back into the attack to trap the Australian leg before without scoring. Perry, quickly running out of partners now sensibly went on to the attack and brought up a well deserved half century. Bellew then claimed his fifth wicket, deceiving Perry with a slower one who chipped a catch out to Garth Davson at mid off. Number 10 Adam Tee looked to tee off right at the end, and he did well to add a quick 18 before Myatt wrapped the innings up on 152 by trapping him lbw.
Stony received six overs back by bowling Wollaston out in 49 overs but they were never likely to need them after another brutal innings by young opener Garth Davson. In conditions that were still ideal for seam bowling, Davson, after a watchful start hammered 24 off one Siphe Mzayidume over with trademark punches over midwicket and square leg for fours and sixes. At the other end, John Lambe was doing a fine job of accumulating runs and keeping Davson company as the pair put on 70 for the first wicket. With Wollaston’s seamers unable to get the same out of the wicket as their Stony counterparts, Musgrave brought himself and fellow spinner Chris Perry on. Musgrave is the league’s leading wicket taker and he soon struck, bowling Lambe for 16. Stony then lost Dion Ebrahim for 8 with the score on 102 and then Paul West for a duck three runs later off the bowling of Perry to just give the visitors a bit of hope. But that hope was soon extinguished by Davson and new partner Nick Allen. Davson, who by now had reached a fourth half century of the season was slightly more circumspect against the spinners but the same couldn’t be said of Allen who crashed 40 not out off just 21 balls to bring Stony over the line. Davson finished unbeaten on 87 to give Stony a seven wicket win which has moved them 75 points clear of bottom side Wellingborough Town.
Stony 2nds game away at Kempston Hammers became the only game in all thirteen NCL divisions to be abandoned due to the rain on Saturday. Kempston had reached 55 for 2 when the rain came down and although promotion chasing Stony were keen to play on once the rain had stopped, the home side were less so and had the final say, with both teams having to settle for two points. With fellow promotion chasers Horton House II and Towcestrians both winning, Stony are now down to fourth in Division 3.
Stony 3rds dash for promotion from Division 6 continues after their latest win, this time at fourth placed Weekly Warkton II. Stony leapfrogged their opponents and now sit in fourth place themselves, just a handful of points off the first promotion place currently held by Kettering II. Stony bowled the home side out for 125 with Michael Brown (5 for 36) and Neil Fewtrell (4 for 30) doing all of the damage. Andy Preston lead from the front again, getting the innings off to a great start with 50 along with James Canwell (25). Brown added to his wickets with an unbeaten 21 to see his side home.