Scorecard

Newport II v Aspenden Standon & Puckeridge Saturday League Team on Sat 22 May 2010 at 1.30pm
Aspenden Standon & Puckeridge Won 21 runs

Match report The Asps were on the road to Newport and once again a beautiful day and a equally good looking pitch set the perfect scene for what turned out to be a see saw game of cricket keeping ASP's travelling faithfull on the edge of their sun lounges.
Clifton skippering the side for the first time won the toss and put the Asp's into bat.
Early signs were very promising with Strange getting out the blocks and into the Newport attack within the first over. With such a large boundary and quick outfield runs were easy to find, however two early wickets of Devonshire (1) and Edwards (2) put the Asps on the back foot after a promising start.
However Strange and Groom crafted the ball around nicely, until Strange was caught for a very solid 45. Clifton and Groom were paired at the crease and got the score board ticking along nicely and had it not been for a drinks break Groom would have probably seen out the game, unfortunately Groom played on and departed for 34 much needed runs.
With the overs ticking by every run became important and a horrible mix up between Baxter and Clifton saw Baxter returning to the pavillion for 1. This brought Booth to the crease for his first league game of the season with only twelve overs left and only 110 on the board things did not look to promising.
However Booth (45 not out) and Clifton (61 not out) put on a partnership of 94 with 60 coming in the last five overs.
Early breakthroughs were needed only defending 204 and Edwards provided some quality tight bowling coming down the slope, and the Newport Batting were glad to see his spell come to an end finishing with 10 overs 3 for 24. However the Asp bowling failed to really back up the attack from the other end as Pankhurst and Fitzgerald were unfortunately dispatched to the boundary on several occasions, a cruel lesson for these youngsters but i am sure they will bounce back.
Changes were made bringing Strange on to slow the run rate which was starting to get out of control. Inparticular Newport's opener and skipper who finished on 114. A great battle between Strange and the Newport opener began with neither giving ground and with Edwards finishing his spell and no one able to dislodge this batsman things looked pretty grim for the Asps. At one point the score board read 177 for 5 with 10 overs left.
The essential breakthrough finally came, Lindsay replacing Edwards down the slope bowled one of his best spells for the club finishing with a cracking 10 overs 4 for 46, it could have been easier had some earlier chances been taken but once the pivotal Newport opener was dismissed the final 5 wickets fell for 11 runs leaving Newport on 184 all out.
This Victory literally snatched from the jaws of defeat and showed that Asp's perhaps do have that fighting spirit that will hopefully stay with them all season.
Man of the Match Edwards, a fine tight opening spell providing the platform for the rest of his team to build on.

Aspenden Standon & Puckeridge Saturday League Team Batting
Player Name RunsMB4s6sSRCtStRo
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 5 wickets
0
204		        
Clark Baxter Run out  1
Mathieu Booth Not Out  46
Luke Clifton Not Out  61
Rob Devonshire Lbw  1
Lewis Fitzgerald  
Simon Groom Bowled  34 2
Simon Lindsay  
Mark Pankhurst  
Michael Strange Caught  45
Colin Edwards Caught  2 1
Lewis Robinson  

Newport II Bowling

Player nameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
No records to display.

Newport II Batting
Player name RMB4s6sSR
extras
TOTAL :
 
for 10 wickets
0
184 (0.0 overs)		     
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

Aspenden Standon & Puckeridge Saturday League Team Bowling

Player NameOversMaidensRunsWicketsAverageEconomy
Colin Edwards10.042438.002.40
Mark Pankhurst4.003300.008.25
Lewis Fitzgerald3.002500.008.33
Michael Strange10.0044222.004.40
Simon Lindsay10.0346411.504.60
Clark Baxter4.0011111.002.75