Below par is still good enough

WHITCHURCH 3RD XI 194 WRINGTON 2ND XI 213

Wrington won by 19 runs

WRINGTON were not at their best but still did enough to pick up another win in their push for a second successive promotion in the North Somerset League Saturday Conference.

Whitchurch find themselves amongst the relegation scrap but had things going their way from the start in Saturday’s game, reducing the visitors to 53-3 after winning the toss.

Wrington skipper Dan McMullen then joined opener Adam Ford (24) and the board began to start ticking over, helped by some more powerful strokeplay when 15-year-old Ash Giles came to the crease following the latter’s dismissal.

McMullen was eventually caught behind off of the impressive Martin (3-33) for 49, an innings that included seven fours and two sixes, and young Giles (38) fell not long after.

But the score by now was on a far more respectable 179-7, which was boosted to 213 by the close by Parker (22no) and Sam Fowkes (15no).

Early wickets were hard to come by for Wrington’s opening attack which has been so penetrative this season, perhaps an early sign that all wasn’t going to be straight forward in reply.

Dury (43) gave Whitchurch a flying start at the top of the order before being bowled by Giles (1-39). Anton Lovatt (3-39) also bowled with menace throughout his spell but the hosts always kept themselves in with a shout by making wickets difficult to come by and keeping the required run rate within their sights.

Wrington have really yet to be made to win under pressure so far this season and this became evident as tensions mounted and cracks began to show.

However, Tom Green came on and did a superb job for the team, bowling with great control to return figures of 1-21 from eight overs and claim the key wicket of Lloyd, caught at cover point by McMullen.

The ever-present and consistent Fowkes (3-26) really swung the game the way of the promotion chasers by bowling dangerous home captain Mezaros for 24. Giles then kept his head when many more senior than him were losing theirs to bowl three tight overs at the end of the game, as did Lovatt at the other end, to secure an eventual winning margin of 19 runs.

The scoreline does not tell the full story, though, and Wrington will need to regather themselves ahead of Saturday’s top-of-the-table clash with Keynsham.