Vale just short in last-over scramble (From Tewkesbury Admag)

Vale just short in last-over scramble

A DRAMATIC tie left Bourton Vale rueing lost points at the weekend.

Chasing 259 at hone to Oxford side Kidlington, they were disappointed not to make two off the last over to clinch victory after a brilliant batting display.

Having lost the toss, Vale made a good start and dismissed opener Prabu for a duck off the bowling of Ryan Newhook and things looked even better when prolific scorer Andy Buckingham was bowled by Rob Pike.

But with captain Mark Strong hitting 110 and the middle order making good contributions, they reached 259-5 off their 50 overs.

In reply Bourton lost Mark Whitney for one but then Alex Fatch joined Luke Murray to put on 164 for the second wicket.

Murray went for 98, leg before playing across a straight one but Fatch completed his first league century with a drive through the covers and looked like taking Vale to victory with just two to win off the last over.

It was not to be that simple as Fatch was out for 108 and Matt Kyte fell first ball, leaving two to win off the last two balls.

A scampered single off the fifth left just one to win but Jo Jenkins was run out, leaving the match tied.

Vale were even more frustrated to learn that leaders Bicester had managed only a draw, though they still have hopes of lifting the title.

Moreton-in-Marsh (178-5) beat ARPCC (166-9) by 12 runs

Alcester & Ragley won the toss and put Moreton In Marsh into bat on a sweltering day at Ragley Park. This looked a good decision with the early bowling proving difficult to score off and wickets being picked up at regular intervals.

Julian Reader and Shaun Quirke were the pick of the bowlers, finishing with figures of 2-27 and 2-26 respectively from their 10 overs. However, Alcester could not get the next vital breakthrough they needed and Moreton batsmen P Dawes (57no) and M Gillitt (37no) added 86 runs in the last 10 overs to leave a challenging total of 178-5 for Alcester to chase.

Alcester began their reply with some fine attacking play from Mark Fawthrop, who dispatched the early wayward Moreton bowling. When he was out for 20, the bowling tightened up and runs proved very hard to find, and batsmen Matt Greenway and Mark Woolley added only 29 runs in the next 13 overs.

The main bowler responsible was Dawes, who finished with 1-18 from 10 overs. Once he had finished Alcester were well behind the run rate and needed 109 from the last 14 overs, but they did have wickets in hand, and Quirke at the crease.

However, any chance of victory disappeared with the reintroduction of A Hurrell to the attack as he picked up three quick wickets and was also responsible for running out Quirke for an entertaining 35.

Ragley's lower order batsmen tried in vain to keep up with the rate but finished an agonizing 12 runs short after 45 overs.

Moreton In Marsh II (176 - 6) beat ARPCC II (163 - 8) by 13 runs

In a game that closely resembled the game going on between the two first elevens, Alcester came out second best again by a close margin.

Moreton were put into bat by Alcester captain Hedges and the early bowling had reduced the score to 50-3 from 20 overs, thanks mainly to Bradley 1-10 and Capron 2-39. At this point Dyer (57) joined opener Parry (65) and these two added the bulk of the runs until both were dismissed late in the innings. Moreton's innings finished on 176-6.

In reply Alcester's run rate was equally slow initially. In contrast to the home side no batsman made a big contribution and for the second week running Alcester fell just a few runs short at 163-8.

ADLESTROP'S Saturday match in the Cotswold District League was away to Chedworth and they won comfortably by five wickets after restricting the hosts to 141-8.

Wickets fell at regular intervals to Hughes (3-44) and Keen (2-32) and the only sizeable partnership was one of 41 between Drinkwater (33 not out) and Sims (26) for the fifth wicket.

A father-and-son opening partnership of 64 between Keith Barnes (47) and Matthew Barnes (26) put Adlestrop nicely on the victory road and at 117-2 they were coasting it. Three wickets then fell for the addition of four runs at which point Nick Keen joined his son Sam, and they saw their side home with four overs to spare, Nick finishing with 15 and Sam with 25.