1st XI V Ward End Unity

This was Ansley’s first ever encounter with Ward End Unity, who were top of the table prior to this clash. Ansley fielded a strong eleven, but there was a certain amount of confusion in the Ward End ranks as to who was registered to play and who was not. They employed a "substitute" fielder throughout the Ansley innings, and only had 9 eligible batsmen. Much depended on the toss for innings with the pitch still very damp from the weeks bad weather. Andy Davies missed out yet again, and Ansley were inserted. Lovegrove was well caught with 6 on the board, but Hubbard and Fleming then began to make slow progress. Hubbard pulled a muscle and had Richard Franks for a runner, this should have been Robert Lovegrove, the only batsman dismissed. Hubbard was finally dismissed and the score after 25 overs was 52 for 2. In came Ahsan Sayed, and, despite losing Fleming on 53, Ansley got on top. Sayed and Streeting added 66 in rapid time, Sayed making a fine 52 in 55 balls before he was bowled. Richard Franks, playing his 100th game, pushed the score on as Ansley began to run out of overs. F. Malik came back into the attack and took 4 Ansley wickets in 8 deliveries to end the innings at 146 all out in 46.2 overs. Ward End Unity soon made their intentions plain, some sub standard Ansley bowling, cannon fodder for the hard hitting Yousef. Many searches were conducted in the woods just over the long on boundary, he despatched the ball there quite a few times in his 89 off 84 balls before being run out. Ahsan Sayed’s bowling caused some alarms, his three wickets for 26 off 10 overs, plus two "run outs", giving Ansley a glimmer of hope, but it was not to be, Ward End got home at 148 for 5 off only 27.3 overs.