Reserves V Leek Wootton

Ansley reserve team skipper Andy Morgan found yet again that the X1 he selected was not the X1 who appeared in this fixure. He lost Matt. Starmer to the senior side at the eleventh hour, Starmer had destroyed Leek Wootton the previous season with 7 wickets for 4 runs. Rowe and Stranks made fairly rapid inroads into the Ansley innings, the score 21 for 4 after 14 overs. The hard hitting Steve Beamish, with Andy Walkden for company, fought back with 40, the stand for the 5th wicket worth 52 runs. Walkden finished with 7 not out, running out of partners as Ansley subsided to 90 all out off 31.5 overs. Morgan now had to manage a side with limited bowling strength, Steve Beamish having two early successes. Mick Worrall took a fine catch to remove Farndon for a duck, and Haslem also fell to Beamish caught and bowled. Leek Wootton dug in and McKinnon (28) and M. Stranks (37*) slowly took the game away from the home side. Andrew Walkden, normally the wicket-keeper, became a wicket taker, his first ever bowling spell for Ansley accounting for McKinnon. Ansley could not make the vital breakthrough, and Leek Wootton coasted home to win by 6 wickets with time to spare. Ansley now wait anxiously for repairs to the roller, the pitches are too soft and the square needs many hours of rolling.