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PANTHERS ARE SENT SPINNING TO DEFEAT
Shifnal 258-7 Stratford 132 all out
STRATFORD Upon Avon\\\'s disappointing Birmingham and District Division 1 season continued on Saturday with a 126-run defeat at home to mid-table Shifnal.
The result leaves them hovering just above the drop zone but second-from-bottom Halesowen’s shock win over league-leaders West Bromwich has narrowed the gap to 19 points. Stratford still have to play the Worcestershiremen in what could be a relegation decider on August Bank Holiday Monday at Swans Nest Lane.
They were again without the services of Warwickshire’s Paul Best who is with the England Under 19 squad for their Test series against Sri Lanka. Former skipper David Lamb took over the captaincy duties. Shifnal were also without their county player in the shape of Worcestershire paceman Chris Whelan.
Shifnal captain Stuart Blount won the toss and elected to bat on a wicket that was used for the three-day 2nd XI Championship game between Warwickshire and Glamorgan last week. Groundsman John Bishop’s perfectly prepared strip received praise from former West Indies fast bowler Vanburn Holder who umpired the county game and it continued to play superbly on Saturday.
Shifnal openers Richard Murrall and Tom Collins put on 46 before Murrall was run out by Lamb. Collins departed with the score on 60 when he was caught behind by stand-in wicketkeeper Sam Neale off Wigsy Troughton for 28.
But this brought in the hard-hitting David Powles and the South African went on to play a classy innings of 60 before he mistimed an off drive off Tom Grundy into the safe hands of Lamb at mid-off. George Collins dropped anchor with a steady 36 and enabled Shropshire wicketkeeper-batsman Anthony Parker to show his quality with a knock of 70 off 59 balls. Blount chipped in with a breezy 20 as his side closed on 258-7 off their 55 overs.
Junead Zaman was Stratford’s leading wicket taker with three for 65 with Grundy (2-50), Troughton (1-44) and Lamb (1-31) the other successful bowlers.
Stratford’s reply got off to a good start with openers Rob West and Lamb putting on 81 at the 20-over mark. But the introduction of off-spin twins James Kidson and Powles changed the course of the game completely.
Kidson caught and bowled West for 34 and in the next over Powles trapped Lamb lbw for the same score. Matt Corby again looked well set before he was caught off Powles for 20 but from then on it was all downhill as the rest of the side scrambled to get padded up as wickets fell at a rate of knots.
No other Stratford player reached double figures as the Shifnal spinners weaved their web and the innings collapsed to an all out total of 132 in the 44th over. Powles crowned a “man-of-the-match” performance with figures of six for 35 off 17 overs while Kidson finished with four for 22 from 12.5 overs.
A trip to promotion-chasing Brockhampton lies in store for the out-of-form Panthers this coming Saturday.
Posted at 10am on 29th July
For the full story see the Herald of 29th July
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