Shipston run riot on record-breaking day
CRICKET
Cotswold Hills League, Premier Division
Shipston-on-Stour 459-5
Overbury 76 all out
Shipston won by 383 runs
RECORDS were smashed on Saturday as Shipston-on-Stour moved up to second in the Cotswold Hills League Premier Division table with an emphatic 383-run victory over visiting Overbury at London Road.
Having lost the toss and being asked to bat first, Shipston went out looking for repeat of last week’s performance put on show against Norton Lindsey & Wolverton, but what followed was beyond even captain Tom Cox’s wildest expectations.
Overbury got off to a positive start, trapping Shipston’s young opener Jamie Shurmer (2) LBW in the fifth over to leave Shipston 18-1.
This brought Jack Murphy to the crease to join Matt Corby and the pair set about trying to repeat their previous partnership of 241.
The score raced past 100 in just the 12th over, with Corby going past 50 in the process as he dominated the Overbury opening bowlers.
He would continue this dominance over the next eight overs to bring up his century in the 20th over.
Murphy supported well from the other end and did his best to match Corby’s scoring rate, bringing up his own century in the 25th over as Shipston raced past the 250 mark.
With the pair still at the crease, the locals started to talk about club records, in particular the club’s highest score and batting partnership.
The latter was held by Corby and Murphy’s fathers, Andy Corby and Dave Murphy who put on 281 in 1986 against Wellesbourne.
Both parents were in attendance at the game and watched keenly as their sons went past their 33-year-old record in the 30th over of the innings.
With this record down, eyes now turned to the scoreboard and to what total Shipston could post.
With 15 overs to go the score was 309-1 and the club record of 388-5 against Broadway in 2006 was firmly in sight against a tiring Overbury side.
Corby and Murphy continued to press on and soon took their side past 350. The pair both getting to 150 in the process.
In doing so Corby became the first player in Shipston CC history to record back to back scores of 150-plus.
The partnership was finally broken in the 36th over when Corby was caught by Innes Gardener in the deep from the bowling of Overbury skipper Josh Colwell (1-106).
Corby left the field with a score of 173 and a new club record partnership of 340 with Murphy.
Marcus Ireland (48) joined Murphy at the crease and took no time in joining in with the runs as he hit numerous sixes to keep the run rate high.
The pair took Shipston beyond the previous club record and over 400 in the 39th over before Murphy (167) was caught by Ian Posgate at cover from the bowling of Gareth Aldridge (3-79).
Shipston continued to score freely until the end of the inning, finishing on 459-5. Julian Morris (12 not out), Justin Saker (18) and Josh Gibb (1no) were the other Shipston scorers. Posgate (1-100) was the other wicket taker for the visitors.
After tea the sides returned to the field and Overbury’s captain Colwell looked determined to stay positive and struck ten runs in the opening over to get his side off to the ideal start.
This positivity did not last long, though, with Sam Dexter striking twice in his first over, firstly trapping David Bull (0) LBW and then bowling Gardener (4) to reduce the visitors to 15-2.
Colwell continued to play his shots and found the boundary several times in next few overs, however, wickets continued to fall at the other end and when he fell to Ireland (3-28) for 27, his side collapsed to 76 all out.
Adam Brunt (20) was the only other batsman to make double figures for Overbury.
Dexter was the pick of the Shipston bowlers as he completed his first five-wicket hall for the club, ending with figures of 6-43 from his nine overs.
Reaction from Matt Corby in Thursday's Herald.
