“We beat ourselves”, says Stratford Cricket Club captain after surprise loss
STRATFORD skipper James Urquhart admitted he felt as low as he has “for a long, long time” after the Panthers slipped to defeat against Solihull Blossomfield last weekend.
But he urged the squad to learn some tough lessons and bounce back on Saturday when they visit Olton & WW in a battle between two teams hoping to challenge the top two.
Having restricted visitors Blossomfield to 209-7 at Swans Nest, despite a depleted bowling attack, Stratford looked well placed when they got halfway to their total for the loss of just two wickets.
But from 107-2 they lost six wickets for just 20 runs and, with 13 overs still to play, they were skittled for 141 to suffer a sobering 68-run defeat.
“I’ve not felt as disappointed coming off the field for a long, long time as I did on Saturday,” said Urquhart.
“When we’ve lost games this season we’ve been outplayed but on Saturday we beat ourselves. We got ourselves out rather than the opponents getting us out.
“We had done well to restrict them to 209-7 with what was a lightweight bowling attack – there was only myself, Sean (Hopwood) and Archie (Walker) who bowl regularly and the rest were part-time bowlers.
“But it ended up being the batters that let us down.”
Having won the toss and decided to field, Stratford soon had Blossomfield 35-3 and then 109-5 but the visitors’ sixth-wicket pair proved resolutely stubborn.
Opener Richard Weaver smacked 103, off 141 balls, and Stefan Van Dyk (52) put on 99 for the sixth wicket to take them past 200 and give them a total to defend. Urquhart finished with 3-42 and Walker ended with 2-28.
In reply, Stratford openers Neel Ammanath (47) and Gareth Langman (29) plus No 3 Nathan Edwards (23) all got going, but when John Stratton (7) fell it signalled a clatter of wickets.
Thomas Lee ripped through the middle order with 6-40 and Aussie overseas pace bowler Ethan Carrington ended the innings by cleanbowling Walker with the first ball of the 39th over.
“It’s not the first time this season we’ve been bowled out with more than ten overs to go,” said Urquhart.
“You’ve got to value your wicket and we didn’t do that.
“From where we were, we shouldn’t be losing a game like that, especially in the win, lose, draw format. It was a game we really wanted to win to push on. We’ve got to learn from that disappointment and make amends on Saturday.”
Olton, who lost to runaway leaders Handsworth last Saturday, sit fourth in the table, nine points ahead of Stratford but the Panthers hope to have bowler Tom Grundy back in contention for the trip to Grange Road.
