Western Australia left-arm pace bowler Ryan Duffield came within one wicket of a unique ‘all ten’ haul with a career-best 9-65 return as South Wilts swept to a sixth successive ECB Southern Electric Premier League victory over Sarisbury Athletic.
Bowling fast full ‘yorker’ length deliveries, Duffield clean bowled eight Sarisbury batsmen and trapped a ninth leg before as the Premier Division new boys crumbled to 35-9 after the three-times champions had battled their way to 198-9.
They were eventually dismissed for 102, leaving South Wilts’ 96-run winners.
For best part of an hour Duffield - bowling from Allotment Road pavilion end - was within a whisker of taking all ten Sarisbury wickets.
He took three wickets in four legitimate balls in his third over – Sarisbury losing five top order batsmen for seven runs during a catastrophic collapse.
But, nine scalps dangling from his belt, he was denied his place in SPL folklore by a defiant half-century by the injured Dave Banks (59), who found a plucky and reliable last wicket partner in number 11, Phil Jewell, with whom he added 67.
Batting with a suspected broken left thumb, Banks took the fight to South Wilts – and Duffield in particular - striking two sixes and nine fours before holing out on the mid-wicket boundary off the spin bowling of Rob Franklin.
Duffield, the fourth Premier League cricketer to take nine wickets in an innings alongside Richard Pineo (Havant), and Lymington pair Matt Metcalfe and Matt Mixer, had enjoyed a previous best return of 8-49 for his Perth Grade club Melville against Michael Hussey’s Wanneroo in November 2013.
Reflecting on his figures, he confessed “It was just one of those days when it all clicked. It just came out really well and I just bowled quick.
“It wasn’t swinging a huge amount. I just bowled full and quick, stump to stump.
“The wicket was a bit up and down at times, some stayed low and some didn’t. It worked in my favour.”
Duffield, who plays for in the same Melville team as Adam Voges (Australia’s debut making Test centurion against the West Indies last week) had an inkling he might not get all ten wickets.
“After the first few balls at the last pair I had a feeling it wasn’t going to happen.
“I got the ninth one, but then couldn’t get much of a crack at their number 11. I only managed to get a handful of balls at him.
“It would have been fantastic to have got the tenth, but it wasn’t to be. The main thing was that we won.”
Duffield ran amok after South Wilts had dug themselves out of potential difficulty at 89-5, the day’s other left-armer Dan Goldstraw (4-51) having done the damage.
Sixteen-year old William Wade, who made a brave 52 on debut, shared a 72-run sixth-wicket stand with James Hibberd (42) and pointed South Wilts to their 198-9 after 64 overs.
“On the face of it 198 does not look great but it was a tricky wicket abd we had to work hard for our runs. The score was probably 30 above bar as a total. They bowled well and we did well to get that many,” said skipper Tom Morton.
“William Wade batted really well. He’s come into the side (for Hampshire-bound Sean Terry) averaging 75 and he’s earned his call.
“For a 16-year old to make a fifty on debut and under pressure is quiet something, but he’s got a good temperament.”
The day, though, belonged to Ryan Duffield – a professional operating in a club cricketer’s world : he was simply too good.
Bowling fast full ‘yorker’ length deliveries, Duffield clean bowled eight Sarisbury batsmen and trapped a ninth leg before as the Premier Division new boys crumbled to 35-9 after the three-times champions had battled their way to 198-9.
They were eventually dismissed for 102, leaving South Wilts’ 96-run winners.
For best part of an hour Duffield - bowling from Allotment Road pavilion end - was within a whisker of taking all ten Sarisbury wickets.
He took three wickets in four legitimate balls in his third over – Sarisbury losing five top order batsmen for seven runs during a catastrophic collapse.
But, nine scalps dangling from his belt, he was denied his place in SPL folklore by a defiant half-century by the injured Dave Banks (59), who found a plucky and reliable last wicket partner in number 11, Phil Jewell, with whom he added 67.
Batting with a suspected broken left thumb, Banks took the fight to South Wilts – and Duffield in particular - striking two sixes and nine fours before holing out on the mid-wicket boundary off the spin bowling of Rob Franklin.
Duffield, the fourth Premier League cricketer to take nine wickets in an innings alongside Richard Pineo (Havant), and Lymington pair Matt Metcalfe and Matt Mixer, had enjoyed a previous best return of 8-49 for his Perth Grade club Melville against Michael Hussey’s Wanneroo in November 2013.
Reflecting on his figures, he confessed “It was just one of those days when it all clicked. It just came out really well and I just bowled quick.
“It wasn’t swinging a huge amount. I just bowled full and quick, stump to stump.
“The wicket was a bit up and down at times, some stayed low and some didn’t. It worked in my favour.”
Duffield, who plays for in the same Melville team as Adam Voges (Australia’s debut making Test centurion against the West Indies last week) had an inkling he might not get all ten wickets.
“After the first few balls at the last pair I had a feeling it wasn’t going to happen.
“I got the ninth one, but then couldn’t get much of a crack at their number 11. I only managed to get a handful of balls at him.
“It would have been fantastic to have got the tenth, but it wasn’t to be. The main thing was that we won.”
Duffield ran amok after South Wilts had dug themselves out of potential difficulty at 89-5, the day’s other left-armer Dan Goldstraw (4-51) having done the damage.
Sixteen-year old William Wade, who made a brave 52 on debut, shared a 72-run sixth-wicket stand with James Hibberd (42) and pointed South Wilts to their 198-9 after 64 overs.
“On the face of it 198 does not look great but it was a tricky wicket abd we had to work hard for our runs. The score was probably 30 above bar as a total. They bowled well and we did well to get that many,” said skipper Tom Morton.
“William Wade batted really well. He’s come into the side (for Hampshire-bound Sean Terry) averaging 75 and he’s earned his call.
“For a 16-year old to make a fifty on debut and under pressure is quiet something, but he’s got a good temperament.”
The day, though, belonged to Ryan Duffield – a professional operating in a club cricketer’s world : he was simply too good.