Lymington skipper Matt Metcalfe celebrated his 500th Southern Premier Division wicket in the eight-run win over South Wilts [Roy Honeybone]
Matt Metcalfe chalked up his 500th ECB Southern Premier Division wicket – only the second player to achieve such a milestone – in leading Lymington to a dramatic and improbable eight-run victory over South Wilts.
His ten-over spell of 4-35, which included wickets off the opening two balls of the South Wilts innings, was a decisive factor in Lymington successfully defending a modest 128 all out.
That all 20 wickets fell for an aggregate 248 runs – South Wilts were dismissed for 120 - was almost entirely due to a damp Lymington Sports Ground surface off which the ball seamed prodigiously all day.
So exaggerated was the movement during the afternoon session (when Lymington batted) that South Wilts’ bowlers were unable to control the swing and sent down 35 wides, a staggering statistic which contributed significantly to their downfall.
But at 34-4 and after an impressive opening new-ball spell by Matt Burton, left, whose 5-31 return was his Premier Division best, Lymington would hardly have backed themselves to emerge with a third successive win.
Ryan Scott (25) and Darren Cowley (22), however, were able to piece together a handy fifth-wicket stand before Ben Attrill and Josh Proctor chipped in to give Lymington something, albeit a moderate total, to bowl at.
James Hayward (3-14) accounted for the three of the last four Lymington batsmen, while Ben Draper finished with four victims behind the stumps, his leg-side stumping to remove Proctor and give Burton his fifth wicket being particularly eye-catching.
First ball
The conditions were tailor-made for Metcalfe, who bowled Australian Peter Rowe with his first delivery and then had Joe Cranch superbly caught behind by Gareth Schreuder with his next ball. South Wilts 0-2.
Hayward became a third victims for Metcalfe soon after (10-3) - but then Draper and Tom Morton knuckled down and released the tension with a 34-run stand.
Just as SW began to pick up some momentum, Lymington struck a decisive double blow.
Metcalfe’s successful leg before against Draper (15) was his milestone 500th SPL wicket. One run later, Gareth Schreuder (selected to play for the Club Cricket Conference against Essex IIs at Billericay this week) took a leg-side catch to remove Morton (20) off young Josh Royan.
With their top order back in the pavilion and only 44 runs on the board, South Wilts were in trouble, but Arthur Godsal (19) and Raff Hussey (13) nudged their reply to 77 before a flurry of wickets left them 81-8.
When Will Harries was yorked by Proctor at 97-9, the end was seemingly nigh for South Wilts, but a spirited last-wicket stand, climaxed by a huge six off a no-ball free hit by Luke Evans (18), left nerves jangling as the visitors crept to 120 and to within sight of the target.
The penultimate ball of Scott’s third over (the 35th), however, clipped the edge of Evans’s bat and Schreuder claimed his third victim.
South Wilts were 120 all out and Lymington had won for a third week in a row.
His ten-over spell of 4-35, which included wickets off the opening two balls of the South Wilts innings, was a decisive factor in Lymington successfully defending a modest 128 all out.
That all 20 wickets fell for an aggregate 248 runs – South Wilts were dismissed for 120 - was almost entirely due to a damp Lymington Sports Ground surface off which the ball seamed prodigiously all day.
So exaggerated was the movement during the afternoon session (when Lymington batted) that South Wilts’ bowlers were unable to control the swing and sent down 35 wides, a staggering statistic which contributed significantly to their downfall.
But at 34-4 and after an impressive opening new-ball spell by Matt Burton, left, whose 5-31 return was his Premier Division best, Lymington would hardly have backed themselves to emerge with a third successive win.
Ryan Scott (25) and Darren Cowley (22), however, were able to piece together a handy fifth-wicket stand before Ben Attrill and Josh Proctor chipped in to give Lymington something, albeit a moderate total, to bowl at.
James Hayward (3-14) accounted for the three of the last four Lymington batsmen, while Ben Draper finished with four victims behind the stumps, his leg-side stumping to remove Proctor and give Burton his fifth wicket being particularly eye-catching.
First ball
The conditions were tailor-made for Metcalfe, who bowled Australian Peter Rowe with his first delivery and then had Joe Cranch superbly caught behind by Gareth Schreuder with his next ball. South Wilts 0-2.
Hayward became a third victims for Metcalfe soon after (10-3) - but then Draper and Tom Morton knuckled down and released the tension with a 34-run stand.
Just as SW began to pick up some momentum, Lymington struck a decisive double blow.
Metcalfe’s successful leg before against Draper (15) was his milestone 500th SPL wicket. One run later, Gareth Schreuder (selected to play for the Club Cricket Conference against Essex IIs at Billericay this week) took a leg-side catch to remove Morton (20) off young Josh Royan.
With their top order back in the pavilion and only 44 runs on the board, South Wilts were in trouble, but Arthur Godsal (19) and Raff Hussey (13) nudged their reply to 77 before a flurry of wickets left them 81-8.
When Will Harries was yorked by Proctor at 97-9, the end was seemingly nigh for South Wilts, but a spirited last-wicket stand, climaxed by a huge six off a no-ball free hit by Luke Evans (18), left nerves jangling as the visitors crept to 120 and to within sight of the target.
The penultimate ball of Scott’s third over (the 35th), however, clipped the edge of Evans’s bat and Schreuder claimed his third victim.
South Wilts were 120 all out and Lymington had won for a third week in a row.
