Tom Cowley brings up his 50 with a six. Roy Honeybone.
South Wilts may have won their opening two ECB British Gas Southern Premier League matches – but skipper James Hibberd isn’t satisfied with the way his side are playing.
“There’s a lot of improvement needed, in both facets of our game,” he said after South Wilts had beaten Andover by three wickets at Bemerton.
“We bowled poorly for the first 25 overs, allowing Andover to get to 150-3, but after drinks got it together and knocked seven of their last eight over for 76. The same happened when we batted.
“A great century partnership between Tom Cowley and Will Wade, then we stop doing the basic things, like working the ball around the field. We lost wickets and then don’t win as emphatically as we should.
“We’ll take two wins, but we’ve got a lot of work to do to get things right.”
A match of fluctuating fortunes saw Glyn Treagus (86) underpin Andover’s 226-9, his innings containing a six and 12 fours.
Treagus guided Andover to 150-3, after which Matt Knight (44) and Harry Blackburn (27) took the total on to 226-9, Hibberd finishing with a mean 3-17.
South Wilts lost Eddie Abel cheaply – he was the first of three scalps for Babu Veetil (3-31) – but the Lions were pinned back as Wade and Cowley began their century second wicket stand.
The left-handed Cowley, called up to replace Hampshire-bound Ian Holland, was the more aggressive of the pair, one of his two sixes (pictured by Roy Honeybone) bringing up his half-century.
He went on to make 72 before being caught off Veetil at 127-2 – a position from which South Wilts ought to have coasted home.
It did work out that way as James Hayward quickly followed and then Wade (50) at 164-4.
Joe Cranch kept his cool, with a decisive 39 not out, but Andover collected several more bowling points before South Wilts got home with three overs in hand.
“There’s a lot of improvement needed, in both facets of our game,” he said after South Wilts had beaten Andover by three wickets at Bemerton.
“We bowled poorly for the first 25 overs, allowing Andover to get to 150-3, but after drinks got it together and knocked seven of their last eight over for 76. The same happened when we batted.
“A great century partnership between Tom Cowley and Will Wade, then we stop doing the basic things, like working the ball around the field. We lost wickets and then don’t win as emphatically as we should.
“We’ll take two wins, but we’ve got a lot of work to do to get things right.”
A match of fluctuating fortunes saw Glyn Treagus (86) underpin Andover’s 226-9, his innings containing a six and 12 fours.
Treagus guided Andover to 150-3, after which Matt Knight (44) and Harry Blackburn (27) took the total on to 226-9, Hibberd finishing with a mean 3-17.
South Wilts lost Eddie Abel cheaply – he was the first of three scalps for Babu Veetil (3-31) – but the Lions were pinned back as Wade and Cowley began their century second wicket stand.
The left-handed Cowley, called up to replace Hampshire-bound Ian Holland, was the more aggressive of the pair, one of his two sixes (pictured by Roy Honeybone) bringing up his half-century.
He went on to make 72 before being caught off Veetil at 127-2 – a position from which South Wilts ought to have coasted home.
It did work out that way as James Hayward quickly followed and then Wade (50) at 164-4.
Joe Cranch kept his cool, with a decisive 39 not out, but Andover collected several more bowling points before South Wilts got home with three overs in hand.
