Fair Oak moved up to second place in a tight Southern Premier League Division 1 by snatching an unlikely victory at Langley Manor – thanks in the main to some intrepid batting from their lower order.
The early part of the game was characterised by the Langley batters getting good starts but not going on to consolidate with big scores. The top four - Elliot Ponting, Jack Budd, Tejas Gill and James Purnell - all scored 15 or more, but of those Ponting’s 31 was top score.
From 94-2 the Manor declined to 128-8 as young left-arm spinner Lewis Goodyear took 3-35 and Connor Gibson 3-44. There were two wickets for Rhys Oxley, but a stand of 52 for the ninth wicket between Nick Jenkin and Toby Green gave Langley hope.
Jenkin was eventually caught and bowled by Gibson for 34, while Green was run out by Hampshire's Fletcha Middleton in the 50th over to leave the home side 189 all out.
After tea, Oaks were three down for 22, Jack Campbell bagging two early wickets. Gibson (26) and Harry Reed (20) hauled them back into it, but both were out to spinner little Tommy Spencer (3-24), and at 78-6 the visitors were in a pickle again. Goodyear’s rapid 34, plus 28 from Tom Clark, took Fair Oak to 143-8.
When Oxley was out to Simon Peters (3-44) at 159-9, it looked all up for Oaks. But plucky last-wicket pair Sriram Yegnasubramanian and Andy Mash kept their nerve, and Sriram smacked the third ball of the 43rd over for four to edge his side over the line. He finished unbeaten on 21 with Mash on 10 to send the visitors home in a happy mood. Greg Boughton
The early part of the game was characterised by the Langley batters getting good starts but not going on to consolidate with big scores. The top four - Elliot Ponting, Jack Budd, Tejas Gill and James Purnell - all scored 15 or more, but of those Ponting’s 31 was top score.
From 94-2 the Manor declined to 128-8 as young left-arm spinner Lewis Goodyear took 3-35 and Connor Gibson 3-44. There were two wickets for Rhys Oxley, but a stand of 52 for the ninth wicket between Nick Jenkin and Toby Green gave Langley hope.
Jenkin was eventually caught and bowled by Gibson for 34, while Green was run out by Hampshire's Fletcha Middleton in the 50th over to leave the home side 189 all out.
After tea, Oaks were three down for 22, Jack Campbell bagging two early wickets. Gibson (26) and Harry Reed (20) hauled them back into it, but both were out to spinner little Tommy Spencer (3-24), and at 78-6 the visitors were in a pickle again. Goodyear’s rapid 34, plus 28 from Tom Clark, took Fair Oak to 143-8.
When Oxley was out to Simon Peters (3-44) at 159-9, it looked all up for Oaks. But plucky last-wicket pair Sriram Yegnasubramanian and Andy Mash kept their nerve, and Sriram smacked the third ball of the 43rd over for four to edge his side over the line. He finished unbeaten on 21 with Mash on 10 to send the visitors home in a happy mood. Greg Boughton
