Bashley (Rydal) skipper Josh Digby produced the ECB Southern Premier Division’s best bowling figures in seven years against Burridge – and then confessed he almost didn’t play due to illness !
The captain off-spinner took a career-best 7-21 to send Burridge into freefall from 72-0 to 204 all out and an eventual seven-wicket defeat by the fifth-placed New Forest club.
“I was unwell and contemplated not playing, but as captain I wanted to be there leading from the front,” he explained.
Digby did just that. Bringing himself on as first change at the BCG to bowl the 13th over, Digby conceded just five runs off his first four overs before ending a 72-run opening stand between Azim Chowdhury (45) and Jack Paskins (34) by dismissing the former.
A score of 72-0 became 94-4 when Digby removed Paskins, Chris Blake (7) and Cape Town teenager Nathan Schoultz (7).
Joe Collings-Wells - hitting 43 as stand-in skipper in the absence of Hilio De Abreu - and Dan Stancliffe (27) took Burridge to 183-5. But Digby (above) brought himself back into the attack and the last five wickets clattered for just 21 runs.
Digby’s figures are the best top flight haul since Lymington’s Matt Metcalfe tore through the Havant order to record 8-23 in June 2015 - the day when Havant were routed for just 50.
He modestly said: “Some days are your days and you’ve got to cash in when they are and mine was Saturday with the ball.”
Ben Francis went cheaply at the start of the Bashley reply, but the second wicket Clayesmore School partnership between ‘old boy’ Jacob Gordon (49)(now at Oxford Brookes) and Will Tripcony (60), still at Iwerne Minister (under coach Bournemouth’s Dan Conway), put Bashley on track.
Tom Friend (55*) notched back-to-back fifties – he marked his return from a 12-month sabbatical with 56 against Havant – and with Michael Porter (30*) alongside, swept Bashley to an eight-wicket victory.
Josh Digby picture courtesy of Terry Nash
The captain off-spinner took a career-best 7-21 to send Burridge into freefall from 72-0 to 204 all out and an eventual seven-wicket defeat by the fifth-placed New Forest club.
“I was unwell and contemplated not playing, but as captain I wanted to be there leading from the front,” he explained.
Digby did just that. Bringing himself on as first change at the BCG to bowl the 13th over, Digby conceded just five runs off his first four overs before ending a 72-run opening stand between Azim Chowdhury (45) and Jack Paskins (34) by dismissing the former.
A score of 72-0 became 94-4 when Digby removed Paskins, Chris Blake (7) and Cape Town teenager Nathan Schoultz (7).
Joe Collings-Wells - hitting 43 as stand-in skipper in the absence of Hilio De Abreu - and Dan Stancliffe (27) took Burridge to 183-5. But Digby (above) brought himself back into the attack and the last five wickets clattered for just 21 runs.
Digby’s figures are the best top flight haul since Lymington’s Matt Metcalfe tore through the Havant order to record 8-23 in June 2015 - the day when Havant were routed for just 50.
He modestly said: “Some days are your days and you’ve got to cash in when they are and mine was Saturday with the ball.”
Ben Francis went cheaply at the start of the Bashley reply, but the second wicket Clayesmore School partnership between ‘old boy’ Jacob Gordon (49)(now at Oxford Brookes) and Will Tripcony (60), still at Iwerne Minister (under coach Bournemouth’s Dan Conway), put Bashley on track.
Tom Friend (55*) notched back-to-back fifties – he marked his return from a 12-month sabbatical with 56 against Havant – and with Michael Porter (30*) alongside, swept Bashley to an eight-wicket victory.
Josh Digby picture courtesy of Terry Nash