10:21am Monday 26th July 2010
TRINITY MID-WHITGIFTIAN 162 R Piggin 69, S Sales 58*, W Sebastian 6-25 ASHFORD 166-8 M Roberts 5-71 Ashford won by two wickets Trinity Mid-Whitgiftian were left to lament a dismal batting collapse as a nervous Ashford side strengthened their grip on the second promotion slot with a two-wicket win on Saturday, writes Robert Keenan.
Mids won the toss and elected to bat but made a bad start as Ashford paceman Riaz Khan surprised openers Graham Cobbett and Kunal Patel with the extra bounce he extracted from the pitch.
Patel was caught at gulley off his glove while Cobbett was caught behind by Rose as Mids slipped to 18-2 before Richard Piggin and captain Stewart Sales led a fine recovery.
The pair batted for more than 30 overs, adding 111 to lay the foundations for what should have been a challenging total to the visible frustration of the fielding side.
Piggin made 69, his best score of the season while Sales continued his good form from the previous match despite nursing a trapped nerve.
However, when Richard Mansfield bowled Piggin with only his second delivery, the match changed very quickly.
Richard Nowell and Will Page were both bowled off their pads while Mike Brugnoli was given out lbw without scoring.
Cook, Winter and Roberts all threw their wickets away carelessly while Tony Brugnoli was also out lbw as Mids lost their last eight wickets for just 33 runs, handing part-time leg-spinner Wendell Sebastian remarkable figures of 6-25.
Seething captain Sales was left stranded on 58 at the other end as Mids were bowled out for just 162.
Mids were given just the start they needed with the ball when Mark Roberts trapped Chris Evans lbw off the fifth ball of the Ashford reply.
Sebastian (20) and Rose (16) hammered a series of loose deliveries to the boundary before Roberts struck again to dismiss Sebastian lbw.
A superb catch down the leg side from Will Page to remove Rose gave Mids renewed hope but the experience of captain Mansfield and in-form Ross Wright provided the stability the hosts needed and took them to within 43 runs of victory.
The match looked to be heading for an inevitable outcome until impatience got the better of Wright after a series of dot balls allowing Winter to take a good catch in the deep off the bowling of Nowell to end the partnership.
Mansfield (37) looked capable of seeing the game through but he also gave his wicket away, caught at mid-wicket by Kunal Patel.
Unexpected drama then unfolded as Roberts dismissed Mahmood, Khan and Berressem without scoring to finish with his second consecutive five-wicket haul and leave Ashford requiring six runs with two wickets remaining.
However, Nowell failed to produce the quality of delivery the situation demanded and Tippell took advantage to hit the winning runs.
Mids travel to play bottom-placed Streatham and Marlborough on Saturday for their final game in the ‘time’ format.
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