Two’s still rooted to the foot of the table
Martleys wretched start to the season continued with defeat at Old Elizabethans by 53 runs, skipper Basford lost the toss and the home side opted to bat on the freshly Flymo-ed wicket and got off to a flyer. The visiting opening attack totalling 117 years of age were put to the sword by James Mackintosh who operated in boundaries keeping running to a minimum and reached 35 before being dropped by the skip following a pull to square leg that appeared out of a huge conifer. Sadly this was the only chance he was to offer. Owen O’Birchley put the brakes on temporarily taking 2/17 from his 9 overs even becalming Mackintosh, once Birchley had finished he moved into top gear despite losing wickets at the other end. He finished on 134 with no bowler escaping a pasting and after a wag from the tail OE’s totalled 279 for 8.
Tea was taken in the cool of the changing room on another sweltering afternoon, there it was decided that regular opener Warty would be partnered by no less than former England winger Chris Waddle having just retrieved his penalty kick from the outskirts of Rome. The Martlets tale of batting woe continued despite 46 from Waddle and 20’s from Messrs Baker, Rushgrove Snr, Gandy and Mcgahan nobody got the big one the visitors required to mount a serious challenge falling 53 runs short. However 9 points was enough to close the gap slightly on our relegation rivals. Onward and upward.
