The first team made it 2 wins from 2 in the Martley sunshine with what was in the end a fairly comfortable victory.
Gandy won the toss and elected to bowl first and what a start it could have been for Martley with Pete Gardener finding the edge with the first ball of the day only for AB, a broken man by the end of the day after multiple drops, a run out involvement and his beloved Birmingham City dropping out of the Championship, shelling a routine slip chance. The skipper himself then followed suit with a similar within the same over. Pete was unlucky not to take a wicket in his 8 overs, 0-23.
The story was much the same at the other end with the skipper shelling another off Ollie Dunks this time. However Dunks finally got his man taking the catch off his own bowling as he didnt trust the outfielders. Jabbar failed to use the lives given and perished for 3 from a painful 38 balls. The very next ball Dunks struck and bowled Mukhtar for a duck, a ball that got an inside edge onto the pads and onto the stumps. Dunks bowled right through picking up another one on the way, finishing with figures of3 for 21 from his 10.
Wickets continued to fall at regular Intervals from here, however the pace of the game had slowed as it seemed Redditch had dropped anchor playing for rain on Day 4. So much so after so many dot balls that they eventually ran one because the field forgot to move having not done it for so long.
AB did pick up 3 wickets for 33 from his 9.5 removing the key wicket if the other opener Prescott for Redditch’s top score of 37.
Gandy was playing a game by himself with the resolute batsmen Protherough who poked and prodded to 28 from 94 balls. James’ spell of bowling going at an economy rate of 0.50 taking 1-5 off his 10 overs with 7 maidens.
Dougy S-D was back into the fray and managed to sneak a couple of wickets 2-21 from 7 and Sam Fitch ( 1-12 off 4) managed to get the wicket of Bevan who had made 8 from 35. The innings should have been over next ball however true to form Ollie Cymbals Saunders failed to take a regulation catch behind even taking 2 attempts at it. Redditch limped 119 from 48.5 overs.
Martley came out to bat with intent and the opening pair of Owen Birchley and Scott Hodgetts came to the crease. Now there May have been intent there but they struggled to make count, Owen being bowled by Malik for 3 from 14 and being shown the way back to Pav by the bowler in the process.
Contributions from Hodgetts 23 from 25, Ganderton 32 from 62 and Karl Baker 10 from 24, got Martley within touching distance before AB decided that he wouldn’t be a friend to Stu Hayes (1 from 5) and send him back, leaving Stu stranded in the middle, maybe because the avid Villa fan was jeering the Blues fan most the afternoon.
Doug S-D (1 from 1) came to the crease and despite only needing a few tried a big shot only for mid wicket to drop him first ball. He managed to survive to the end with AB who closed the game out finishing on 20 from 25.
Overall a good win by the home side who travel to Feckenham next weekend.
The second team game at Cannon Frome was called off.
