On a wet weekend the sun shines on Fonthill

It rained much of Friday, and most of Saturday, but Sunday 30th July dawned fine and dry. Fortunately the pitch had been covered thanks to the Reeves after their ground hire game and the covers were removed by Nick Jennings and Dave Roberts to allow the game against Broughton Gifford to go ahead in warm summery conditions.

Skippering in the absence of James Parton, Nick Jennings won the toss and chose to bat. The Broughton opening pair bowled tightly and within eight overs had dismissed both Murray and Mikurenda for not very many. However the tables turned when Jon Sealy and Gabriel Sayles set about the second and third change bowlers with quick singles, a lot of twos on a damp outfield and a healthy spread of fours and sixes to put on a hundred for the third wicket. Sayles finished just shy of his fifty on 48 and Sealy a solid 82 not out with new boy Archie Moore contributing a very useful 12 and Dave Roberts 3no with one well-timed scoring shot, to leave Fonthill with a realistically competitive 166 for 4 at tea.

After the break, Andy Bazen took a wicket with the first ball of a very tidy and economic spell (7-1-13-2) when Gabriel Sayles took the first of an astonishing seven Fonthill catches. Other chances were dropped but enough stuck so that the bowlers were able to take wickets steadily, as well as keep the scoring rate down with Jennings, Major and Sealy also taking two wickets each and Catarinella and Jones one apiece. The pick of the catchers were Tim Jones running in confidently to take two at deep mid-off and Murray also two with one belter over his head at cover.

Thus Broughton Gifford were restricted to 112 all out, and so Fonthill emerged deserved winners. Needless to say, the players enjoyed this feeling which has been all too rare this season after what had been a very engaging game played in good spirit.