A large group of Ross Cricket Club members head to South Devon this week for the club tour where planned activities will quickly banish thoughts of the double defeats served up by Barnards Green at the weekend.
After the deluge of rain that hit the area last week, both clubs deserve great credit for getting their respective grounds into a playable condition. The firsts travelled to Worcestershire without the unavailable Captain Porter and Vice-Captain Tiffen and, having been put into bat, quickly lost four wickets before Ben Element (33) and Harry King (24) gave Ross some hope.
Their good work was carried on by Tim Dulson who top scored with 64 not out and a great last wicket partnership with Muhammed Arif (18) helped Ross reach a total of 192 all out.
Initially the Ross bowlers kept the Barnards Green batsmen under control. Arif bowled his 10 overs straight off for just 25 runs, whilst Josh Element and Dulson both took a wicket to leave the game in the balance half way through the innings. However, Hepburn and Davies took control of the game against the remaining Ross bowlers, scoring at well above the required rate to enable the hosts to cruise to victory. Both fell with the victory total in sight having made 62 and 57 respectively and the target was reached with six wickets and 17 overs to spare.
Meanwhile, at The Park the start was delayed by half an hour to give the ground more time to dry, Ross won the toss and asked the visitors to bat first. Openers Hill and Dickenson were given a thorough examination by Laddi Singh and Adam Davies, who only conceded 10 runs in the first 10 overs of the innings.
Thereafter, batting got easier and Hill made the most of a couple of dropped catches to up the tempo and bat throughout the innings for 93 not out. Dickenson made 40 and Marsh 29 as Green totalled 182-3 in their 40 overs. Singh, being the pick of the Ross bowlers, finishing with 8-3-20-1 whilst Richard Jeffryes and Alexander Springer also picked up a wicket each.
After tea, Jeffryes was immediately out for a duck but Ed Cinderey and Keith Flitton enjoyed a half century stand and took the score to 68 before Flitton was caught for 29. Michael Jeffryes then made it a family double duck before Cinderey was bowled for 34 and the innings fell away to 112 all out, although not to be outdone, Steve and Charlie Cole also made a double family quack which was rather in keeping with the recent climate for our local waterfowl families.