Ross suffered a heavy 155 run away defeat at the hands of third placed Kington as they reached the halfway mark of their Marches league campaign.

With a festival taking place on the home side’s main ground, last weekend’s game was played at Lady Hawkins School and the shorter boundaries proved decisive as the hosts went on a run spree from the off.

Ross, captained by Jim Lewis on this occasion, chose to bowl after winning the toss and despite the best laid bowling and fielding plans the Kington captain, Mike Green had other ideas and simply kept hitting the ball over the boundary during the first half of the innings.

Green and Robert Protheroe quickly added 71 for the first wicket before Andrew Tingle had Protheroe expertly taken at slip by Charlie Cole. This brought Ben George to the crease and he played second fiddle as he and Green added 169 for the second wicket in just 17 overs before Alex Springer removed both of them in quick succession. George was bowled for 40 before Green was caught by Andrew Tingle having bludgeoned his way to 166 from just 78 balls with 15x4 and 14x6.

Anthony Vernalls then kept up the momentum with a quick-fire 47 but from a score of 300-3 with 12 overs to go, the young Ross bowling attack fought back magnificently and took the remaining seven wickets for just 45 runs, to bowl the home side out for 345.

Chloe Tingle ended with the standout figures of 3-45 from her 10 overs, Adam Davies took 3-76 and Alex Springer 3-54 to ensure that Ross took the full five bowling bonus points on offer.

The Ross reply was initially aided by some wayward bowling and 34 were on the board before Stu Mair was caught behind for 3. Mike Jeffryes (24) and Ben Lander (18) quickly followed to leave Ross at 61-3 before Adam Davies, fresh from his 50 in the previous game, and Graham Howls took the score to 140 and kept the innings ticking over at close to the run rate required before they both perished in quick succession, for 41 and 43 respectively against the crafty off spin of Kirkham.

Charlie Cole and Alex Springer fell cheaply to the same bowler and it was left to Andrew Tingle (11) and Jim Lewis (14) to see Ross to a third batting point, leaving Chloe Tingle with another not out to boost her batting average at the end. Ross were dismissed for 190 but Lewis was delighted with the way the team stuck to their task in the field.

The first half of the campaign has been a big learning experience and the youngsters have shown a maturity well beyond their years in recent weeks as they grow into the higher level of cricket. A repeat of results across the second half of the season will see Ross achieve a solid mid-table position and this is the realistic goal for the remainder of the season.