With the sun shining and temperatures rising on Saturday June 1st, Ross-on-Wye Cricket Club's First XI travelled to Stourbridge Social CC.

On losing the toss, on a green damp wicket, Ross were invited to bat first. With the wicket offering the bowlers assistance from the start, the Ross openers of Toby Hiram and James Tiffen had to concentrate hard and pick their shots carefully. They moved the score on to 26 before Tiffen (10) was well caught in the slips off the bowling of Tim Griffith. Harry King was then run out going for a quick single. Adam McLarty joined Toby at the crease and the score moved on to 49 before Toby (15) was unfortunate to be run out. Wickets continued to fall and Ross Skipper Stuart Mair and Adam McLarty moved the score on 100, before McLarty (36) was caught off the bowling of Oli Stevens. Stuart Mair continued to take the attack to the Stourbridge Social bowlers and he was eventually stumped for 24, again off the bowling Stevens, with the score on 111 for 8. The last two Ross wickets fell without adding to the scoreboard and the Ross innings finished on 111 all out in the 37th over in difficult batting conditions. Pick of the Stourbridge Social bowlers was Oli Stevens who finished with 6 for 33.

Due to the Ross innings finishing early, the league-appointed umpires asked for both teams to go straight back out and complete 10 overs before tea. This was a period of the match that the Ross players knew that if they could exert pressure on the Stourbridge batsman it would ensure that their tea wouldn't be as comfortable as the batsman would have liked.

The Ross opening bowlers of Christiaan Ferreira and Harry Porter started the session with great control, making it very difficult for the batsman to put any runs on the board.

For the full story please see this week's Ross Gazette.