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First match played of the season and it will go down as a case of what if. Playing on the the astroturfed Llandaff 2 it is always hard to defend any score but when pu into bat that's exactly what Northern were going to have to attempt to do.
Steve Hood and Jimmy Vaile opened the batting hoping to start where they left off last season and looked promising for the opening couple of overs before Steve was comprehensively bowled. Ben Horlock came in and 2 consecutive boundaries, the second an equisitely played late cut pushed the run rate on before Jimmy played one off the toe and was caught in the deep. Russell Palmer soon followed him back to the hutch with a 3rd ball duck. Charles Brain and Ben then built the largest partnership of the inndings - Brain hitting 2 sixes - before both were caught and Dan Jones was bowled. Brendan Black and Ashley Chedzoy added more useful runs before Dan Perkins got a duck and Martin Britton managed a single not out on debut. Total score was 113 for 8 but always likely to be 20 runs short of a good score.
Dan Perkins opened the bowling with Brett Clarke and both completed their 2 over spells with no wickets and 25 on the board. Enter Chedzoy who took a wicket for only 1 wide in his opening overs and he and Russell Palmer shared the top 4 wickets between them as the score progressed to 58-4 at the 10 over mark. With Hood, Brain and Horlock yet to bowl it was looking good for Northern as the run rate climbed. A boundary an over was keeping BT in it and Hood was yet to bowl as the 15th and 16th overs went for 8 and 9 respectively. Horlock bowled the 17th over and a controversial wide followed by a 6 suddenly meant that only 3 runs were required from the final over. Enter Steve Hood to bowl his only over. The first ball was a bye before Srini was comprehensively bowled. A wide was then called bringing up the tie with 4 balls and 3 wickets remaining. Satish was bowled before the final 2 players were run out of consecutive balls leaving BT all out, scores level and one ball short.
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