IN a most disappointing performance Widnes lost on Saturday against Brooklands.
It was symtomatic as other failures this season, an inability to bowl out the tailenders and inconsistency with the set.
Having won the toss Phil Catheral asked Brooklands to bat and elected to open the bowling with Ali judging a dampish wicket to be receptive to spin.
It was, however, the medium pace of Andrew Woods that lost the first wicket when, with the score on 10, he bowled Marland. In his next over Woods made it two in a row when he uprooted Browns off stump.
Ogden and Gresty took the score onto 33 before Ali struck, having Ogden caught behind by Brent Lodding for 15. The score had moved on to 43 when Woods took his third wicket, Lodding again involved, catching Glessy for 13.
Woods gave way to Howie Fox but it was another 10 overs before the fifth wicket fell. Ali caught and bowled Bywater to make the score 67 for 5. Ali claimed his third wicket five overs later when Edwards was well caught by Hitchmough at extra cover.
Having bowled five maidens in his nine over spell, Fox was to break a stubborn seventh wicket partnership when he bowled Gary Edwards for 16.
Ali quickly made it eight eight wickets down for 95 when he bowled Keely for naught, but it was to take 15 overs and 37 runs to finish the Brooklands innings off, a vital factor as the game evolved.
Paul ? coming in at number 10 opened his account with a six off Ali and had made 28 by the time Hurdley bowled him. Hurdley repeated the act to leave Widnes requiring 133 for victory in 47 overs.
This did not appear to difficult a proposition for Widnes and when Paul Bryson hit the first three balls he received from Brown for four, four and six one had visions of an early finish. How wrong can you be. Brysox went next over caught at slip of Little.
Nevertheless, things still look in control as Ledding and Catterall look to score past thirty and less than a hundred was required. Catterall was then adjudged caught when it seemed clear the ball had clipped his pad. Runs were becoming increasingly difficult to find as Brown, after his first over disaster, was causing all the batsmen difficulty. He had Hitchmough bowled and then Hindley caught at slip.
Tass soon followed L.B.W to Brown and Hurstfield drove tamely off the same bowler to give mid off an easy chance.
Tosen gave Widnes some hope with a mixture of watchful defence and ? ? pulls to the boundary.
Woods and Ali both looked secure enough but were both adjudged L.B.W to Little leaving the home side on 115 for 9 with four overs left.
Fox seemed a straight bat for 2 overs but Edwards returning for a second spell had Tobin L.B.W with his fifth ball to give Brooklands victory by 16 runs. Tobin had made a valiant 32.
One would have expected the Widnes batsmen to have reached such a ? target but all credit to the Brookland bowlers who appeared more potent about ? than Widnes counterparts.
This Saturday Widnes entertain league leaders Alderley Edge and only a major upturn in fortunes will be enough against such strong opponents.
Converted for the new archive on 13 March 2001. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.
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