Ayres rocks Leckford

12:58pm Wednesday 20th August 2008

Cricket returned to The Peacocks on a damp dark day as Amport II entertained local rivals Leckford II.

It was a real suprise to stage a game without interruptions which finished in increasing gloom at just past 7pm. The pitch provided a good enjoyable game of cricket.

Charlie Ayres was drafted in with devastating effect and the game also saw the rapid return of the wandering Wayne Egglestone in the opposition changing room.

Skipper Martin Randall asked Leckford to bat first and Clive Hacker made the early breakthrough when he removed both openers with just 33 on the board. Nick Southwell made the next breakthrough causing brother Chris to remove the dangerous Taylor for 30. The game was evenly set as Egglestone and Hibdidge put together a sensible partnership of 63 runs.

The skipper then played his trump card as he introduced leg spinning prodigy Ayres who quickly removed Hibdidge for 26 and worked his way through the lower order. Egglestone reached his 50 but was the victim of an outrageous Hacker one-handed catch. The Leckford innings folded tamely at 167. Chris Southwell took 2-42 and Hacker 2-29 but the undoubted star was Ayres with 5-22 from 6.3 overs.

Martin Randall (31) and Jim Gilmour (45) put on 58 for the first wicket but Hibdidge claimed 3-29 as the middle order crumbled. In worsening light Southwell and Ben Gardner added 40 valuable runs but when Gardner went for 15 it saw three wickets for just 15 runs with Stuart Hicks picking up 2-2. With Southwell 64 not out Amport reached their target finishing on 171-7.

Editor's Choice