Duggan Scores Hundred in Tight Chase

Ellerslie’s 2nd XI secured 8 points from a close-run affair at Hoveringham in the Division C fixture on Saturday.

Having won the toss after persistent showers, captain Chris Bellaby invited Hoveringham to bat first on a remarkably green pitch. Yet, the hosts started well as Daniel North and Stuart Walton put 95 runs on the board without losing a wicket. Their partnership lasted 20 overs and 90 minutes before Adam Newell caught Watlon on 29 in Chiraag Gandhi’s second over.

North reached his fifty soon, but he kept losing partners from then on. Adnan Akhtar came back strong after an expensive first over to give Ellerslie their second wicket with Newell taking another catch to dismiss Sam Ecob on 4. Akhtar struck again in the very next over, getting Charles Ogrizovich out for 1. Then, Gandhi trapped Paul Thomas LBW on 3, tying the run-rate down in his economic spell. Ben Smith was the next batsman in and he accelerated the innings with aggressive strokes. Hitting seven boundaries and three sixes, Smith cruised to 68 from 58 balls before Charlie Taylor broke through. But, North remained at the crease to guide his side to 224/6 at the end of the first innings.

In reply, Ellerslie opened positively as Newell and Ryan Duggan worked through the first 12 overs without taking unnecessary risks. Hoveringham got their first wicket in the following over when Newell was given out LBW on the back of some enthusiastic appealing. In at no. 3, David Perry took the offensive in his brisk innings of 38 from 31 balls. Besides hitting four boundaries and a six, he saw Duggan through to his fifty. Once Perry was caught by North, Mark Davis continued the chase alongside an attacking Duggan and the two scored 68 runs in the next seven overs to keep the required run rate under control.

When Duggan brought up his century in splendid style with a boundary straight down the ground, Ellerslie were well on track to win the match. He was eventually caught by Ogrizovic on 108 and the scoreboard read 182/3. With 42 runs required from ten overs, the visitors would have backed themselves to chase the target down. But, Duggan’s wicket was followed by an untimely collapse as Ellerslie lost another six wickets for 15 runs in the next five overs. Akhtar and Bryn Luffman were dismissed for a run apiece. Then, in an eventful 39th over from Patrick Dobb, North ran out Bellaby and Arnold before skipper Richard Coleman stumped Gandhi off a wide delivery.

With nine wickets down and 28 runs to win from the last five overs, it was up to the team’s opening bowlers, Charlie Taylor and Usman Aziz, to get Ellerslie across the line. They took the chase into the last over with 16 runs needed. Taylor smashed the first ball over long on and the umpire signalled six runs. However, a strange occurrence ensued as exchanges between the fielders and the umpire left the six overturned into a single, with the hard-hitting Taylor stranded at the non-striker’s end. This was a rather contentious reversal as it entailed players from the fielding team disagreeing on whether the ball had been stopped short of the rope or not. It also brought a thrilling day of cricket to an anticlimactic conclusion as Ellerslie batted out the innings, falling 14 runs shy, to secure 8 points.

According to the forecast, the 2nd XI can expect clear skies when they host Keyworth at Little Bounds next Saturday.