Another first rate bowling performance spearheaded Wingham to victory over Nulla in their McDonalds Premier League cricket match at Laurieton Oval on Saturday.
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Led by Dave Rees, the bowling unit restricted Nulla to just 84 runs on the slow ground, a total Wingham surpassed for the loss of seven wickets.
Wingham go into the Christmas break now in second position following four consecutive victories and with a game in hand.
With a strong northeast breeze at his back Rees scuttled the Nulla top-order, claiming the top three batsmen with 15 runs on the board.
After 11 overs Ryan Smoothy replaced Steve Allwood at the southern end and he grabbed wickets in his second and third overs, in addition to Rees’ fourth, as Nulla lost 3/1 to be 6/39 after 16.
Rees finished with 4/16 off his eight overs, whilst Allwood (0/11) and Smoothy (2/17) did the donkey-work, pushing into the breeze.
A 29 run partnership followed before Josh McTaggart claimed his maiden first grade wicket, followed closely by his second, both well caught by Mick Stinson in the gully.
Josh Davis removed Nulla’s top scorer, Peter Morris (20) before Matt Essery wrapped up the innings with his third ball. Nulla were restricted to just four boundaries.
McTaggart returned 2/12 off 6, Davis 1/14 from 5 and Essery 1/1.
Wingham’s spinners have hardly been called upon recently due to the form of the medium pacers.
Wingham lost the early wickets of Davis (5) and Rees (4) both to LBW decisions which, had they the use of DRS, they would surely have referred.
Ben Cole played the shot of the match, a spanking cut shot, only to be bowled by a ‘jaffa’ from Dan Morrison the following ball for eight.
When Brad Staff was bowled by Scott Castle for nine, Wingham were well placed at 4 for 49.
Ben Scowen and Brock Hynes looked untroubled and carried the total to 71 before Wingham lost a brace of wickets, all to Castle.
Firstly Scowen chipped a ball to mid-wicket after making a game-high 24.
Then Stinson joined the ‘primary club’ when adjudged LBW first ball, the third review, before Hynes was bowled for 12 to give Nulla a sniff of victory.
Matt Essery and Wayne Smoothy safely added the remaining runs required, Essery dispatching Castle to the fence to seal victory. He was nine not out and Smoothy four.
Nulla bowled particularly well in defending their small total with Castle the pick with 4/28. Morrison claimed 2/23 and dangerous leg-spinner, Ben Taylor, 1/10 from 7.