Unlucky Lymington suffer losing draw against Burridge
SPL Premier Division
Lymington CC 249
Burridge CC 222-8
AFTER opening the first timed game of the season with a decent innings on a damp wicket, Lymington succumbed to a losing draw to Burridge.
Despite an excellent all-round performance, Lymington's 249 runs counted for little after Burridge secured a superior run rate after batting for eight fewer overs.
After losing the toss for the fifth consecutive league fixture, Lymington – under stand-in captain Ben Rogers – got off to a good start before rain intervened, stopping play for 30 minutes. However, the side managed a good opening partnership of 58 thanks to Rogers (29) and Kamran Dhariwal (31) before both were out.
Another steady partnership of 75 between Ali Wheble (40), again holding the top and middle orders together, and another good knock from Josh Royan (52), saw 75 runs scored for the third wicket. Wheble then scored 72 runs for the fifth wicket with Northants championship player Gareth Berg, who fancied the Burridge bowlers with a breezy scoring 50 from 55 balls.
The innings then subsided as the last six wickets fell for only 35 runs.
The return of opening bowler Sullivan White (4-37) was responsible for most of the late damage, as he took three wickets.
The Burridge reply got off to a rocky start, slipping to 44-4 largely thanks to the accuracy of Guy Layman (3-43). But the arrival of overseas player and keeper Nathan Schoultz (90) – with an attacking knock which included 11 fours and three sixes from only 78 balls – put a different perspective on the innings.
Burridge put 107 runs on for the fifth wicket when Schoultz was joined by Chris Blake (31) until he retired hurt, and then William Donald (25). Schoultz was then out to an inauspicious shot as the ball ballooned to Lymington keeper Wheble.
With the return of Blake and the arrival of Daniel Staincliffe (29 not out) the momentum was maintained with Burridge staying ahead of the Lymington run rate. It was primarily left to Gareth Berg (2-50) and James Hartshorn (2-76) to remove the lower-order batters, but Lymington fell two wickets short of gaining an outright win.
Lymington looks to record their second win of the season on Saturday at home against St Cross Symondians at 11am.