Petersfield CC Match Report vs Sparsholt II played at Sparsholt 18/05/13

Petersfield CC Match Report vs Sparsholt II played at Sparsholt 18/05/13 Petersfield Travelled away to Sparhsolt eagerly anticipating the first match of the new season with a new look side. Petersfield skipper Jack Hannam lost te toss and Petersfield were asked to bat on a slow Sparsholt Track. Opening bat Will Rice scored 12 runs off the first 5 balls of the innings only to see a mistimed shot trickle back on to the stumps bringing the dangerous Ash Spencer the crease. He and Andy Salmon added a further 30 runs before Spencer fell to a dubious LBW decision to Doubell. Salmon was dismissed soon after followed by Hannam leaving the visitors on 47 for 4 from 19 overs. Shaun Blanks and Rory Newman added a vital 60 runs for the 5th wicket before Newman fell looking to push the score along. Having got his eye in Blanks opened up completing his half century and finishing with 74 from 65 balls faced. Liam Charles and Rob Allerston added useful runs at the end finishing with a defendable. 188 for 8 down. The opening attack of Nigel Stone and Liam Charles failed to spark against the opening batsmen as the home side raced to 50 without loss from the first 10. Hannam brought himself on and turned to vice captain Rice in search of a breakthrough. The pair bowled 20 unchanged overs taking 5 wickets between them for a miserly 54 runs putting the visitors back in control. The re-introduction of Stone and Blanks cleaned up the lower order bowling out the home side for 167, falling 21 runs short of victory.