The 2s came off second best in this high scoring encounter but, with skipper Frank Straw leading the way with his second century in less than a week, showed plenty of defiance and fighting spirit despite going down to defeat by 87 runs.
Liss won the toss and chose to bat first on a lively wicket, baked hard in the current heat wave. Petersfield did well to remove run machine, Richard Please Jnr, for a comparatively modest 38, caught behind by Thomas off Chris Salmon after Liss had got off to a flier. Indeed at one point Liss were wobbling with 4 wickets down and the score still in the seventies – but that was as good as it got for 'Field.
Helped by no fewer than 8 dropped catches (there may have been one or
two more), the Liss middle order went on the rampage, the ball
dispatched at increasingly frequent intervals to all parts of Glebe
Meadow.
Liss rode their luck to some extent and the ‘Field bowlers struggled to get their lengths right, but this was an incredibly destructive display of power hitting, appreciated by most of those watching (except the Petersfield players and the grumpy pensioner in the flats beyond the long-off boundary, who had to keep retrieving the ball from her garden).
Liss eventually finished on 332 for 8 off their 42 overs, a record score in the league for the club.
There were some brighter moments for ‘Field in amongst the carnage. Chris Wood, with 4 wickets, was twice on a hat trick; Thomas picked up two stumpings; and, at one point, the combined age of the off-side field was over 250 years (a new club record)…
Things went from bad to worse when Petersfield began their reply, slumping to 16 for 5 at one point. But from this nadir, Straw (134 no) and Richard Stephens (48) dug in hard, stopped the rot and then played exceptionally well, putting on a partnership of 137.
With good support from Rob Allerston (30), Straw showed that it wasn’t only the Liss players who could belt it out of the ground, threatening the cars in the car park with some huge hits and making the ‘Field umpire very glad he had parked as far away as possible.
Petersfield closed on 245 for 6 in their innings, which was an amazing effort in the circumstances.
So, a defeat, yes, but hats off to Stephens, Allerston but especially Frank Straw for a gutsy, brutal display with the bat that featured 18 fours and 4 sixes, and must surely be a strong contender – already – for innings of the season.
PS. Spare a thought for Chris Salmon, who, after the early collapse, was at last looking forward to a long bat going in at 9 – and stayed padded up, not needed, for at least 35 overs....
Liss rode their luck to some extent and the ‘Field bowlers struggled to get their lengths right, but this was an incredibly destructive display of power hitting, appreciated by most of those watching (except the Petersfield players and the grumpy pensioner in the flats beyond the long-off boundary, who had to keep retrieving the ball from her garden).
Liss eventually finished on 332 for 8 off their 42 overs, a record score in the league for the club.
There were some brighter moments for ‘Field in amongst the carnage. Chris Wood, with 4 wickets, was twice on a hat trick; Thomas picked up two stumpings; and, at one point, the combined age of the off-side field was over 250 years (a new club record)…
Things went from bad to worse when Petersfield began their reply, slumping to 16 for 5 at one point. But from this nadir, Straw (134 no) and Richard Stephens (48) dug in hard, stopped the rot and then played exceptionally well, putting on a partnership of 137.
With good support from Rob Allerston (30), Straw showed that it wasn’t only the Liss players who could belt it out of the ground, threatening the cars in the car park with some huge hits and making the ‘Field umpire very glad he had parked as far away as possible.
Petersfield closed on 245 for 6 in their innings, which was an amazing effort in the circumstances.
So, a defeat, yes, but hats off to Stephens, Allerston but especially Frank Straw for a gutsy, brutal display with the bat that featured 18 fours and 4 sixes, and must surely be a strong contender – already – for innings of the season.
PS. Spare a thought for Chris Salmon, who, after the early collapse, was at last looking forward to a long bat going in at 9 – and stayed padded up, not needed, for at least 35 overs....
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