After a most promising start with the ball and only 12 runs off of the first 10 overs with 6 maidens the thoughts of the first win in 2009 must have been a prominent thought in all the heads watching or taking part in the game. The pressure was truly applied and was beginning to show in the batters and some rash and fortunate shot selection.

By the time the first bowling change was used at 13 overs the home team was still firmly in the driving seat as Dunklin took over from Ironmonger at the West End of the ground. Shacklock entered the competition and continued to bowl well with little reward from the Farm End of the ground.

The tide turned when in attempting the balance the return of Shacklock to finish off from his end and the use of Chudley and Head of whom the batsmen saw something in and decided to attack with zeal and gusto to really put some runs on the board for the away side. This was capitulated by the home captain failing to react quickly enough and introduce changes to the fielding positions to help give the young bowlers some protection to their figures and form. With the 6 overs from the youngsters battered for 40 runs with only the lost of one wicket to young Head the tides had begun to turn. Although Head and Chudley struggled to find the correct line and length for the duration of their bowling it was the way that the fielders increased the pressure upon themselves by shirking the challenged proposed to them and turning their attention to arguing between themselves.

The recovery came into effect for a while but again the damage had already been done and set in motion, the batsmen’s confidence only grew over the course of the innings to post a good total from the position that they had found themselves in from earlier in the game.

Again with the bat the star of the show was Dan Shacklock with his career best of 79* including 8 boundaries which although uncharacteristically for the young player they were all true and correct cricketing shots that deserved the run that they got. True shots played on the merit of the balls presented to him.

Disappointingly only two batsmen (Shacklock and Burrows) for the home side managed to produce scores into double figures which only again showed the kind of batting that we have fallen into all to freely in recent times, relying upon the form of the few to build a score worthy of the team.