NCC draw against Brunswick on a toasty afternoon at The Common

"The Wonder of Willis, as Jonny makes a ton"

After weeks of The Nutters putting in all round team performances it was individual brilliance on show last Sunday against ouir nomadic visitors from Brighton.

Skipper, Guy Ekins elected to bat and that looked like the right decision, as Ekins (23)and Willis put on 56 for the first wicket. Kila bowled Ekins with one that kept low, bringing David Thompson in at 3. David held up an end, while Willis continued to make hay. He had moved on to 84 and the total onto 128 when Thomson was caught behind by erstwhile Nutter, Gwillam Jones, the bowler, Bill Stapleton.

Olly Prior was in at 4, and played his best innings to date. He set the tone with a magnificent cover drive to get off the mark. Olly shared a 50 partnership on his way to a well crafted 17. Nathan and Adam Williams made brief visits to the middle but returned from the crease, scoreless.

Willis finally succumbed when he was bowled by Arosh, for a magnificent 115 (for 2), having been dropped twice through his innings.

The mighty Ben Hewson contributed with 11 useful runs and he survived to be 11 Not Out and Graham Prior made a quickfire 15 not out. It would have been more, but both batsmen committed the cardinal sin and forgot the local rules.

Greenwood, Weston and Keen were not required to bat and The Nutters finished their innings on 219-6.

In reply, hard hitting Jones scored rapidly and made 41 with Vallance (16) before the fall of the first wicket. Greenwood bowling the big fella, as he looked set to destroy the Nuthurst bowling attack. Jones, out for 30. It was fgood to see Adam Williams playing cricket again after a long lay off through injury. He bowled No 3 Nando for just 5 and finished with figures of 9-4-37-1.

The middle order proved tougher nut to crack as Jamie Funnell (47) and Arosh (40) ,brought the game back to within reach of victory. It was Rob Keen that disposed of both dangermen during his 7-1-21-1.

In a stroke of inspiration, opening bowler, Graham Prior swapped for the role of Keeper. Immediate success ensued as he caught Green off the bowling of the impressive Greenwood. Greenwood should have had his five for but ended up with figures of 14-4-58-4 in a marathon spell.

Akila was run out by that man Willis again . This followed on on from a ridiculous piece of fielding which saw the batsman get back into his ground having walked almost halfway back to the pavi….oh no… we haven’t got one of those.

The Nutters were unable to winkle out Stapleton or Barnes, though Jonty did account for the wicket of Barton, caught by Robbie Keen. Our visitors finished on 185 and the match was drawn.