West Malvern close in on leaders (From Malvern Gazette)

West Malvern close in on leaders

6:00pm Thursday 9th August 2007 in Cricket

WEST Malvern collected maximum points when their opponents, Stourbridge Social, failed to raise a side and conceded their WCL Division 6 match on Saturday.

Meanwhile Hallow continued their excellent run and pulled off an unlikely win over league leaders Hewell, a result which sees West Malvern close the gap at the top to one point.

WEST MALVERN v THE FOSSILS

FAR from being inactive the Wests were indebted to The Fossils who stepped into the breach in a hastily arranged friendly match.

West Malvern elected to bat first on a freshly prepared wicket which the Fossils opening attack exploited when Pete Tudge cleaned bowled Andy Hurrell for four.

Steve Wright joined Tom Taylor to put on 55 for the second wicket before Taylor (32), having looked comfortable, became the first Tony Neel's three victims. Shailly Badra was next to fall being trapped leg before by Neel to leave the Wests 73-3 at drinks.

Tim Maccormac and Wright looked to up the scoring rate with some lusty blows but both fell to stumpings by Derek Ebbage. A 54-run partnership between Brian Pleass (41) and Tony Williams took the score beyond 150 before Pleass became Ebbage's third scalp. Phil Chaundy hit two sixes in his 21 before he too fell to Ebbage's quick hands.

Elliot McDonald, aged 10, became the Fossils youngest ever wicket taker when he bamboozled the hapless Williams (19) ripping out his middle stump. The innings concluded with Kevin Gilbert and Bill Munn undefeated with the score at 198-8. Neel was the pick of the bowlers taking 3-57 off his 10 overs.

It was soon apparent that the target was too stiff a challenge for the Fossils especially after bowlers Chaundy and Munn with a wicket apiece had reduced the score to 11-2 from the first eight overs.

The spin duo of Williams and Paul McDonald accounted for Matt Jones (3) and Graham Thorne who was well caught by Hurrell for one. Hurrell then superbly ran out Ebbage for 10 and when Fossils skipper Barry Briscoe was smartly stumped by Gilbert off Pleass the game was all but over.

Former West player Colin Groves (25no) and Fossils founder John Reynolds put up solid resistance to bat out the final 20 overs for 30 runs ensuring that the fragile Fossils tail was not exposed and a draw was well earned.

West Malvern entertain Hallow tomorrow (Saturday), hoping that they can continue their unbeaten run and keep the heat on leaders Hewell.