Ryde Cavaliers (103 all out, Perry 4-15) beat LILLEY (101 all out, Flanagan 39) by 2 runs
Lilley were just pipped in their effort to grab a second tour win as Andy Flanagan’s heroic effort fell just short after an earlier collapse from hell at the Smallbrook Speedway Stadium.
Lilley were put in the field in a 40 over game against a Cavaliers side missing their much touted Australian imports and were soon sweating it out in 30 degree heat. James Ashby made the early breakthroughs, finding Solley’s outside edge with a lovely away swinger which Qureshi took easily behind the stumps. He then bowled fellow opener Holdcroft with a swinging yorker as Lilley reduced the home side to 19-2. The skipper should have had a third, but he put down the simplest of return catches off Orchard, who went on to make 27.
Tim Perry and Ken Hammond were introduced into the attack and proved too much for the middle order, Perry running through to bag 4-15 in six overs and Hammond 2-15 in his eight as Cavaliers slipped to 87-8. Brad Tompkins, again bowling his leg breaks, picked up a wicket as Hebberd edged to Eyres at slip and GT deservedly wrapped up the innings with Lyons (LBW), Cavaliers all out for 103.
Lilley’s batting line up was tweaked to give the players who had not taken part on Saturday the chance to bat up the order, a tactic which seldom works, and this time would be no exception! Dave Carman and Mik Carman sat the fixture out and James Ashby and Peter Rogers ‘job shared’ – Ashby bowling/fielding and Rogers batting.
Rogers couldn’t continue his form from Saturday and was LBW to medium pacer Hebberd for 2. Qureshi followed for nought in similar fashion and it sparked one of the most dramatic batting collapses in Lilley’s history, falling to 27-7 with the unspectacular Hebberd somehow picking up 6-8 as batsman after batsman played poor strokes. Collinson went for 4, playing across the line, Eyres was bowled for 0 playing over and around a straight one, Mellor spooned one straight to mid-wicket for 3, Hammond edged behind for 1 and Paddington was bowled off his pads as Lilley capitulated! Sanity was finally restored when Brad Tompkins came in, much to the relief of Andy Flanagan who had watched seven wickets fall from the other end!
The pair had put on 30 when Brad was caught and bowled for 15, but younger brother Gareth was also up for the fight as he continued where Brad had left off in forging a good partnership with Flanagan. Lilley were just 21 away from victory when GT (18) was run out as he and Flanagan tried to push sharp singles.
Tim Perry (9*) came in at eleven and looked at complete ease as Lilley looked to be heading for their second win of the weekend. That was until opener Flanagan was bowled with Lilley just 3 short of victory, an absolute rip snorter which seemed to spin inbetween his legs and onto the stumps. Tough luck on the irishman, as he’d almost single handedly dragged Lilley back into the game.
Still, good close game….and a damn good tour.
