On a blustery and showery day at Station Ground the first XI made 3 changes for the visit of promotion chasing Hatherleigh.
Team:
L.Vukusic, B.Coe, A.Chilcott, J.Geraghty, H.Choules+, G.Daldorph, S.Jefferson, B.Heard, B.Slaviero, J.Stirling, J.Choules*.
After a delayed start due to the weather, full credit must go to the umpires for their pragmatism in getting a game on. Tea was taken at 2.30 and play began just after 3pm for a 29 over game.
Thors lost the toss and with the visitors unsurprisingly electing to field, Vukusic and Coe opened up. The pair got us off to a flier as Hatherleigh got to grips with bowling in the breeze. After just 2 overs the score was 16 without loss.
Supporters and 2nd XI players filtered into Station Ground as the openers continued to tick things over, assisted by a flurry of extras. After the 6 over PowerPlay the score was 35-0 which increased to 52-0 by the time 10 had been bowled.
Vukusic went for a well made 29 a couple of overs into the final 20 before Coe slapped another boundary and Chilcott came and went for 5. 74-2 from 15.
Coe was next out after a running mix up, falling for a valuable 27. Geraghty went soon after as Hatherleigh were swinging things back into their favour and going into the last 8 Thors were 89-4.
H.Choules and Daldorph looked to increase the rate, both utilising the wind to blast 6s into the wheat field before the latter was bowled for 11.
By the time H. Choules was caught for 17 the situation had reached 130-6 with 4 to go. Hatherleigh continued to fight back, however, with Forrester taking 3 in an over leaving Thors 132-9.
Heard and J.Choules managed 5 from the final over, setting Hatherleigh 138 to win.
Hot off of their heroics from last week, Slaviero & Daldorph opened up – the senior man bowling with the wind. They were typically hard to score off and when Slaviero struck in the 3rd it was 3-1. After 4 overs apiece from the pacers, Hatherleigh could only amass 9 more runs.
J.Stirling was introduced from the Pavilion End whilst Heard was tasked with darting some in against the wind. Heard’s first overs brought about a real collectors item as J.Choules swooped in at mid wicket to run out Presswell for 7, Hatherleigh 21-2 from 10.
Thanks to the disciplined start from Thors, the visitors needed to score at over a run a ball in the last 20. Fishleigh and Tidball could mainly only manage 1s and 2s against the spin duo before Stirs struck in the 17th over with thanks to a well judge catch by Vukusic at point.
The Stirling/Vukusic partnership paid off again a couple of overs later and with Presswell gone for 28, the visitors were in some bother at 58-4 and only 10 to go.
Geraghty was introduced for Heard and continued to keep things tight, with the occasional ball carrying through at a more than handy pace. When Stirling was bowled out the skipper came on and struck twice in his first 2 overs leaving Hatherleigh reeling at 69-6.
The visitors showed why they are there or thereabouts in the table though and kept battling, bringing the total to 106-8 with 3 to go. Geraghty picking up a wicket and there was another run out thanks to some top work on the rope by Slaviero.
With the trump cards of Slaviero & Daldorph up their sleeve, Thors closed the game out comfortably, the pair picking up a wicket apiece as Hatherleigh were bowled out 113.
A huge thanks to everybody involved in getting the game on and their patience shown throughout the day. Thanks also to the supporters for keeping bar takings ticking over.
Thors remain in the top half of the division and are now mathematically closer to the promotion places than the danger zone.
Thorverton Cricket Club 