A GREAT all round performance by Charlie D’Oyly kept Thriplow II’s promotion drive firmly on track as they ran out comfortable winners over Harlton by 49 runs at the Cricket Meadow on Saturday.

A GREAT all round performance by Charlie D’Oyly kept Thriplow II’s promotion drive firmly on track as they ran out comfortable winners over Harlton by 49 runs at the Cricket Meadow on Saturday.

Batting first, Mark Richer and Duncan Walker set off purposefully until Walker (8) was caught and bowled by Hunter but Richer and Al Russell took the score to 44 until Russell (15) looked to be too expansive and was caught.

D’Oyly joined Richer and, after an early period of safety first in only his second knock of the season, he set about the bowling. Richer’s patient knock ended on 27 but skipper Dabnor (16) and Care (5) all provided useful support and the scoreboard rattled along.

Eventually D’Oyly’s fine knock ended on 80 and when Tinkler fell for a duck immediately after, it looked like the score might fall short of the home side’s early expectations.

However, Jez Tuck hit an amazing 54 runs from the last three overs, including three sixes in a row of the last three balls of the innings to finish 66* (his first league half century) and take Thriplow to a challenging 245-7 from their 40 overs.

Tom Care bowled dangerman Daniel Griggs (6) in the third over to get just the start Thriplow needed and, although Banks and Simon Griggs kept the scoreboard ticking over, they were behind the asking rate. Eventually Turner (2-54) bowled Banks (44) and he and Care (2-45) worked their way through the middle order.

With the rate now above nine an over, Al Russell (2-25) retuned to nab a run-out and two wickets in one over.

D’Oyly then showed that it really was his day as he snapped up the final three wickets in only 14 deliveries (including Simon Griggs for 88) to leave Harlton 196 all-out in the last over.