Tucker Gardner Premier Div 1

Ickwell 1st XI 121 (30.3 overs)

Foxton 1st XI 123-4 (21.1 overs)

AN under-strength Foxton comfortably dispatched of lowly Ickwell by six wickets on Saturday.

Winning the toss and deciding to bat on a good flat surface, Ickwell openers Chris Asque and captain Ben Welch made good progress against the pace of Jeffery Douglas and Miguel Cumming reaching 40 without loss after eight overs.

With the departure of Asque for 11, caught behind by stand-in keeper Rob Jarvis, the first of four consecutive catches by him, wickets then began to tumble.

Cumming and Douglas, the latter finding his best rhythm this season, began to tear into the home side’s middle order, and with the fall of Welch for 32 they collapsed, with the next seven batsmen unable to reach double figures. It was left to tail-enders Jack Brown (18*) and home wicketkeeper Daniel Szwajbak (19) along with 20 extras to salvage the innings.

Douglas finished with an impressive haul of 13-3-39-6 and was ably backed up by Cumming (12-2-53-3) they finished off Ickwell who totalled a disappointing 121 all-out.

With a long tail, Foxton were aware a good solid start was required, but the home side, opening with an all-spin attack, were given early encouragement when Cei Sanderson was bowled by Good with a delivery that kept exceptionally low, and the fall of visiting skipper Lawrence Farnum and Peter Moor for 12 each saw them wobbling at 44-3.

In-form opener Antonnel Atwell was then joined by Man of the Match Douglas and they put Foxton’s fears to flight with a stand of 71 and by the time Atwell departed lbw to Welch for a well-crafted 52, they had reached 115-4.

It was left to Douglas to round off the match with (32*) and push his team into a mid-table position.

Next week Foxton are at home to Wisbech.

Foxton are away to Longstanton Grasshoppers this Sunday in the Norfolk/Cambs area final of the Persimmon Village Cup having been awarded their semi-final match against Kimbolton who fielded an ineligible player and were subsequently disqualified.