THRIPLOW skipper Chris Neild challenged his batsmen to step up to the plate and while the top order did their job it was Nigel Morris and Dickon Turner who made the difference as they beat Stapleford by 38 runs. Theo Giasemidis fell early for Thriplow, bu

THRIPLOW skipper Chris Neild challenged his batsmen to step up to the plate and while the top order did their job it was Nigel Morris and Dickon Turner who made the difference as they beat Stapleford by 38 runs.

Theo Giasemidis fell early for Thriplow, but Paul Staley joined Peter Richer to set the innings up nicely, and on the back of last week's century, Staley took centre stage, hitting seven 4s and four 6s on his way to a brisk 69.

Richer was ever watchful and played a restrained innings.

However, when he eventually fell for 48 the innings also fell away with Thriplow on 158 for 9.

However, Morris and Turner showed great enthusiasm to add a vital 28 runs until, in the final over of the innings Morris called Turner for a comfortable single only for Turner to pull a calf muscle and be run out as he struggled to make his ground, leaving Thriplow all out for 186.

The Morris brothers launched the Thriplow attack, extracting pace and taking advantage of the variable bounce.

Bishop drove and carved successfully, but Andy Morris shot through the rest of the order to take the first five wickets.

Chris Viner then had the dangerous Bishop caught by Giasemidis for 40 and Neild nabbed two quick wickets, and at 87 for 8 it all seemed over.

However, Mallows and Hankin then put together a promising stand of 41, which was only ended when Giasemidis took an excellent catch off Richer to dismiss Mallows for 28.

After the last pair added a further 20 it was left to Andy Morris to grab the final match wining wicket trapping Hankin lbw for 15 to finish with 11-0-43-6 and Stapleford all out for 148.

THE Thriplow second team batsmen finally found some form with their challenging total proving just too much for Mill Green.

Thriplow openers Walker and Carr put 36 on the board before Walker (22) was bowled by Turner.

Debutants Tom Sherwin and William Wright were out for 8 and 16 respectively, and Thriplow found themselves on 118 for 7 with only seven overs to go.

However, Jez Tuck and Nathan Sugden provided a flurry of boundaries to allow Thriplow to post a challenging total of 189.

Tuck was out late on for 30 while Sugden finished on 46 not out.

Mill Green's openers struggled to score in the face of some tight opening spells from Sugden and King.

But Thriplow could see the match beginning to slip away, when the score reached 72 for 0 off 17 overs.

However, when Dabnor brought himself into the attack, he took two wickets in his first two overs, and a third in his fourth, and Mill Green were reduced to 89 for 4.

Dangermen Ford and Day pushed the score on to 120 at the end of the 32nd over.

An expensive ninth over from Dabnor (9-0-44-3), which culminated in a painful dropped catch that broke a finger, forced a bowling change. As a result King returned and struck with his first ball and, with Sugden at the other end, the run rate steadily increased with 33 needed off the last two overs.

Thriplow's win seemed a formality but a final Sugden over that went for 17 runs meant that victory could still be achieved by Mill Green.

However, King held his nerve to bowl a tight final over, leaving Thriplow victorious with seven runs to spare.