Tucker Gardner Prem 1

Godmanchester 85 (38 overs)

Foxton 86-5 (18.3 overs)

Foxton came out winners by five wickets in this low scoring game and now lie joint second in the league.

Bowlers were on top all afternoon and were helped by a greenish pitch and overhead conditions.

New skipper Peter Moor won an important toss and had no hesitation in inviting the home side to bat. Jeffery Douglas and Mark Ferrari opened the visitors attack sharing the first 16 overs with the latter picking up two wickets and together with a run out after a misunderstanding by the host’s openers Godmanchester found themselves on 58-3 after 16 overs.

A key moment in the game was a brilliant one handed diving catch by Moor off Ferrari to dismiss leading run maker for the season Chethan William for nine.

Douglas then hit a purple patch taking three wickets for three runs in four overs including top scorer Wayne Bradley for 25 caught in the gully by Ferrari.

Runs by now had subsided to a trickle with Godmanchester seeming more intent in using up overs rather than posting a competitive total.

Home ‘keeper Alex Marsh, who batted just under an hour for 12*, was the remaining lone batsman who looked comfortable.

Spinner Tom Stone, introduced in the 25th over, then mopped up the last three wickets to finally dismiss the home side for a lowly 85 from 38 overs.

In their total Godmanchester managed just five 4s with only two batsmen reaching double figures. The visitor’s leading bowlers being Douglas with 15-4-33-3, Ferrari 8-2-27-2 and Stone 7-2-6-3.

Foxton’s opening batsmen Antonnel Atwell and Gareth Roots immediately went for their shots after tea and with two overs gone had 21 on the board.

Atwell was then dismissed in the third over for seven caught in the slips by home skipper Matt Pateman off Elliott Baldwin. Off spinner William, brought on after five overs, then had Lawrence Farnum caught from a top edge by Adam Rendall for five from his very first ball and with Baldwin dismissing Roots for 16, caught by Jack Skidmore, Foxton began to have doubts on 32-3.

Moor was then joined by Cei Sanderson and with a best of the match stand of 30 they took Foxton to the verge of victory. Moor was then trapped lbw by William for 27 in the 14th over whilst Sanderson, looking very solid, finished on 21* including a 6 to the longest boundary which virtually killed off the hosts challenge.

Foxton eased home by five wickets using only 18.3 overs notching 10 4s and a 6.

Baldwin with 3-39 and William 2-29 were the home side’s successful bowlers.

Foxton II were also successful winning their home match against Dullingham by 23 runs and are now second in the Cricket Stick Junior League 3C.

Next week the first XI are away at Wisbech whilst the IIs entertain Sawston III.