NEWLY promoted Thriplow were thumped by 118 runs despite a battling performance against CCA Senior League 1 leaders Foxton. Batting first on the excellent Foxton track, Sabey and Joseph tucked into the Thriplow opening attack, and runs flowed briskly unt

NEWLY promoted Thriplow were thumped by 118 runs despite a battling performance against CCA Senior League 1 leaders Foxton.

Batting first on the excellent Foxton track, Sabey and Joseph tucked into the Thriplow opening attack, and runs flowed briskly until Sabey was surprised by a short Nigel Morris (6-0-47-1) ball which lofted to mid wicket where Godric Smith took a sharp catch.

Lawrence Farnum joined Joseph and looked in ominous form, picking off five sixes and four fours in a chanceless 67, until he smashed Matt Ayre (6-1-47-1) to cover where Chris Neild grabbed the catch.

After 20 overs the score was 150-2 and Foxton looked set for a massive total.

Dickon Turner (9-0-73-1) then got one through to bowl Joseph for 65, but Ian Cambridge and Antoni Atwell continued to push the hosts along.

At 251-4 and with 13 overs still to go, Foxton had their eyes on 400. However, Chris Neild (8-0-31-3) bowled Cambridge for 65 and then he and 14-year-old Tom Staley (5-1-35-4) picked up the last five wickets in the next few overs to leave Foxton bizarrely all out for 276 in only 39 overs.

Thriplow then faced up to paceman Benn and struggled to deal with his movement and speed. Matt Ayre (11) top edged a pull and Martin Craze, Chris Viner, and Godric Smith were all bowled.

When William Russell was unluckily adjudged lbw to Andrew Gray for four, Thriplow were in tatters at 31-5. Paul Staley and Turner then attempted a repair job of sorts, seeing off Benn and taking the score to 106 before the latter was caught behind off Atwell for 26.

Despite nursing injuries, Staley still managed to reach an excellent half- century with eight fours and two sixes before he was bowled by Joseph for 54.

Tuck and Tom Staley fell cheaply and at 114-9 even the third batting bonus point seemed far away.

However, with the help of some wides Neild then despatched the returning Benn for 28 off two overs and added a further 16 off Atwell's over in between to take Thriplow to 158 before he ran out Nigel Morris while attempting to keep the strike for a further assault.

His 37 not out kept Foxton in the field for longer than they had expected, but the 20 points were already in the bag for the home team.