CCA Junior League 1B

Longstowe 167-8 (40 overs)

Barley 169-6 (38.4)

Barley won by four wickets

BARLEY made it three wins out of three with another gritty performance against newly-promoted Longstowe.

Skipper Brian Symes called the toss and elected to bowl on what looked a good wicket. Reynolds and Lenton found it hard going against Sami Ullah (10-3-16-1) and Jimmy Ghani (10-3-11-3) and had reached only 16 runs when, in the 11th over, Lenton was bowled for four by Ullah with Reynolds soon also bowled for three by Ghani.

The Longstowe player then accused the Barley player of being an unregistered ringer even though Jimmy, a shopkeeper from Royston, has played for Barley for over three years now. Key was then bowled by Ghani for one and it was left to A Fox to hold the Longstowe innings together as Ghani also dismissed Leader for two. Fox was largely untroubled after giving a simple catching opportunity to Adam Pattison first ball from Leigh Stewart.

He soon made Barley pay as he went past his 50. Eventually Ali Wallace (6-0-40-3) came on and immediately had an effect, clean-bowling Wareham for 36 with a beauty. Leader hit a rapid 22 before Wallace bowled him and then had Dunham caught for four. Symes (3-0-22-1) bowled at the death and eventually clean-bowled Fox for 60 as his luck ran out trying to hit out as the overs were evaporating. Longstowe finished on 167-8 off their 40 overs.

In reply, Stewart and Ullah started quickly with a flurry of boundaries before Ullah played early on a slow ball and was caught out for a brisk 29. Fox then caught and bowled Stewart for 15 and it was left to Allan and Pattison to build again.

Allan hit a few boundaries in a brisk 18 before being brilliantly caught at square leg off Charter. Pattison went for eight and Barley once again looked in a little trouble. Symes and Rick Wilson ticked the score over but found it hard to keep up with the run rate against tight Longstowe bowling. The required rate rose to seven as Wilson became frustrated and eventually the Barleyman pushed early on a drive and dollied up a catch to mid-on.

This however only brought the belligerent Wallace to the crease and he soon had the ball flying over the boundary. Symes tried to join in but after a few lusty blows was also caught out off Leader for 23 valuable runs. As Wallace smashed 16 off one over the wind fell from the Longstowe’s sails.

Shah finished the game with two classy fours that left him 8 not out with Wallace 37 not out as Barley reached 169-6 with an over to spare.