Merton A v St Lukes A - Div 3 on 26 July at John Innes Rec, Merton Park

Report by Robin Ford

 

James Somers won the toss and put Merton in to bat.  Crawford (23) and J Gunnewarden (15) started well with an opening partnership of 27.  Bob Gaddes was getting into his stride and was rewarded with Merton's first three wickets and slowing their progress to 54-3.  However, a 4th wicket stand of 65 between R Goldsmith (34) and B Egan (35) took Merton to 119 before Mitsi Patel made the breakthrough bowling Egan in the 33rd over.  Wickets then fell regularly with Ripal Patel taking 2-15 and Evan Huyerman polishing off the tail and returning figures of 4-34.  Merton ended 167 all out off 41.4 overs.

 

I Crawford   b Gaddes   23

J Gunnewarden   b Gaddes   15

R Goldsmith   b Huyerman   34

D Siddique   c M Patel b Gaddes   10

B Egan   b M Patel   35

C Dalton   c&b R Patel   2

G Gunnewarden   c Raj  b R Patel   6

S Grendall   not out   6

Bala   b Huyerman   5

J Egan *   c Grutzner b Huyerman   0

A Dokmanovich   b Huyerman   0

Extras   33

Total   167 all out

 

FOW : 1-27; 2-42; 3-54; 4-119; 5-122; 6-142; 7-145; 8-167; 9-167; 10-167

 

Bowling : Gaddes 10-0-33-3; Huyerman 8.4-0-34-4; J Somers 6-1-20-0; M Patel 8-1-42-1; Raj 4-0-17-0; R Patel 5-0-2-15

 

St Lukes top order was never comfortable against Merton's opening bowlers, the Egan brothers.  J Egan was very tidy and was rewarded with both St Lukes openers, James (21) and new player Jaffar Raza (12).  Ripal offered a bright 22 but when he became B Egan's third wicket St Lukes were struggling at 79-5 off 19 overs.  However, both Egans were bowled out and Merton's support bowlers failed to make an impression on Richard Bent (34 not out) and Dieter Grutzner (28 not out) who eased St Lukes home by 5 wickets with 8 overs to spare.

 

J Somers *   b J Egan   21

J Raza   b J Egan   12

R Somers   c Crawford b B Egan   5

R Patel   c&b B Egan   22

J Breaden   c Crawford b B Egan   8

R Bent +   not out 34

D Grutzner   not out 28

M Patel  

P Raj  

E Huyerman  

B Gaddes  

Extras   41

Total   171-5

 

FOW : 1-20 (Raza); 2-37 (J Somers); 3-47 (R Somers); 4-71 (Breaden); 5-79 (R Patel)

 

Bowling: B Egan 10-0-43-3; J Egan 10-2-33-2; Bala 6-0-20-0; G Gunnewarden 4-0-24-0; D Siddique 3-0-21-0; J Gunnewarden 2.2-1-7-0; Dalton 1-0-3-0

 

Man of the Match - Richard Bent just edged it over the bowlers for a calm sensible innings steering St Lukes to victory from a perilous position.