Heavy defeat for Hales

Hales suffered a heavy loss against Swardeston at home as the visitors romped to a seven-wicket victory.Hales lost the toss and were asked to bat on an unusually green wicket at Postwick.

Hales suffered a heavy loss against Swardeston at home as the visitors romped to a seven-wicket victory.

Hales lost the toss and were asked to bat on an unusually green wicket at Postwick. With the ball moving through the air and off the pitch, the Swardeston attack made full use of the conditions as they toiled away, offering few scoring opportunities.

The Hales batting line-up crumbled, with only Chris Andersen (14) and Ramsdale (14) making double figures in the top order. A combination of good bowling and poor batting left Hales in deep trouble but Lovick (23) Cornish (12) and Rowe (18 not out) made a spirited attempt to repair the damage as Hales limped to 131 all out in the 39th over.

In reply Swardeston managed to do everything that the Hales team didn't, as they showed good levels of concentration and picked the runs off one by one. Foster (30) and Ebbage (38) posted 59 for the first wicket and made a solid start, until Foster was removed by Lovick, who was by far the pick of the bowlers as he claimed two wickets in two balls to briefly give Hales hope.

An excellent run out by P Squire gave Hales the only other wicket as Swardeston completed a thoroughly deserved victory.

The Chedgrave White Horse man of the match award goes to Matthew Lovick, who was by far the pick of the bowlers and the only batsman to look comfortable.