A vital half-century from veteran opener Milton Lindsay paved the way for Hales A to score their long-awaited first Norfolk League Division Four victory of the season.
A vital half-century from veteran opener Milton Lindsay paved the way for Hales A to score their long-awaited first Norfolk League Division Four victory of the season.
Lindsay's patient 58 proved the backbone of a modest 131 total as Hales were inserted on a rain-dampened wicket where runs were very much at a premium against tight bowling from the visitors.
Jack Cook (20) and a tail-end 14 from Josh Knights were the other key contributions. Lindsay's bold resistance ended with two balls to spare as Hales managed to achieve the feat of batting the whole 45 overs for only the second time this season, ending with three wickets in hand.
Union's reply got off to a steady start as they put 50 on the board after 16 overs but with Jamie Weston bowling a tight line and the revitalised Matt Parkin recapturing some of the fire that once brought him the Norfolk League young bowler of the year award the visitors were put on the back foot.
With good support from the field the Hales bowlers worked their way through the order to leave Union stranded on 104 all out, opener A Huggins top-scoring with 30.
Parkin was the pick of the Hales bowlers with 4 for 32 from eight overs while Weston again performed commendably for 3 for 25 from 10 overs.
Stand-in skipper Jon Vale forgot about his duck by claiming 2 for 22 with his occasional spin bowling.
Hales Man of Match: Milton Lindsay.
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