Red faces for Hales A
Milton Lindsay Hales A came within a whisker of picking up the Norfolk League's most unwanted record as they were skittled out by Eaton for a mere NINE.Veteran Geoff Vincent and youngster Luke Billington led the demolition job as red-faced Hales succumbed meekly in the Division Six encounter at Hales Green.
Milton Lindsay
Hales A came within a whisker of picking up the Norfolk League's most unwanted record as they were skittled out by Eaton for a mere NINE.
Veteran Geoff Vincent and youngster Luke Billington led the demolition job as red-faced Hales succumbed meekly in the Division Six encounter at Hales Green.
Wily swing bowler Vincent returned figures of 6 for 3 from his eight overs, including six maidens, while seamer Billington returned 4 for 5 from 8.3 overs, including seven maidens.
Eaton skipper John Chilvers, who won the toss and put Hales into bat on a rain-softened surface, said: “The pitch and overhead conditions were helpful to our bowlers. Everything went our way. They were bowler-friendly conditions.”
Chilvers admitted he had one eye on losing the record they themselves set in 1984 when they were bowled out for seven by Great Witchingham.
Most Read
- 1 Festival of Suffolk torch relay reaches Waveney
- 2 New Asian restaurant already fully booked a week after opening
- 3 What time will the Red Arrows be flying over Suffolk this weekend?
- 4 Suffolk drivers urged to use caution in Quiet Lanes amid growing scheme
- 5 Heavy delays on major Norfolk road after crash
- 6 Popular band preparing to celebrate best of British music in Beccles
- 7 Art gallery celebrating local talent to launch at site of former mill
- 8 Major road to close for resurfacing works costing £81,000
- 9 Former bank could become vets to meet boom in pet ownership
- 10 F1 star jumps out of plane over Suffolk town
Hales were nine wickets down for five runs until Greg Cameron hit the only boundary of the Hales innings from a legside full toss by Billington before becoming the final man out, one of eight victims caught.
Vincent, 57, who like Chilvers is in his 40th season playing for Eaton, said: “This has probably doubled my wickets haul for the season. The pitch had variation in bounce, and every time a batsman went to hit me the ball went up in the air - and every catch went to hand.”
It was a club record bowling performance by Eaton, beating the 18 for which they dismissed Sheringham in 1978. Vincent's figures were the CNS School-based club's best in the league since 12-over restrictions began in 1992. He once took all 10 wickets bowling for Carrow against Gothic in the mid Seventies.
Graham Brackenbury wrapped up Eaton's rare 10-wicket win by hitting three boundaries.
It was a new club record low total for Hales, beating the 15 posted in the Coronation Cup defeat by Ashmanhaugh this season.
Shellshocked Hales A skipper Damien Loines, whose side had beaten Eaton by 94 runs earlier this season, said: “It's a good job I didn't win the toss as we would have batted anyway as I felt we had a strong batting line-up. It was so bad it's almost funny. Eaton bowled well and fielded well, although some of our batsmen were a bit unlucky.”