Gloucestershire County League Division One

Cam 193-8 beat Westbury-on-Severn 192 ao by two wickets

CAM are finding their feet in the Gloucestershire County League Division One.

They made it back-to-back victories last weekend as an unbeaten century from Ryan Malpass saw them home by two wickets in a tense finish away to Westbury-on-Severn.

Cam had to remain patient in the early exchanges, having been asked to bowl first, before George Dolling took the opening wicket as he bowled Edginton for 11.

Charlie Viney’s probing line and lengths were rewarded soon after as he claimed a simple caught and bowled to remove Down for 15.

With Viney (1-16) keeping things tight from one end, Dolling made the telling breakthroughs as he removed Artus and Hargreaves cheaply as both men fell LBW in the same over. Dolling (4-34) then claimed his fourth as a leading edge provided a simple catch for Malpass at gully to leave the home side struggling on 50-5 after 18 overs.

Anderson and Hargreaves looked to rebuild and played their way back into the game as a partnership of 99 saw them on their way to a competitive total.

Sean Rocke and Tom Hancock plugged away with the ball but only half chances were generated as Anderson passed fifty.

Ben Holloway, returning after a brief opening spell brought about a change in momentum as he teamed up with Alex Ballard to pick up regular wickets towards the end of the innings.

Holloway bowled both Hargreaves (25) and Anderson (88), to remove both set batsmen, before Adam Holloway held on to a skied catch from Gayther (19) to give Ballard his first wicket.

Ben Holloway (4-51) then cleaned up the tail with Tom Deakin taking a fine catch on the boundary as Westbury-on-Severn were bowled out for 192.

Cam’s chase began poorly as Ballard was bowled by Artus in the second over, and when Jake Dolbear (10) became the bowlers’ second victim, despite hitting an early six, Cam knew that a big partnership was needed to restore some stability to the innings.

Opening batsman Ryan Malpass was joined by Tom Deakin and the pair batted cautiously as they employed a low risk strategy while keeping the scoreboard ticking over.

With the scoring rate just over three an over at the halfway stage, the platform had been set by the two batsmen who knew that at least one of them sticking around would be key to securing the victory.

An immediate change in approach was evident after drinks with Malpass finding the boundary regularly as he sped to fifty to swing the momentum firmly in Cam’s favour. Deakin was unlucky to fall for a patient 23 as he chopped on off the bowling of Edginton.

Regular wickets then began to fall as Seal, Rocke, and both Holloway brothers departed cheaply as Hockaday (3-29) found some success with his off-spin. Malpass remained unfazed, despite the chaos occurring around him. With play having to be stopped due to a painful shoulder injury to a Westbury fielder and Malpass also now batting with Deakin acting as a runner, due to a hamstring injury, the game was edging towards a close finish.

Hancock fell cheaply to leave Cam eight down and still 40 short of victory. Panic didn’t set in though as Dolling rotated the strike and Malpass managed to find the boundary consistently as Cam closed in on their target. Back to back fours took Malpass to a superb hundred and the runs required into single figures. From the final ball of the penultimate over, a pushed drive from Dolling saw the batsmen sprint back for a risky third to secure victory, to the delight of the Cam players. Malpass the hero of the day as he finished unbeaten on 109 from 118 balls.