OLD MID-WHITGIFTIAN 109

CAMBERLEY 110-3

Camberley won by 7 wickets

Old Mid-Whitgiftian look set for a difficult season after a diabolical batting performance saw them suffer a seven-wicket thrashing at the hands of Camberley, writes Robert Keenan.

The writing was on the wall for Mids after they lost early wickets and the visitors brutally exposed the worrying lack of quality in the OMW side that the club has so far failed to address.

Having been put in to bat, Mids slumped to 16 for three. Jesse James tried to whip a full-length ball through mid-wicket and was bowled by Will Sabey who then undid Robert Warne with another fine yorker.

OMW captain Stewart Sales was then also bowled by a fine delivery from Chris Cooles which clipped the bails.

Richard Piggin felt unable to attack the bowling in the circumstances, batting for nearly an hour and a half for 15 before falling lbw to Glenn Carlton.

The middle order all tossed their wickets away in careless fashion as spinners Shaun Udal and Scott Dunbar bagged themselves three wickets apiece.

Camberley even afforded themselves the luxury of a series of dropped catches and missed run out opportunities which, if taken, would have seen Mids dismissed for less than 100.

Malcolm Sales batted for over an hour to top score with 27 but could easily have been out on four different occasions.

Sales was the penultimate man to fall as Mids were bowled out in the 51st over for a dismal 109.

Camberley opener Max Shoveller looked keen to win the game in a hurry, hitting 26 off just 20 balls before he was out lbw to Tony Brugnoli.

Mids gave themselves a glimmer of hope when Pete Young was bowled around his legs by James Carpenter in the very next over When Shaun Udal was brilliantly stumped by Jesse James off the bowling of Brugnoli the visitors suddenly found themselves 34 for three.

An intriguing battle ensued between Carpenter and Camberley skipper Howard Grice who took 27 balls to get off the mark.

However, having settled at the crease, Grice eventually won the battle smashing an unbeaten 48 from the next 26 deliveries faced while Sabey batted beautifully at the other end for 28 as the visitors cruised to their target in less than 22 overs.

Mids now sit third from bottom in division two and on this showing urgently need to add some quality and a lot of character otherwise they will be heading for division three.