Gerrards Cross on a slide

7/10/2010

Gerrards Cross 211-8 (60 overs)
Reading 212-5 (48.3 overs)
Reading won by 5 wickets

Gerrards Cross suffered their third defeat of the season on Saturday going down by five wickets at Reading following a below par performance.

Reading’s decision to bowl first appeared to have backfired as Hywel Peglar (21) and Ian Cockbain (95) put on 112 for the first wicket. Two wickets just before lunch took the edge off what would have been an excellent session for the Cross. Honours were just about even at the interval with the score on 115-2 after 33 overs.

The Cross needed to accelerate after lunch, but some excellent slow bowling from Luke Beavan, who finished with 5-78, brought the Cross’ innings to a standstill. The turning ball combined with a lack of pace made run scoring extremely difficult. The Cross were struggling to hit the ball off the square and failed to hit a boundary for nine overs.

The late innings onslaught never materialised and the Cross finished on a disappointing 211-8.

Reading started their innings in a hurry, reaching 31-0 off four overs. Simon Steele raced to 27 off 22 balls, but was then trapped leg before. This bought the Cross’ nemesis, Shelvin Gumbs, to the crease and together with Sukhi Kang and then Nathan Stothard took the score to 103-2 off 25 overs. The Cross were almost dead and buried.

But two wickets for Steve Rimmer and a second for Matt Watson reduced Reading to 109-5 and the Cross were back in the game. But that was to be their last success as Jack & Luke Beaven took the game away from the Cross with an unbeaten sixth wicket stand of 103.

Luke Beaven was undoubtedly man-of-the-match following up his five-wicket haul with an undefeated 60.