MARCH Town seconds are succeeding where the firsts are failing and they made it six successive wins when getting home by seven wickets against City of Ely in CCA Senior League Division 2.
At the halfway stage of the season they are sitting in third place and in this sort of form should book a promotion place at least with the top two clubs Histon and Hardwick still to visit and they are the only two sides to have beaten March this sea
son.
Ely batted first but were soon on the back foot with March teenage opening bowler Callum Young picking up two wickets for 11 runs off his nine overs. The spinners then took over with Richard Green (2-24) and Brian Tombs (4-40) collecting six wickets as Ely were bowled out in 41 overs for 133.
March’s reply did not get off to the best of starts and they were in some trouble at 15 for two wickets until a century partnership from Andy Bryan 54 not out and Jake Wenman 52 for the third wicket steered March in the right direction for a comfortable win.
On Sunday March seconds won by six wickets in their friendly at the Avenue against Old Wilhads. This was principally due the batch of under 15 bowlers, Danny Adamson, Nathan Oliver and Jacob Gray who took eight wickets between them to dismiss the visitors for 118. Adamson took 4-12 in an impressive spell of six overs.
In reply young opener David Haslegrave stroked his way to 35, while James Beresford (20 not out) and Gary Nicholls (29) added an undefeated 46 for the fifth wicket to steer the young March side home.
March thirds had a very easy win over Sutton earlier this month in the CCA Junior League Division 3A but did not have to work too hard for the 20 points on Saturday in a nine wicket success.
Sutton were put into bat and lost their first wicket when the second ball from Joss Jackman forced a caught behind.
They never really recovered from this early blow and on a quick wicket were dispatched for just 47 runs in 31.4 overs. Greg Short took three for eight runs from eight overs to impress while Jackman, John West and Stuart Arnold all took two wickets.
Rain was now the biggest threat to a March win but they need just over eight overs to reach the winning target with openers Lewis Hilliard (20) and Jamie Stimpson (22 no) putting on 41 for the first wicket.
Things did not get any better for March first team on Sunday when they lost by eight wickets against Oakham in Rutland league Division Two.
Once again it was batting collapse that led to their downfall. Opening pair Andrew Mills and Steve Seymour put on 55 in the first 11 overs, before Seymour was bowled for 33 – having hit six boundaries including a six.
Mills went on to make 52 before he was trapped leg before and from then on March had to rely on scraps. Jake Wenman 18 and Andrew Stone 15 were the best of the rest as the side was disappointingly dismissed for 154 with over six overs remaining.
Oakham had few problems knocking off the runs in 27 overs for the loss of only two wickets which both fell to skipper Chris Ringham, while Seymour went for 38 off three.
