Sway made to fight hard for win

Sway III 180ao, Verwood 131ao

Sway and Verwood engaged in an enjoyably tight tussle that remained in balance until late in the game.

Sway won the toss and elected to bat first but suffered a first over setback when Arnie Badami was caught for a duck. Number 3 Raj Singh on his debut showed his potential moving swiftly on to 9 before a mistimed drive saw a ball pop high up to the keeper. Two wickets down Sway were forced to rebuild - surviving opener Olly Marshall and Tom Burton batting sensibly in a 50+ run partnership. Sway, however, suffered a major blow when Burton was superbly caught low in the covers for 39.

Will Pearson was promoted up the order and produced an entertaining cameo as he smashed 3 fours and a big six on his way to a rapid 21 before being bowled trying to hit a rank full toss into next week. With Marshall also nicking one through to the keeper for 39, the innings was still very much in the balance at 118-4. Luke Lewis in at 6 also scored quickly but in the tale of Sways innings he also was out before he was able to do any real damage as Verwood's young bowlers kept their nerve and bowled really well. There followed a series of cameos, but with only a few wickets in hand no acceleration was really possible and Sway were all out for a rather disappointing 180 in 38.3 overs.

Sway knew they would have to bowl really well and take their chances if they were to defend a somewhat sub par score. Lewis and Chris Davis opened the attack with some pretty tight stuff - and the resulting pressure paid off when sharp work at mid wicket by Marshall junior saw Verwood's dangerous new recruit from Trojans run out for just 3.

Sway claimed another scalp when Lewis had all rounder Eric Pearson trapped LBW with the score on 20. A partnership, however, developed between skipper Andy O'Neil and the excellent looking Alfie Perkins and looked to be taking the game away from Sway before fortunes swung yet again. Firstly Will Pearson took a blinding catch at cover off Burton to dismiss the dangerous O'Neil then number 5 Webber popped a catch up to Vito Falso off Badami.

Perkins was still there however and at drinks the game was still very much a 50/50 call. A major breakthrough for Sway came when Tom Burton dived forwards to take a low catch at cover to dismiss Perkins for 24 off the bowling of the skipper Dave Marshall. Number 6 Chris King was looking for some big hits but fell for one of Marshall's change ups, popping a catch up to the safe hands of Burton.

Depsite being 70-6 Verwood were still fighting hard - a partnership developed between the experienced du0 of Lee Cattanach and James Butt. Sway's tactic was to try to contain the pair, forcing the required rate up ever higher - Burton did exactly that, completing a fine spell of 8 overs for just 20. At the other Marshall senior finished off his spell (8-2-27-3) with another wicket - some slow ball deceit, Cattanach balooning up a catch to a strategically placed fly gully where Pearson had a good juggle before finally clinging on to the catch.

Badami (5-0-22-2) and Davis (7-0-26-1) both produced tidy stuff as Sway tightened the screw - Verwood's last realistic hope was extinguished when Davis had James Butt well caught on the deep mid on boundary by Olly Marshall and Badami picked up a wicket, caught by Falso. It was left to man-of-the-match Person to wrap up an excellent Sway win, trapping the last man LBW with Verwood finishing 49 runs short.