Stortford sunk by Hertford batting

11:59am Wednesday 14th May 2008

CRICKET

Bishop's Stortford 117-10
Hertford 121-6
(HCPCL DIV Two East) A LACK of batting application cost Bishop's Stortford dear in their return to the Home Counties Premier League Division Two East.

A total of just 117 was nowhere near enough to defend against Hertford at Cricketfield Lane on Saturday.

To their credit, the bowlers made Hertford struggle for 54 overs before they reached their target with four wickets to spare. On paper, Stortford had arguably their strongest batting line-up since the days of Steve Plumb.

Matt Surry had returned after a spell of cricket in Australia, Eddie Ballard in form and Darren Whitingham at number nine, having scored 520 runs in this league when he was here back in 2000.

Stortford made a bright start when skipper David Hughes won the toss.

They reached 71 in only the 15th over, when they lost their second wicket, that of Hughes for 30.

Two overs later, Ballard departed for 32 and Stortford lost wickets regularly thereafter.

The crime was that only 35 of the 60 overs available were occupied at the crease, thereby offering Hertford a massive 74 overs to score 118.

But instead of an early finish there was a fightback by Stortford, with Whittingham and Kevin Walls accounting for the Hertford openers with only seven runs on the board.

Some absorbing cricket saw Hertford progress to 36 before the fall of the fourth wicket by the 25th over, before skipper Scott Ruskin took root.

There was no pressure in terms of run rate, just survival against a good all-round Stortford bowling attack.

Ruskin proved the eventual match-winner with an unbeaten 43 from 109 balls, and with support from Chris Box with 30 not out, the end came relatively quickly as Hertford reached their target in the 55th over, Ruskin adding to his achievement earlier in the day of five for 22.

Stortford will be looking to bounce back when they travel to North Mymms on Saturday.

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