Dumbarton & Vale of Leven Reporter | Sport

Tuesday, 6th January, 2009

Published: Tuesday, 10th July, 2007 09:52

VALE IN THRILLING MATCH

VALE were back in action at home against second-placed Paisley in a match switched due to an unplayable pitch.

Graham Lawrence captained the side, sitting in third position in the West District cricket league, while Adam Elawady was playing in his first league match and making a welcome return was John Crawford, but three were out through work commitments.

Adam and Graham opened the bowling and both looked dangerous, with Graham removing both openers quickly, although it could have been even better if Robert Avery hadn’t missed catching chances off both bowlers.

Graham and Adam kept the scoring rate low, and the introduction of ‘Sooty’ Stavert and Alex McAdam, to the attack also restricted the runs.

Brian bowled his maximum allowance of 15 overs straight through, picking up three wickets along the way including Shezad who had been dropped twice in reaching 40 runs.

Chris Dalby was brought into the attack as Paisley’s run rate rose, and Graham showed how catching should be done with an excellent take, diving forward to scoop the ball up millimetres off the ground to remove Yasir.

He also got the wicket of Imran, but by then 49 runs had done the damage and Paisley innings closed on 203 runs for the loss of eight wickets.

Batting order was influenced by the work demands of those needing to leave early, so Chris and Adam opened, seeking to get the innings off to a quick start.

Unfortunately Adam was out in the second over with the total just four and John Crawford joined Chris, applying his usual steady approach before chipping the ball back to the bowler with the total just 10.

Things were looking gloomy for Vale when Chris was dismissed on 20 but that reunited Graham and Alex, who steadily picked off any loose deliveries as Paisley rotated their bowlers looking for an answer.

They found one for Graham just after the mid-innings drinks break, but he had reached 40 by then, including three sixes, and the partnership with Alex had added 90 runs to the total, putting Vale on course for a potential win.

Alex was joined by Robert, hoping his batting would be better than his catching, and he and Alex maintained the momentum adding 19 runs in five overs before Robert was bowled.

Sooty joined Alex, who went on to reach 50 runs before being stumped, and his demise removed any hope of victory for the Vale, but a draw was still a possibility as Hugh Hutchinson came in to bat.

Sooty was out in the following over, which gave Gavin McWilliam the chance to build on his previous good performance with the bat and in the face of some tight, and occasionally hostile, bowling he stayed to frustrate the Paisley bowlers.

Unfortunately, the more experienced heads in the form of Hugh, Tony Duncan and Warwick Darkins were unable to stay with him, and the Vale were bowled out just seven balls short of saving the match.

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