Calmore Sports’ Indoor side made it two wins from two with another dominant display in defeating second placed Wellow and Plaitford by three wickets in Division 3 of the South Hampshire Indoor Cricket League.
And it was a decent bowling display this time that saw off the Wellow challenge, restricting them to just 88 all out despite skipper Charlie Vince’s 39 from 31 balls.
Steve Wright set the tone with two overs for six – including his second which, but for a small misfield off the final ball, would have been an extremely rare indoor maiden. Mitch Parker maintained the pressure with two overs for just nine, claiming the first wicket to fall, Nithin finding the safe hands of Ryan Lomax.
Young keeper Joe Patience was finding things very difficult, scoring just one run from his first nine balls as they crawled to 15-1 in the first four overs. An extra strewn over from Dom Ducellier boosted their total but Lomax and captain James Rose kept things tight with only one of the last seven overs going for more than eight runs.
But while Vince was at the crease, it gave his side hope and with big hitting Terry Harrison, who was running very late, still to come, they were hoping to post a decent total. However, the hurried Harrison lasted just two balls, lobbing Lomax to Mitch Parker at the side as they lost quick wickets after Jack Austin had taken a superb catch behind the stumps off Rose to end Barnes’ stay.
A total of 88 was never likely to be enough – Vince the last to go, run out by Parker.
And so it proved as the Calmore batters gave the bowlers the run around, taking double figures off all bar one of the seven overs they faced in chasing down the 89 to win.
There was a slight scare when Austin fell caught and bowled for 7 and Rose was unluckily given caught behind off his old mate Harrison for 3. But 45 extras – six wides and six no-balls all totalling three runs each – certainly didn’t help the Wellow cause as Lomax (16) and Ducellier (14*) saw the side home with ease, collecting a second maximum 26-point haul.
Unfortunately for the side, they now have no game until at least February as the fixtures have left them without a fixture until then – but it is certainly a very impressive showing for the newly formed team back at the old Fleming Park.
Match scorecard – Wellow and Plaitford v Calmore Sports (12 December 2021)
