BOSBURY won this keenly contested Flint & Cook Marches League division four match against Leominster seconds on Saturday.

BOSBURY v LEOMINSTER II

Bosbury captain Steve Davies asked the visitors to bat on the damp but drying wicket. Leominster lost their first wicket in the second over when Jon Owen had J Clarke lbw for nought with the score on three.

M Fothergill joined the gloveless opener D Bywater and they staged a recovery, with Fothergill making the most of some mis-directed balls from Steve Davies. However, he was also trapped lbw by Owen for 21. R Burke was next in and joined in a 53-run partnership with Bywater, Burke falling finally to Owen, bowled for 27, including six 4s.

Mark Wadley replaced Davies and soon fell into rhythm, picking up the wicket of D George for five. A few runs later, new batsman G George was run out for six trying to come back for a second, as Peter Blake hit the stumps with a fantastic throw.

After Owen had finished his spell (3-28), he was replaced by Alan Lancett, whose slow, flighted delivery deceived Bywater, who was lbw for a steady 24.

S Cole took the attack to Bosbury, hitting some boundaries, but Wadley picked up J Fletcher bowled for two and A Burke bowled for nought. Cole was Lancett's second wicket, lbw for 25. M Cadwallader picked up 12 useful runs and ended up not out, as Wadley (4-39) picked up the final wicket of W Bufton for one, caught by Gary Fletcher in the gully. Leominster made 143 all out in 38.5 overs.

The Leominster opening bowlers, W Bufton and M Cadwallader, began well and Bosbury had progressed to 10 in the third over when Gary Fletcher played-on to Bufton for eight. Mark Wadley joined Merv Carless and they took the score to 23 before Carless chased a ball going down leg side and was caught by the keeper Fothergill for six.

Luke Ledbury was soon looking to strike the ball, hitting three powerful 6s and three 4s. Wadley's patient innings finally came to an end when he was lbw to the left-arm bowler A Burke for 11, with the score on 69. Four runs later, Ledbury mis-hit a ball from A Burke to mid-wicket and was caught for 35. Dave Daffin joined Darren Cooke, but Cooke had scored just one when he was caught and bowled by A Burke and Bosbury were now 73-5.

Steve Davies (12) and Jon Owen (0) soon fell and Bosbury looked to be in trouble at 91-7. Alan Lancett joined Dave Daffin and with plenty of overs left, they progressed steadily to 129 before Lancett holed out at mid-wicket to A Burke (5-28).

Paul Allen chipped in with four valuable runs as Dave Daffin (31no), looking fairly comfortable in the fading light, hit two boundaries to take Bosbury passed the required total to win by just two wickets.

Tomorrow (Saturday), Bosbury are away at Ross.