HYTHE & DIBDEN CRICKET CLUB

SMS Supplies	Sunday Sponsors	South West Cradles

Tom RICHARDS 51	James PAGE 4-24

HYTHE SUNDAY XI vs PHOENIX

Sunday 2nd August

Hythe Put Out Phoenix Fire

A maiden senior fifty from Tom Richards helps to set up victory over the travelling Phoenix side while a share of seven wickets between James Page and Harry Smith completes the job.

Hythe welcomed Phoenix to Jones’ Lane once again and it was the opposition who won the toss and inserted James Page’s men. Despite not wanting to open Tom Richards eventually went out with Matt Young to begin the 40 overs of the Green caps’ innings. The pair started steadily and then Richards, in particular, began hitting out with a few skips down the track and some heaves into the leg side. The partnership eased beyond fifty as the first quarter of Hythe’s overs passed and it wasn’t till just after drinks that the first wicket fell when Young was caught and bowled with the score on 82.

By then Richards was well in and despite seeing senior batsmen Rich Last and Luke Mills fall, he completed his fifty before also being dismissed himself. From that point on wickets fell at regular intervals and it wasn’t until an enterprising innings from James Page that Hythe began to retake control. Page finished 33* while Steve Chiverton produced the moment of the innings when his pull shot flew half way into the trees.

In reply Phoenix came out firing with their opener trying to lace everything out of the park. Hythe fought back though and after Russell Moore struck him on the hand with a vicious bouncer Page induced two edges from him before knocking back his off stump. Page picked up another two wickets in his first spell before missing out on the hat-trick ball.

Harry Smith then took the game away from Phoenix with expert spin. With Chiverton keeping it tight at the other end Smith beat the bat on several occasions, bowling to an attacking field of slip, gully, short leg and silly mid-off. He picked up three wickets in his six overs and helped to reduce the visitors to 49-5 and 58-6.

Tom Huxley and Jonjo Stovell also came on for Hythe with Huxley picking up an expensive two wickets while after Page had returned to pick up his fourth wicket, Stovell dismissed last man Kev McCarthy to seal the win by a comfortable margin.

Innings of : HYTHE 200 For 9 (40 Overs)

Phoenix Bowling : K.McCarthy 3-30, R.Owens 3-28

Innings of : PHOENIX 128 All Out (28 Overs)

(R.Owens 29, D.Owens 27, S.Brown 12)

Hythe Bowling

Catches : J.Stovell 2, T.Richards 1, J.Page 1, M.Young 1 & 1st

Clean Bowled : J.Page 3, T.Huxley 1