Ed fires Monmouth 2nds to win (From Free Press Series)

Ed fires Monmouth 2nds to win

ED BARLOW fired Monmouth Cricket Club's Second team to a thrilling nine-run win at Ledbury in the Flint & Cook Marches League Division 2 on Saturday.

Defending a modest 139-9, Monmouth's Second team looked dead and buried when the Herefordshire outfit reached 113-4 from 29 overs.

With just 27 further runs needed for victory and Ledbury's Pritchard (48) and Herbert (20) batting well, it appeared that Monmouth were heading to a certain defeat.

But man-of-the-match Barlow, making his first appearance of the season, came to the fore and transformed the match with a brilliant spell of seam bowling.

The Birmingham University student, who removed both Pritchard and Herbert, snapped up 4-13 in an astonishing 10.1-over stint as Monmouth pulled off a dramatic - and highly unlikely - victory with seven balls remaining. It was the team's third win in a row.

Ledbury slumped from 116-5 in 30 overs to 127-9 in a remarkable passage of play. They were finally shot out for 130 in 43.1 overs.

In fact, the Herefordshire club lost three wickets with the score at 127 and their last four wickets yielded just three runs.

It was an astonishing fight-back from a Monmouth side also indebted to the performances of skipper Idris Leonard (3-36 from 15 overs), Tony Sully (2-41 from eight), and Martin Newell (1-16 from four).

Tony Jones held two fine catches - including a skier to secure the victory, while there were also catches taken by Dave Guppy, Gareth Hughes and Ian Morgan.

Earlier, Monmouth Seconds, sponsored by Roscoe, Rogers and Knight, were in desperate trouble at 65-7 from 19 overs after being put into bat on a wet pitch.

Ledbury's captain Steve Evans (3-37) found uneven bounce on a pitch pounded by heavy overnight rain as Monmouth's top-order was decimated.

Opening batsman Morgan made 21, Martin Newell struck 19 and Tony Jones, 11, but Monmouth were rescued by the brilliance of Jon Despontin and Hughes.

The eighth-wicket pairing of Despontin and Hughes batted superbly in a match-saving 63-run partnership and took Monmouth out of the mire with some outstanding performances.

Wicket-keeper Despontin struck a vital 33 from 81 balls and left-hander Hughes hit an equally important 22 from 53 balls to give Monmouth a fighting chance. The duo lifted Monmouth to 128 when the much-improved Despontin finally departed in the 43rd over.

Monmouth Seconds will be aiming to secure their fourth consecutive victory when they host Crickhowell at the Sports Ground this Saturday, 2pm start.