19 Jun 2008 - A Vintage Austen Performance
A last over result in the North Nibley vs Kingswood 20 over Pratt Cup reflected the closeness of the sides; equal in batting, also in bowling, though with different styles, with only a slight advantage to one side in the field.
Batting first, Nibley`s Rich Cartwright (38) and Mark Patteson (14) took advantage of an excellent pitch and a little waywardness in Kingswood`s pacey attack. It was the fielding, and then the slower bowling, of Vince Taylor (2-23), which prevented a batting runaway. Adrian Sherratt (14), Nick Turk (25) and Tim Brown (28) scored freely, but wickets to the pace of youngsters Jay Simmons (2-29) and Jamie Moran (2-44). Above all the fielding, including an excellent run out by Moran, held Nibley to 142--7.
Like Nibley, Kingswood had a rapid start. Kevin Morgan hit 33 of the first 43 but followed brother Barry to the pavillion in the sixth over to a good boundary catch by Ed Holcombe off veteran Chris Marlow. Richard Wilding (17) continued the chase until run out backing up. With a much more varied attack than Kingswood. Nibley might have slowed the pace in the deepening gloom. but Angus McCubbin followed his recent Sunday 70* on the same ground with a fighting 56*, aided by a calm 25* from Rob Austen. Even so, their victory came with only three balls to spare and might not have come at all without the occasional opportunity to steal overthrows and turn singles into twos.
Kingswood, Nibley and Commoners have each lost once. Tortworth lag a little behind them. Again the cup looks like being won late in the tournament.