Ragley climb into third place - The Stratford Observer

Ragley climb into third place

Stratford Editorial 30th Jul, 2014 Updated: 28th Oct, 2016   0

ALCESTER & Ragley moved up to third place in Cotswold Hills League Division One thanks to a four-wicket victory at Norton Lindsey on Saturday which earned 20 points.

Ragley were invited to bowl first on a swelteringly hot day and they enjoyed early success when opener Liam Smith was trapped leg before second ball off the bowling of captain Steve Capron.

Number three Pyatt came in and looked to take the attack to the Ragley bowling until he was caught off the bowling of Tim Jackson at long-off for a quickfire 31.

Adam Warbrick was then introduced into the attack and had immediate success as he had Nijjar caught for one by Adam Peachey on the mid-wicket boundary.




This started a collapse as Norton subsided to 70-6, with Warbrick claiming four of the wickets including a superb caught and bowled to dismiss Jack Andrews without scoring.

Opener Dan Fell and Rory Baker then added 28 before Capron ran Fell out for 29 with a direct hit and then Baker was bowled by John Tose for 13.


Norton Lindsey captain Andy Dewar added some valuable runs with number ten Steve Webber before Dewar was lbw to the bowling of Marc Woolley.

Ragley looked forward to chasing a low total but hopes of this were dashed by an unbroken last wicket partnership of 50 between Webber and Steve Bliwert which lifted Norton to respectability at 176-9.

Warbrick had the best figures for Ragley as he claimed 4-25, whilst all the other bowlers claimed a wicket apiece.

Ragley had to put the disappointment of not bowling Norton out cheaply behind them and did so in some style as openers Ben Lee and Warbrick saw off the new ball pair of Baker and Bliwert to reach 59-0 after 15 overs.

Norton shuffled their pack regularly looking for the breakthrough but the score had reached 118 before this happened when Lee unluckily played on off the bowling of Dewar for 43.

With the game seemingly in the bag with only 59 required to win from 18 overs and nine wickets in hand, Norton introduced Paul Ashley into the attack.

He took a quickfire five wickets including Warbrick for a very well made 64 and Tose for 29, who almost saw Ragley home.

It was left to Peachey to hit the winning runs in the 44th over to guide Ragley to 177-6, although Ashley’s figures of 5-26 almost turned the game in Norton’s favour.

Alcester, just a point behind second placed Kineton, host bottom placed Chipping Campden on Saturday.

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