LEDBURY Cricket Club's First XI got their season back on track with an excellent win away at Martley Cricket Club.
In a must win game for both teams, Ledbury’s senior players walked tall, with some superb individual performances with bat and ball.
Ledbury captain Josh Evans lost the toss and Martley chose to bowl first. Evans and Rich Orders began steadily and quickly pushed the score to 40 before Orders was caught behind.
Evans was then caught the very next ball for 26. Number three batsmen Tom Bowring was joined by Jack Trattel, before Trattel was caught at mid-wicket for four.
With the score at a precarious 51-3, Ledbury needed to re-build carefully, Bowring and Tom Hill did so with stunning effect.
In a 4th wicket partnership of 209 runs, the two batsmen faced the remaining 30 overs between them and pushed Ledbury’s total to 260.
In a player of the match performance, Tom Bowring scored 111 not out - his first hundred for Ledbury CC. Hill also batted superbly for his 71 not out.
This was a good total for Ledbury but it was by no means out of reach for Martley to chase, as they had prepared a good batting track.
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In reply, Martley’s opening batsmen began very well and were certainly up with the run rate.
The opening bowlers of Jack Trattel and Vicky Evans once again bowled well but were unfortunate not to find the fielders with some loose Martley batting.
Ledbury finally got their first wicket thanks to Jamie Turner’s leg spin, but with Martley in a strong position on 122 runs there was still a lot of work to do.
The introduction of Chaz Barber’s bowling proved pivotal as he bowled accurately and fast, proving to be too much for a couple of the Martley top order as he found the edge of the bat on a number of occasions.
Finally, the edges went to hand and Barber picked up 2 good wickets caught behind. One of them being an absolutely wonderful one handed diving catch, by stand-in wicket keeper Josh Evans.
Jamie Turner continued his leg spin from the other end and picked up 2 further wickets with a stumping, and another catch from Bowring.
Ledbury had to dig deep and restrict the Martley batsmen, and with the death over bowling by Tom Hill and Liam Kendrick being backed up by some brilliant fielding in the deep by the likes of Arthur Harris and Will Griffiths, Ledbury ensured Martley were not able to reach the required total.
Hill and Kendrick also picked up a wicket each and Martley finished their innings on 239 with 7 wickets.
This was a welcome and much improved performance from Ledbury's First XI, and they will hope to continue this form with their game against Bartestree at Orlham Lane this Saturday.
Their Second XI will continue with their league matches with an away trip to Bosbury.
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