Eastnor forced to dig deep but come away with victory
Eastnor forced to dig deep but come away with victory
Eastnor Cricket Club (Image: Submitted)
EASTNOR firsts were forced to dig deep as they came away with a five-wicket victory at table-topping Harvington in their first away foray of the season.
Opting to bowl first on an occasionally unpredictable surface, the visitors were rewarded with an early breakthrough as Josh Emery found swing and seam to strike in his opening burst.
Yet, as so often in cricket, the game tilted into a familiar rhythm of near-misses and frustration, with Eastnor's bowlers repeatedly beating the bat but unable to separate the experienced Harvington pairing of Paul Lyes and William Kerby.
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The introduction of spin would prove decisive. Kabir Singh, the Herefordshire under-16 prodigy, alongside the wily Gordon Wint, brought order to proceedings, and it was Singh who eventually prized out Steve Kerby for 42.
The contest then tilted again, this time in Eastnor's favour, as Australian Cooper Hebbard delivered a thunderous second spell, claiming two wickets in as many balls.
Emery returned to remove the obdurate opener Lyes for a fine 95, and Wint chipped in with a deserved wicket, ensuring that Harvington's innings closed at a manageable 219 for 7 — a total that could easily have swelled further but for Eastnor's persistence.
The chase began steadily, but runs, at times, came at a premium.
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Emery remained a beacon of aggression, dispatching anything loose before falling for an enterprising 55 to a sharp catch.
While chaos flickered at one end, captain Simon Keyte played the consummate anchorman's role, quietly defusing Harvington's senior bowlers.
The pair added a crucial 99, rattling the home side's nerves. Hebbard, having reached a stylish half-century, fell attempting an uncharacteristic shot for 52, but by then the momentum was irreversibly with Eastnor.
Enter young Kabir Ahmed, another Herefordshire under-16 talent, whose composure under pressure belied his years.
With Keyte eventually falling for a determined 47, and Wint adding some muscular blows before departing, it was left to Ahmed — aided by Kabir Singh — to guide Eastnor home with mature poise.
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The youngsters steered the visitors across the line in the 43rd over, sealing a hard-earned five-wicket victory that propelled Eastnor into second place in Worcestershire Cricket League Division 5.
It was a day when youth and experience blended seamlessly, and Eastnor emerged not only with points but with the quiet confidence of a side growing into its season.
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