27-05-2025
Swanage beaten by Martinstown in opening game of Premier 2 campaign
ON SATURDAY, the 1stXI began their 110-over match phase of their Wessex Internet Premier 2 Division campaign by hosting a very powerful Martinstown side.
The visitors batted first and were kept under pressure by an exceptional spell of economic, swing bowling by Steve Ramsay, however, crucially for the visitors they only lost one wicket.
With the confidence from this solid foundation, the visitors top-order were able to play with great freedom and flourish. This led to two majestic centuries and another half-century and at 298-3 were on course for a score in excess of 450 (especially, with the option of the extra overs), despite the best efforts of Swanage's spin-twins Sid Nash & Pete Richards.
But, when James Harding returned with his fantastic variations in seam bowling - he claimed four wickets, the visitors were still able to declare on 414-7 in the 55th over.
In response to this mammoth total, Swanage set-off in pursuit at 9 runs-an-over during the powerplay with both Tom Rutherford and Mark Stacy both sharing a half-century partnership with Mike Salmon.
But, when Salmon was dismissed for a belligerent 66 - his third half-century of the summer already, Swanage's chances of winning disappeared. So, in spite of the fact the hosts top seven all made a good start, no-one else got beyond 35 as wickets fell at regular intervals.
The hosts were left with a battle to survive the remaining overs to get a draw, but, they were prevented from doing so by the visitors rerurning overseas 'star', and the hosts were dismissed with six overs remaining.
Also on Saturday, the 2ndXI travelled to Martinstown in their latest Division 4 clash. The hosts won the toss (and quite surprisingly elected to bat first in rather overcast conditions).
The visitors' main strike-bowler - Harry Long, was unplayable. He mixed hostile seam bowling with some sensational swing bowling to claim his first five-wicket haul of the summer to help reduce the shell-shocked hosts to 68-6.
The pressure was maintained on the hosts by Josh Gould. Michael Barry & Dylan Church, also, both took a brace of wickets to enable the hosts to be skittled-out for just 115.
In reply, the visitors faced two in-form, experienced opening batsmen - Simon Goldsack and John Lewis, had few alarms against the hosts in-experienced bowling attack to complete a comprehensive 10-wicket win to keep the team in second place. This was their third opening-stand of over 100 in their last seven games together. Goldsack made 56 and Lewis 47.
As well as that, the 3rdXI played host to a very-strong Stalbridge Development XI on the Nursery Ground pitch at Days Park.
Just like over on the main pitch, the visitors powerful top-order batting line-up produced two centurions and another half-centurion as the visitors amassed a formidable score of 369-7 from their 40 overs. This was despite an incredible spell of off-spin bowling by one of Swanage's many rising 'stars' - Bradley Bulpitt - who took his first-ever five-wicket haul.
Despite the visitors monumental score, in reply, the hosts innings got-off to a positive start with a half-century stand between Don Van Staden and Gary Marsh (25). As well as that, Van Staden shared two other half-century partnerships with Geoff Willcocks (29) and Seb Wright (28) to enable Swanage to secure maximum batting points and finish on a very respectable 185-5 against a very good bowling attack, with Van Staden carrying his bat for a majestic score of 75.
