Woolpit get their Two Counties Championship Division 1 campaign off to a winning start with 5 wickets victory

Woolpit 1st XI started their 2019 campaign at the weekend with a 5 wicket victory over Halstead 1st XI in the Two Counties Championship Division 1 league.

Losing the toss, they were asked to field, and had an unexpected start when skipper Parker had to stop bowling due to injury after just one over.

However, Jackson and Collins ensured that a tight start was maintained, allowing Halstead to score only 21 runs from the first over.

After this point, the run rate began to increase, but so did the fall of wickets.

Jackson had Ruthven clean bowled, whilst Collins had fellow opener Rayner caught behind.  Wells and Douglas-Hughes put on 73 for the third wicket before the former was caught off the bowling of Chris Wells.

Runs were never easy to come by with accurate bowling and athletic fielding, and this was summed up no better than when Tom Whiteman took an excellent catch in the deep to dismiss Johnson.

At the end of the Halstead innings, they fell just short of maximum batting points making 198-4; Douglas-Hughes finished on 83 not out.

In reply, Woolpit openers Parker and Northcote made a steady start making 52 for the first wicket before Parker was out caught behind off the bowling of Brennan for 22.

All batters made double figure contributions whilst Northcote made his way to his first century of the season, finishing on 102 not out as Woolpit reached their target with just over an over remaining.

Of the Halstead bowlers, King’s figures were particularly impressive, conceding just 14 runs from his 10 overs.

Meanwhile, the Woolpit 2nd XI lost by 6 wickets to Copdock and Old Ipswichian 2nd XI in the Two Counties Championship Division 3 league.

The visitors lost the toss and were put into bat and got off to a slow start with the bat, as Copdock’s opening bowlers kept the run rate to a minimum.

Woolpit’s young batsmen G Tilbrook (35) and T Sidhu (47) kept working hard, backed up by J Holmes scoring a quickfire 25 off 21 balls. Copdock’s T Jenkins took 4-49 off his 14 overs.

In the first over of Copdock’s innings H Gale performed a perfect one handed pick up and throw in at the stumps to run out their opening batsman R Sharpe which gave Woolpit a great buzz.

This didn’t deter Copdock’s K Storey (80 not out) and F Ward (31) from creating a steady partnership.

Woolpit’s bowlers couldn’t get through and Copdock chased down the 143 total that Woolpit posted, with 12 overs to spare.