The Green travelled to Oakmere on Saturday with a team weakened by injuries and availability. On winning the toss the Oakmere skipper, Craig Phelan, asked the Green to bat first which after all the recent good weather seemed a strange decision, until you inspected the wicket. What has become the Greens regular opening partnership Josh Hampson and Lewis Clarke and both started very tentatively against the opening attack of Holland and Verna. After appearing to have weathered the opening salvos and a 58 run partnership Clarke was adjudged lbw for 18 to a ball that through lack of bounce almost bounced twice. Next to the crease was the Greens overseas player James Holland-Burch and having been brought up on artificial wickets must have wondered what was happening and he was next to fall caught off the bowling of Mackin for 1, 62-2 , he was replaced by skipper Dylan Heginbotham normally a free flowing batsman but not able to express himself and he fell bowled Mackiin for 5, 74-3, throughout this Hampson was solid in defence whilst still able to take advantage of any scoring opportunities but it was imperative that he stuck around, and more importantly found an ally. Sam Messih was next to fall for 3 lbw to Joshua Westwood, 87-4, with the sun and breeze the wicket did appear to settle down but the damage had already been done. Frank Williams and Hampson started to share what appeared to be the start of a partnership but Williams was caught for 13 of the bowling of Gee, 116-5, soon to become 117-6 with the dismissal of Jake Skelton for a duck. Newcomer Finlay Perry was adjudged lbw for 4 to Westwood, 128-7, whilst it appears that the score is moving on with no input from the batsmen extras were proving a major factor to the total. Josh Hampson eventually fell for 55 invaluable runs caught off the bowling of Westwood, 135-8, George Ridings was next to fall caught Westwood bowled Gee for 2, 151-9. The last pairing Tom Kingsman and Josh Nield hung around long enough to take the final total to 176 when Kingsman was lbw to Gee for 5 leaving Nield not out 9, this partnership lasted 8 overs with the wicket really becoming much easier to bat on, extras was the biggest contributor to the total with 61 including 38 wides. Joshua Westwood was the pick of the Oakmere bowlers with 10 overs 4-23 and no wides.The Oakmere response was lead by James Norton and Matthew Worsdale facin the Greens opening attack of Dylan Heginbotham and Finlay Perry and it was the former who struck first when he trapped Norton lbw second ball, 0-1, next to the crease was Joshua Westwood and for his first few overs he was very watchful, with the score on 38 Worsdale was bowled Perry for 16 and Zachary Howdle joined Westwood and the latter began to show his ability with the bat with a beautiful cover drive off the bowling of Perry. All Westwood needed was someone to stay with him as he really blossomed showing his full range of shots, he lost partner Howdle caught Skelton bowled Clarke for 13, 71-3, skipper Phelan was next to fall for 13 caught and bowled Clarke, 106-4. With Westwood at the crease in such dominant form Oakmere were becoming firm favourites to win the game, Greens skipper Heginbothams problem was, who to bowl, David Purcell was caught Heginbotham bowled Messih for 10, 123-5 only for Westwood to hit the next ball for 6 his innings eventually came to a close when he was caught Skelton bowled Heginbotham for a game changing 86, 172-6, new batsman Nathan Gee fell on the same total and it was left to Lewis Newall to take the hosts over the line closing on 9 not out with 4 overs remaining. Whilst on paper it looks a close game the gift of 61 extras belies the truth behind the result.Next week the 1stXI are at home to Barrow wickets pitched 12-00pm. On Saturday a 2ndXI really weakened by the 1st absentees were dismissed for 104 at home to Woodford who knocked this off for the loss of 3 wickets. This weeks matchball sponsors for both teams are Stuart Bisson Foster.

​Report by John Richards.

Picture by David A. Turner​