Phil Milton reports:
After all of the nets and the preseason games Barrow Gurney went into their first league game relatively confident, however first up were West Utd who had hit the team for 350 odd in the penultimate game of last season; the confidence waivered a little when Phil Milton lost the toss on a green top.
Ali Hood and Ben Skuse opened up, Ben on the back of his preseason 50. Barrow began brightly but Ali was soon out to a good ball. Batting at three Mark Brown and Ben Skuse took the team to 47 before Ben was run out for 20. Guy Fisher and Brown, who was now starting to time the ball sweetly, took the team to 76-3 before Phil came in at 5 when Guy went. Phil got his season off to a flier with his first scoring shot being a 6, but both batsmen ran the singles well after that and punished any bad bowling. Looking to accelerate the scoring with about 15 to go Brown went for an excellent 61 caught in the deep but when Milton was caught behind for 33, chasing a wide one, soon after, the innings was in the balance at 148-5. Premil Torrington scored a brisk 14 but Sameera and Rob Figueiredo batted brilliantly, Sami particularly so scoring 70 not out, taking Barrow to an imposing 263-8. Barrow could easily have been out for under 200 but the lower middle order did the business showing what happens when you keep wickets in hand.
During tea the heavens opened causing the match to be adjusted to a 234 run chase in 40 overs, the shortened format probably helped the big hitters of West Utd but Barrow were still confident of defending their total. Riley and Matt Owen opened up and both bowled well, Riley being unlucky not to pick up the opener after Sami failed to pick up the ball in the dark skies. Rob Figs picked up the first wicket with an LBW and Sami the second, first ball, as the other opener hit a long hop to Ali at cover. Twenty centimetres either side of Ali and it would have been 4! Barrow were regularly picking up wickets but West were always there or there about with the run rate so the game was in the balance. Matt Owen in his second spell bowled superbly until he was replaced by Mark Brown who picked up the danger man and got another two wickets and along with the returning Riley saw Barrow home to a great maximum point win by 18 runs with 5 balls to spare.