So another wet Saturday morning meant it was a good toss to win, which Phil Milston duly did, and put Long Ashton in. James Riley and Ed Holdaway opened and started well, however the two dangerous openers were scoring relatively quickly before Ed took the first wicket with a sharp caught and bowled. Riley picked up the number 3, bowled, leaving LA 23-2. Premil and Sami coming on first change bowled fantastically well; Premil fast, straight and full and Sami turning the ball sharply. Both picked up wickets regularly Sami finishing 9-1-22-4 (including Long Ashton’s other opener) and Premil 9-3-27-3. Kieran Owen, who had replaced brother Matt in the line-up, picked up the last wicket to bowl out LA for just 114 in 29 overs. A significant improvement from the week before as Barrow polished off the tail quickly and didn’t give themselves more to chase than they could have.
Given the short LA innings and the black skies above Ali Hood and Ben Skuse went straight out but found the going tough. Skuse was first to go to a good catch in the gully for 1 and Mark Brown was next to go for a quick 8 from 3 balls (two fours and then bowled!). Alvis batting at 4 and scored 16 runs before going LBW leaving Barrow 44-3 and wobbling. Then followed some miscommunication between the umpires over a no ball from a full toss, leading Ali to believe that he had been dismissed, he was however recalled and Ali’s ‘second’ innings began better than the first as he hit one for four but was soon out LBW for 18. Sam Turner and Ed Holdaway took Barrow to tea at 60-4. After tea Ed and Sam knuckled down and saw Barrow home to a 6 wicket win with 9 overs left. Ed 29* and Sam 27*.
This was a fantastic win for Barrow against local rivals putting them 4th in the table and facing Claverham 2’s next week away.