After a 5 week break due to weather and the opposition cancelling, the Sunday XI were back in action last week at Chew Magna. Barrow were greeted with beautiful sunshine and a warm welcome as Lee Bryant (also known as the Barrow Under 15 coach) captained the Chew Magna team which also contained Jackson Bryant and Frazier Thomas, two of the leading lights of the Under 15 team.
Chew Magna batted first and their top order laboured under accurate bowling from the Owen brothers before Oscar Livesey, bowling with flight and spin, and Nick Heal, with accurate seam bowling, took 3 wickets each to leave Chew Magna in need of a Captain’s innings. Lee Bryant duly obliged with a seemingly measured innings which belied the rate with which he kept the total moving. On reaching 50 he retired, as did Griffiths who ably supported him for a long partnership. Chew Magna finished on 215 off their 40 overs. Oscar taking 3/36, Nick 3/22, Matt Owen 1/21 and Kieran Owen 1/40.
After a sumptuous tea, Barrow opened up with Bernie Forge and Oscar Livesey. Oscar fell to Frazier Thomas early on but Bernie batted well keeping out her Under 15 team mates and taking on the Chew spinners, hitting them over the top for four on several occasions. Denis Atkins finally made his debut, returning to cricket after a few years away , and having been frustrated by the recent abandoned games. After looking a little rusty to start with, he gave Bernie good support and became increasingly fluent, especially through the leg side. Bernie retired on 51 not out (her highest score for Barrow), while Denis made 36. Kieran Owen continued his recent good form with the bat making 39, retiring when it was obvious that Barrow would fall short to enable sister Melissa (Barrow Under 13 player) to come in and make a stylish 3. Melissa had stepped into the breach to replace an injured Pete Halladay in the field early in the match and showed great enthusiasm allied to a better throwing arm than the skipper!
Barrow’s innings closed on 179 for 5 to end a game played in a wonderful spirit. Although there was no time to elect a man of the match there were several candidates as can be seen from the above report.