A nerve jangling season opener

First league game; very rusty bowling - 70 wides in the match!

Both sides will feel they should have won the game and in the end, neither side did.

Painswick got off to a flyer, only to be pegged back in mid innings and finally ending up with a respectable 209-9. Some good smiting from C.Loveridge (45) at the top of the innings and then further from captain S.Cook (40) towards the close - the Painswick pavilion will need a couple of new tiles.

Dumbleton wobbled at 31-2 but got to 109 in good time before the third wicket fell with C.Sharp (57) caught at mid-on. At this stage Dumbleton were favourites and should have pushed on to victory. A classic middle order collapse then ensued to leave them at 176-9 with 6 overs remaining. Painswick would have felt themselves to be home and dry at this stage. However some spirited hitting from ever present number 11 M.Elliot (20*) left Dumbleton requiring 3 runs for victory from the final nail biting over. With the scores tied with a ball to go it was Dumbleton who felt that victory was theirs. It wasn't to be when P.Morris (11-0-49-5) took the final wicket, bowling the unlucky H.Prudden to tie the game.

Congratulations all round for an entertaining game played in good spirit which I think all the players enjoyed. The Painswick third team certainly had a bonus as they returned home from their match and were enthralled by the final hour's play.

David Smith - 03/05/2009