Unbeaten run comes to an end for 1st Xl
 

A lack of runs caused Wollaston to register their first loss of the season and ended a 15 week trot of unbeaten matches.

After losing the toss Wollaston were asked to bat on a flat deck and knew they would have to post a big score if they were to win the game. Oundle overseas pace man Petrus Jeftha, removed Matt Jones in his second over and followed it up in his next over with the wicket of Mark Ralph promoted to number 3 in the absence of Jimmy Hart. Liam Bates was unlucky after digging out a yorker only for the ball to roll back onto the stumps, and when David Shelford was caught soon after, Wollaston were staring down the barrel.
 
Mark Carter joined Steve Musgrave at the crease, knowing the pair would have to get some form of partnership going to re build the innings. Muz coped well with the pace of Jeftha, and was scoring freely, whilst Carts latched onto some loose bowling from the other end, clearing the ropes twice in one over off the bowling of Daniel Oldham. Having done the hard work and seeing off the dangerous Jeftha, Muz unfortunately relaxed a little too much and offered a catch off the bowling of Richard Cunningham, and was dismissed for 46. Marcus Shelton failed to make an impact, and like Muz after doing the hard work, Carts managed to pick out the only man on the boundary a couple of overs later and was out for 41. 
 
The Oundle skipper could smell an opportunity and brought Jeftha back into the attack, but Charlie Elderton and the skipper dug their heels in and managed to keep the scoreboard ticking, and it was the spin at the other end which eventually did the damage. Elderton showed promise but was caught and bowled off Ramsden for 18, and despite a gentle wag of the tail, the Wollaston  skipper Chris Perry was left stranded on 30 not out after Oundle wrapped up the innings in the 47th over. 
 
Despite Keiran Furniss making the early breakthrough with a delivery that swung back late clipping the top of off stump to the left handed opener, and Mark Gibbs managing to find the edge of the Oundle number 3 - duly accepted by Carts, too many loose deliveries from the seamers meant the skipper had to turn to spin early. However, this had the desired effect with Perry striking early with an LBW to remove Tom Bishop.
 
This brought Jeftha to the crease who proved he is a talented all rounder and did not hold back on taking the attack to Wollaston. A run out by a scrambling Carts threw a spanner into the works, however this did not seem to phase Jeftha, who hit 9 fours and 3 sixes on his way to 85 before Perry removed him caught behind by Carts. A couple more wickets fell again off the bowling of Perry which certainly made it a nervous finish for the Oundle boys.  However it was too little too late as Oundle finished the game off 8 down in the 39th over. Another 30 runs for Wollaston certainly would have made things interesting!
 
Congratulations to Chris Perry who picked up another 5 wicket haul for the Wollaston cause. Wollaston will be looking to get back to a winning mentality next week with an away trip to Wellingborough Town.
 
Carts