Petersfield 3s were at home to Clanfield 2s on Saturday at Penns Place. Petersfield fielding a much changed team with players being called up to the 2s won the toss and elected to field.

Harry Roots who bowled last week opened the bowling and clean bowled the Clanfieldo skipper (who scored a double ton last week) Kris Lane (10) in his 4th over with score on 16. Despite creating chances it took until till the 16th over for the 2nd wicket to fall with score on 69. Another youngster Zachary Tyler (2-18) then removed batsmen 5 & 6 with good tight bowling.

Clanfield though we’re scoring at 6 an over with Tom Clay (101 not out) was punishing anything short although he should have been out on 70 as he skied a delivery from veteran Chris Wood but keeper Dave Squires lost the flight of the ball and missed the chance although the ball missed him and the stumps by only a couple of inches.

Clanfield ended on 232-5 off their 40 overs. The bowling was too short and too legside again from the senior bowlers and some dropped catches did not help but the young bowlers acquitted themselves well again.

The Petersfield reply did not go well with 3 wickets falling with no runs on the board. A combination of questionable umpire decisions and poor shot selection. James Stratford-Tuke (16) and David Longland (10) played well until David gloved one down the legside. This prompted a change of bowling which basically blew the middle and lower order away.

Lilly George (4-7) came on and removed James Stratford-Tuke with a swinging Yorker which removed James’s middle stump. In her next over the games was effectively over as Lilly clean bowled Rob Allerston, Daniel Squires and Dan Roots to get a well deserved hat-trick.

Nathan Linkhorn, Harry Roots and Zachary Tyler held up the inevitable defeat for a few overs but Petersfield were bowled out for a measly 37 with 6 ducks.

As was the case last season the young bowlers are doing well but the senior players need to step up with bat and ball and the season progresses.

Onto next week at Ropley