STROUD 3rd XI posted a convincing win at Frampton.
Home skipper Martin Clements won the toss and inserted the visitors on a green-tinged wicket and in conditions that appeared to offer his bowling attack the opportunity of both swing and seam, only to be utterly confounded by the twin-Lancastrian opening pair of Ollie Holmes and Jason Flannery.
Both batsmen mixed watchful defence with pugnacious attack to rattle along at a run a ball, building an opening stand well in excess of a hundred before Holmes, having reached a long-awaited half-century, played around a straight one to fall for 50 just after drinks.
Unperturbed, Flannery ploughed on as successive partners came and went with some alacrity. Billy Curtis (5-0-22-3), Steve Gallagher (5-0-19-2) and Matt Halsey (2-0-12-2) chipped away at his support but failed to remove the key man himself as he built an almost chanceless century; eventually carrying his bat for a quite superb 126 not out and seeing Stroud to 226-8 at the turnaround.
After tea, Stroud tore into the home side’s response to effectively end the contest. om Legg’s inswingers (7-2-16-1) and Harry Burns’ delicious left-arm orthodox spin (6-2-7-1) complemented each other perfectly setting the stage for Holmes (10-3-48-3), Jimmy Doyle (5-1-21-1) and Dave Moore (5.2-0-25-3) to do the rest.
Gallagher (17), Iain Murray (33) and Nick Peacey (39) offered resistance but the asking rate was always too much.
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