Bell shines despite loss (From Stroud News and Journal)

Bell shines despite loss

12:57pm Wednesday 10th May 2006 in Sport By Ashley Loveridge

STROUD's opening home league game was not what the Farmhill side wanted as they slipped to a 32 run defeat to Hatherley.

A brilliant innings of 79 from Ali Bell failed to save Stroud. Earlier, skipper Gareth Haines and the promising Luke Benneyworth opened the attack for Stroud.

But things did not go as planned, as the Hatherley openers raced along to 70 off only 12 overs, particularly savage on any loose Stroud bowling.

The breakthrough arrived in Haines's seventh over, as he had Mallet caught behind to debutant keeper Justin Webster for 36.

With the score at 71-1 off 16 overs, a double bowling change brought instant rewards as Paul Frape clean bowled Jennings for 30.

Frape and James Pockett, in tandem, began to rein in the Hatherley scoring rate, and in the process Frape claimed his second wicket as Yiend was caught at gully by Ali Bell for 17.

"It was pleasing to see how the guys responded and dug in, and we stayed competitive until the end"

With Pockett and Frape bowling well as a unit, events were swinging slowly in Stroud's favour.

But the Hatherley batsmen began to consolidate and a 100 run partnership was finally broken in the 47th over as Frape claimed his third wicket.

Hatherley now looked to accelerate and Stroud brought back Haines and Benneyworth, who took two more wickets apiece to leave Hatherley on 260-8 off 50 overs.

Pick of the Stroud bowlers was Paul Frape with figures of (3-74), supported by Haines with 3-57 and Benneyworth with (2-66).

In reply, Stroud opened with Ed Mobbs and Mark Bryan and made steady progress, reaching 25 without loss before Bryan was first to go, caught behind for 15.

Ali Bell now joined Mobbs and they pushed the score to 38, before Mobbs was caught behind for 16, leaving Stroud at 38-2 off 14 overs.

Marcus Bond was next to go, dubiously adjudged lbw, without scoring.

Seventeen-year-old Chris Job now joined Bell and these two pushed the score to 92 before Job was caught for a quickfire 17.

Bell was now starting to impose himself, and with James Pockett now joining him pushed Stroud through the 100 mark, and in doing so Bell reached his 50, and looking to make a huge score.

With the score at 144, Pockett was clean bowled for eight, leaving Stroud staring at defeat, and with debutant Justin Webster dismissed for nought, Stroud were struggling at 145-6. But with Bell still smashing Hatherley's bowlers, an unlikely win was still on the cards.

The wicket of Bell was captured in the very next over, as he was caught for a brilliant 79. But with Frape and Luke Benneyworth still scoring at a decent rate, the outcome was never clear-cut.

But Benneyworth soon departed for 18 and at this point Stroud were done for. Pete Cash was next to go for five, and it looked all over.

But with a spirited last wicket partnership between Frape and skipper Haines quickly smashing 21 off ten balls, Stroud suddenly pushed through 200 and with 32 needed off five overs. Stroud looked to pull off a sunning victory, but Frape was stumped for a classy 35, leaving Stroud 228 all out.

Stroud visit Bredon next week and will look to bounce back.

"It was pleasing to see how the guys responded and dug in, and we stayed competitive until the end," said Haines.