Any preconceived complacency to the game plan for short-term captain Peter Hollman - chosen by cutting a pack of cards – was overturned when the tourists were met by players of a far younger & lithe look than those mostly elderly gents who played in 2006.
A left-hand/right-hand opening partnership was the captain's first masterstroke, with Adrian Duthie and particularly Oli Haill leading an impressive assault against a useful bowling attack which included an ex first-class player in Singh of Kashmir. Inevitably it couldn’t last and the fall of Duthie gloving behind began a collapse that was overturned only with the 9th wicket stand of Bastin & Hollman who put on 98 against the change bowling.
The Damazan skipper tried his best to break through this tail-end stand, bringing the opening bowlers back but Bastin continued his assault as his rustiness after a one-year round the world trip fell away. Hollman too joined in, hooking the returning Spencer as they sought to accumulate a defendable total.
They needn’t have been too concerned in the end as Haill discovered enviable form with the ball and dismissed three of the top four, including Singh with an absolute beauty good enough to beat many a current first-class player. Gleadow too found his line & Hollman continued to attack until five wickets were down for 24.
Holliday’s leg spin was soon introduced along with the mystery balls of Callender and, if there was a blemish in the field it was 3 boundary drops off these two bowlers, but as the home town tail started to record big scoring overs so the return of Gleadow & man of the match Bastin, finished things off.
XI of Peter Hollman(*), Oli Haill, Matt Holiday, Kurt Rademaker, Shayne Rees, Rob Bastin, Steve Emmins, Matt Callender, Matt Patel, James Gleadow, Adrian Duthie & Jon Webley.
