Northamptonshire VIXINS V Eastern Vipers

Northamptonshire VIXINS V Eastern Vipers BBS National League Division 2

Report from the Official Northamptonshire VIXINS website.

On a beautiful day at the Obelisk Cricket Club, Kingsthorpe, Northampton, the VIXINS and the Vipers met on what would prove to be the Vixins penultimate game of the season. A badly under-stregth and low sighted VIXINS side decided to forfeit the toss and were put into bat by mutual agreement, with only nine players and one more to come, Ian Goodearl having been badly held up because of Sunday transport problems, a result of which meant that the Vipers players arrived a lot earlier than half of the VIXINS team.

It must be noted that both teams were under strength for this game, yet both were able to play, where both teams have had trouble with under-strength teams failing to turn up before in the season. The pre-match warm up was also extraordinary, with both teams practicing together, something quite unheard of but the camaradarie led to an enjoyable encounter.

The first over set the pattern for the day as it went for twelve runs, seven of them extras. Scoring was not generally going to be slow, neither was the game going to be devoid of extras.

The makeshift opening partnership of Ronayne and Simons managed to put on the highest opening partnership for the VIXINS, that admittedly only twenty, before Simons' departure sparked a small collapse and Northants lost three quick wickets. That collapse, however, brought John Wood to the crease and with some well placed boundaries he managed to hold a resolute middle order together and to make the score more respectable than it may have been for the VIXINS.

Wood's innings also managed to use up some precious time for Northants, and although he was run out for twenty one looking for a quick single, there was still time for Goodearl to come to the crease for a last wicket partnership.

Goodearl was superb, ammassing the highest score off the bat in the innings off just nine balls, in the knowledge that his partner was not going to last very long. Eventually he was stranded, but not before he had bludgened twenty four runs, taking VIXINS safely past their lowest ever total of 117 runs to a respectable total considering the weakened team of 144 runs. That, however, never looked like being enough.

Set 145 to win off thirty two overs, the curse of the first over struck again as twelve extras were added to the Vipers total. And despite losing an early wicket with Goodearl manaaging to take a wicket in his first over, Vipers were never really in any trouble. Ben Armitage, who plagued Northants in the first meeting between the two sides came to the party again hammering another eighty six not out to ease Vipers over the winning line.

VIXINS now only need seven points from their last game against rock bottom Leeds on the 18th of September to guarentee themselves third place in the league, and a win there could well give them the momentum and belief to mount a serious challenge for promotion next year, with a stronger team and, hopefully, with all players available.

	VIXINS V Vipers 21st August 2005
	Northamptonshire VIXINS V Eastern Vipers BBS National League Division 2 Report from the Official Northamptonshire VIXINS website. On a beautiful day at the Obelisk Cricket Club, Kingsthorpe, Northampton, the VIXINS and the Vipers met on what would prove to be the Vixins penultimate game of the season. A badly under-stregth and low sighted VIXINS side decided to forfeit the toss and were put into bat by mutual agreement, with only nine players and one more to come, Ian Goodearl having been badly held up because of Sunday transport problems, a result of which meant that the Vipers players arrived a lot earlier than half of the VIXINS team. It must be noted that both teams were under strength for this game, yet both were able to play, where both teams have had trouble with under-strength teams failing to turn up before in the season. The pre-match warm up was also extraordinary, with both teams practicing together, something quite unheard of but the camaradarie led to an enjoyable encounter. The first over set the pattern for the day as it went for twelve runs, seven of them extras. Scoring was not generally going to be slow, neither was the game going to be devoid of extras. The makeshift opening partnership of Ronayne and Simons managed to put on the highest opening partnership for the VIXINS, that admittedly only twenty, before Simons' departure sparked a small collapse and Northants lost three quick wickets. That collapse, however, brought John Wood to the crease and with some well placed boundaries he managed to hold a resolute middle order together and to make the score more respectable than it may have been for the VIXINS. Wood's innings also managed to use up some precious time for Northants, and although he was run out for twenty one looking for a quick single, there was still time for Goodearl to come to the crease for a last wicket partnership. Goodearl was superb, ammassing the highest score off the bat in the innings off just nine balls, in the knowledge that his partner was not going to last very long. Eventually he was stranded, but not before he had bludgened twenty four runs, taking VIXINS safely past their lowest ever total of 117 runs to a respectable total considering the weakened team of 144 runs. That, however, never looked like being enough. Set 145 to win off thirty two overs, the curse of the first over struck again as twelve extras were added to the Vipers total. And despite losing an early wicket with Goodearl manaaging to take a wicket in his first over, Vipers were never really in any trouble. Ben Armitage, who plagued Northants in the first meeting between the two sides came to the party again hammering another eighty six not out to ease Vipers over the winning line. VIXINS now only need seven points from their last game against rock bottom Leeds on the 18th of September to guarentee themselves third place in the league, and a win there could well give them the momentum and belief to mount a serious challenge for promotion next year, with a stronger team and, hopefully, with all players available.