On a wet and chilly (summer’s) night at Top Ground Southwell won the toss and elected to
bat first (partly due to latecomers!!). Skipper Greg Behl and Harry Napier saw off an accurate
opening spell. But Napier was run out going for a quick single. Step forward, Charlie Wand.
When Behl was also run out coming back for a tight second run, Ruth Sprawson (22*) and
Wand (36 retired) put on 50 for the fourth wicket, waiting for the bad balls and punishing them
to the boundary. Ruth was eventually well caught at mid on going for another big hit and when
Wand retired, Dan Jones and Max Clarke were looking to get some quick runs towards the end
of the innings. Clarke was brilliantly run out by a direct hit from the Hucknall wicketkeeper so
Joe Ashworth joined Jones and the pair took the score to 110-4.
Ruth Sprawson bowled the first over for Southwell and had a close lbw shout turned
down. But two balls later, she had the batsman plumb in front and the umpire agreed. Harry
Napier, Greg Behl, Dan Jones, Joe Ashworth, debutant James Pritchett and Alex Jan all bowled
tight spells and Pritchett took an excellent catch to dismiss Hucknall’s other opening batsman off
the bowling of Ashworth. An overall good performance from Southwell wasn’t quite good enough
as a great innings of 35 retired from Hucknall’s Lobb saw them home with three balls remaining.