Worcester smash Exeter
A formidable performance from title-chasers Worcester led to one of the most one-sided college games of the season, with a shell-shocked Exeter beaten by a remarkable 250 runs. Played on a good, firm pitch at Worcester’s ground, the result was never in doubt, but the margin of victory must have surprised even the ambitious Worcester side, let alone humbled Exeter.
More than anything, this thrashing sends out a firm message to the other title chasers that Worcester will be ruthless in their pursuit of this year’s title. Worcester batted first and from the beginning looked to score at every opportunity. However, there was early promise for Exeter, who must have sensed the possibility of an upset when they broke the opening partnership with the score on just 44. But sadly for the underdogs, this was as good as their afternoon got.
Martin Stringer came to the wicket and, wasting little time playing himself in, began to pierce the field at will, playing extravagant shots on both sides of the wicket. He hit eleven fours and three booming sixes in a breathtaking innings which took the game away from Exeter. With 108 runs to his name and the bowling side looking thoroughly dejected, he took pity and retired after a magnificent knock, leaving his teammates to continue the onslaught.
Meanwhile, Sam Rowlands had kept his head among the free-scoring madness, and had steadily complied 60 in the partnership of 172 with Stringer, taking the singles to give his on-form batting partner the strike. Rowlands was eventually trapped lbw with the score on 255, and Exeter took a second wicket in the same over to leave Worcester on 255-5 in the 37th over.
But with little time left in the innings, Gibbons and Goodstone added a further brutal 31 runs to leave Exeter chasing a highly improbable 287 to win at over seven an over. Exeter never looked like getting anywhere close to the target. Indeed, after they lost their first wicket after only two overs, they never looked like getting a respectable total. At one point, the bottom of the table side were on a decent 28 for two, but then a flurry of easy wickets saw them collapse to 36 all out.
It was hard to tell whether Exeter heads had simply gone down, or whether it was truly great bowling that would have skittled any side. The result of the onslaught, however, is plain to see from the score-card Worcester’s Chef ended with remarkable figures of 6-2-9-5 to cap an embarrassingly easy victory that leaves them as clear favourites for the title and Exeter clear favourites for relegation.
8th Jun 2006