Gap to table-toppers closed despite draw

THERE are few sights so depressing as a cricket ground under assault from the weather.

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Last Saturday's rain was enough to have the ducks hoisting up the white flag and saying enough is enough.

However, umpires William Nick Malbon and Lee Sockett, having years of experience of this sort of thing, scanned the heavens and had little doubt that the game would start sooner or later.

There were a couple abortive attempts to start which came to nothing - by the time the players got onto the field after moving the covers it was raining again.

It was nearly four hours later when Elworth's skipper Alex Banks took the first ball from Aunn Shah, the visitors having won the toss.

It was the beginning of a splendid innings from Banks, bringing his first 50 of the season although he was 49 not out against Eccleshall a couple of weeks ago.

He was particularly rewarded for his shots through an arc between fine leg and mid wicket, six of his seven boundaries coming in that area.

After the early departures of Chris Regan and Ed Parrish had left the Foxes 18/2, Banks was joined by Dan Cooper and the pair added 105 in 18 overs.

Cooper showed us shots all round the clock, he hit seven fours including three crisp drives through the covers, two off Ben Degg and one off George Harding.

When Banks fell to Ben Dixon for 67 and Ash Rogers followed shortly afterwards for four, a succession of small partnerships with Jarrod McKay involved in all of them, boosted the score.

McKay gave a demonstration of clean hitting that brought him three straight sixes and one over mid-off. He was not out 38 when Banks declared.

It was always going to be a tall order, bowling the visitors out in 24 overs, but when Chris Winter, running in from long off, caught Niall Hassett for six off McKay's bowling and Harding was LBW to the next ball putting McKay on a hat-trick; Bignall End were 13/2.

A sensational catch at fine leg by James Burnett saw McKay claim Asham Zaroof's wicket.