Green left to count cost of loose extras

HAWK Green travelled to Oakmere on Saturday with a team weakened by injuries and availability.

- JOHN RICHARDS

On winning the toss the Oakmere skipper, Craig Phelan, asked the Green to bat first which after all the recent good weather seemed a strange decision, until you inspected the wicket.

What has become the Greens regular opening partnership Josh Hampson and Lewis Clarke and both started very tentatively against the opening attack of Holland and Verna.

After appearing to have weathered the opening salvos and a 58-run partnership Clarke was adjudged lbw for 18 to a ball that through lack of bounce almost bounced twice.

Next to the crease was the Greens overseas player James Holland-Burch and having been brought up on artificial wickets must have wondered what was happening and he was next to fall caught off the bowling of Mackin for 1, 62-2.

He was replaced by skipper Dylan Heginbotham, normally a free flowing batsman but not able to express himself and he fell bowled Mackin for 5, 74-3.

Throughout this Hampson was solid in defence whilst still able to take advantage of any scoring opportunities but it was imperative that he stuck around, and more importantly found an ally.