Green accuracy too intense for Barrow

On a day where there was a dramatic change in the weather with rain threatening throughout, the Green entertained Barrow who had enjoyed a successful start to the campaign.

- JOHN RICHARDS

On winning the toss their skipper, Gareth Hughes, invited the Green to bat first.

The Green started with what has become their regular opening partnership of Josh Hampson and Lewis Clarke facing Barrow’s pace attack of Martin Green and Darren Leach. Both bowlers were of a lively pace and accurate on a great wicket that had plenty of even bounce.

From the start, both batsmen were very wary and playing each ball on its merit. After a couple of exquisite boundaries Hampson was first to fall, dismissed in an unusual manner when the ball bounced back off the wicketkeeper’s pads onto the wickets and he was adjudged stumped for 12, 17-1.

Next to fall was Lewis Clarke bowled by first change bowler Faizin Abid for 4, 26-2.

These two wickets brought Jack Needham and Sam Messih to the crease, both batsmen who like to play their shots from the off and they did just that with Needham striking four boundaries and one huge maximum whilst Messih was targeting mid wicket with some glorious flicks off his pads.

Unfortunately, all good things come to an end as both batsmen fell to the bowling of Abid, Needham for 23 and Messih 25, 70-4.

Lee Hallas joined skipper Dylan Heginbotham at the crease and the latter was next to fall, caught Alex Shaw bowled Tom Birch for 7, 94-5. That became 98-6 when James Holland-Burch fell, caught at slip by Hughes. The Barrow team are vociferous and enthusiastic at the best of times but with the fall of this wicket they turned it up a notch to an unacceptable level.