TIGHT BOWLING SECURES WINNING DRAW FOR ACADEMY

Excellent spells from Adam Tillcock, Luke Wood and Anuj Dal ensured a winning draw for the Nottinghamshire Academy against Farnsfield.

After winning the toss, the Academy lost opener Sam Kelsall in the 5^th, bowled by Wagstaff, who also accounted for Hassan Azad who made a quick-fire 29 before being caught and bowled.

Matt Cross continued alongside Anuj Dal, but the latter made 6 before being stumped off Graeme White. Adam Tillcock departed in identical fashion after scoring 8, leaving Notts 99-4 by the 24^th over. Connor Marshall departed for 2, before Cross made his 50 in the 28^th. He built a steady partnership with George Bacon but was caught for an excellent 74 off White in the 40^th. 

At 152-6 Andrew Parkin-Coates joined the fray, but was stumped off White once more for 3, and in the 49^th two further stumpings, this time from the spin of Loveridge, saw off Bacon (56) and Ben Kitt (0).

Luke Wood (11*) and keeper Tiger Dalby (1*) survived the remaining balls, the Academy finishing with 202-9. Graeme White as the pick of the Farnsfield bowlers, finishing with figures of 5-35 from his 15 overs.

Farnsfield captain Paul Franks and Matthew Sisson opened the reply, but Luke Wood claimed the early breakthrough, bowling Sisson for 5. He struck again in the 6^th over, having Andrew Bell caught behind by Dalby and Farnsfield were 18-2.

Callum Mckenzie joined Franks, and they brought their 50 partnership up in the 16th. Franks himself reached 50 in the 32^nd, the pair’s hundred partnership following in the next over. Connor Marshall accounted for McKenzie, who dragged a delivery onto his stumps after making 53.

Graeme White took to the crease on 134-3, before Adam Tillcock finished his allocation of overs in the 41^st, and while he didn’t take any wickets, he only conceded 27 from his 15, a spell central to curbing Farnsfield’s chase. White made 3 before driving Marshall to Luke Wood before Dal bowled smith for 4, had Franks caught on the boundary for 79 and bowled keeper Mitchell. 

At 169-7 Silcock and Richmond-Dixon needed 34 from 22 balls, but by the last over the pair still needed 19. Luke Wood stepped up and bowled a maiden, closing the innings on 184-7 and securing a winning draw for the Academy. Anuj Dal finished with figures of 3-19 off his 4 overs.