CRICKET: Godding ton steers Lechlade to victory

12:03pm Wednesday 14th May 2008

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Nationwide 1st XI v Lechlade 1st XI LECHLADE notched their second win of the season, but not without its dramas.

Lechlade were invited to bat with four players still on route, and Ejaz Khan's first-ball dismissal was the start of a stressful period for the captain Paul Rowley.

A scoreboard of 19-4 in the 13th over meant that Lechlade were close to running out of players as the last car arrived from their magical mystery tour of Swindon.

Captain Paul and vice captain Paul Godding had the task of salvaging the situation, but even with few runs on the board (38-4 at the 23-over drinks point) caution was still being applied, with Mark Morris bowling excellently to finish with 13-8-16-4.

At 30 overs, 57-4 was not looking too good but the two Pauls found their timing. Rowley was dismissed for a captain's 32 out of a 99-run partnership on 118, and as Godding went up through all the gears, to make a well deserved 100, Lechlade closed on 177-9, with 97 runs coming in the last 10 overs.

John Reivers 2-53 and Mark Flay 3-33 picked up late wickets.

In reply, Clive Chattell (23) and Mick Harris (13) negotiated the first few overs to leave Nationwide ahead on wickets and runs at 38-0 after 13 overs. But with Godding picking up deserved wickets in a spell of 10-4-15-3, things were evened up at 50-4 in the 20th over.

Nick Clarke (26) and Kev Flay (14), put on 44 to make things interesting, but found it hard going.

Khan made up for the batting with the wickets of Clarke and Flay, and the returning Pushy with 11.4-3-33-3 tore away at the Nationwide lower order to leave them 53 runs adrift at 124 all out.