County League: Egerton Park sides earn winning draws

Egerton Park First XI, from left, back - Mitchell Ellis, Jordan Woolcock, Tom Glover, Stuart Rose, Charlie Madden, Richard Bailey, Harry Wells; front - Kamal Panchal, Nick Watchorn, Richard Haffenden, Nick Newman. EMN-170620-110404002

Park started the day in fourth, one place below the visitors, and skipper Charlie Madden had no hesitation in electing to bat first after winning the toss on what looked a great wicket.

Openers Panchal and Bailey got off to a solid start before Panchal was well caught at first slip and Bailey was bowled by a fantastic delivery.

Glover (83) and Rose (35) arrived at the crease and soon stepped on the gas, racing to a 70-run partnership before Rose departed with the score on 107. The home side continued to press on to reach an impressive total of 213, bowled out two balls short of their full allocation.

Egerton Park Second XI, from left, back - Anthony Pedlar, Tom Barnard, Dave Burdett, Michael Dover-Jacques, Harry Wells, Chris Geary, Barney Simons; front - Jason Creed, Connor Beeken, Greg Tyler, Paul Bailey, Ian Dover-Jacques. EMN-170627-121605002

Park’s opening bowlers didn’t get off to the best of starts with the ball, and Ivanhoe were looking more than comfortable at the beginning of the run chase.

Panchal (3 for 43) and Ellis (3 for 48) bowled very well in the middle overs and managed to get the hosts back in the game.

With only 10 runs needed off the last two overs, the :Leicester side looked firm favourites, but Glover and Watchorn managed to restrict Ivanhoe to just seven runs in 12 balls.

They closed two runs shy of the Park total with just one wicket in hand as Park claimed a richly deserved winning draw.

The result saw the Melton team slip to fifth, but they remain within 25 points - or a win - of leaders Electricity Sports.

On Saturday, Park travel to bottom side Lutterworth Seconds.

Park: Panchal 10, Bailey 15, Glover 83, Rose 35, Madden 24, Ellis 1, Newton 5, Watchorn 4, Haffenden 1, Beeken 10, Barber 0*, Extras . Total: 213.

Ivanhoe: 211-9.

Bowling: Watchorn 8-1-45-0; Glover 10-1-42-2; Panchal 10-1-43-3; Ellis 12-3-48-3; Barber 2-0-20-0; Madden 3-1-6-1.

* After two defeats, Park’s Second XI got back on track in Division Seven East with a big winning draw away at Queniborough.

Batting first on a good wicket, the visitors started well, putting on 41 before Wells ran out Tyler.

But that only opened the floodgates as Harris (51) and then Bailey (55) dispatched the ball to all parts of the ground.

All the time at the other end Wells was playing effortlessly, but with his maiden Park 100 in sight he fell agonisingly short when caught on the boundary for 97.

A short cameo from Lovegrove saw Park declare on 282-7 off 42 overs.

A fantastic spell of 12 overs 2 wickets for only 24 by Dover-Jaques soon took hopes of a win away from Queniborough.

Yet despite two wickets from Wells and one apiece from Jeary and Harris, Park could make no further inroads as the home side saw out their overs on 149-6.