Egerton Park batsmen have a weekend to forget

The First XI were bowled out for just 56 chasing a low total and dropped below Kirby into fourth place in a tightly-congested Division Two.

Park won the toss again and elected to bowl first, hoping to pick up early wickets once more.

Watchorn and Glover got the hosts off to a flying start, picking up vital early wickets and quickly getting rid of the top order, and at drinks Kirby were struggling on 64-7.

Fortunes would change, however, with some good late partnerships which saw the visitors to 139 all out.

Another batting collapse though would see Park bowled out for a very poor total with only Tom Glover (14) and Alex Barber (14 not out) reaching double figures.

Park begin the second half of their season with another big game on Saturday at home to third-placed Leicester Ivanhoe, hoping to get back to winning ways and keep the pressure up on the top of the table.

Kirby Muxloe: 139.

Bowling: N. Watchorn 9-2-26-3; T. Glover 7-1-17-1; M. Ellis 11-3-49-2; N. Newman 10-1-43-2; H. Newton 0.4-0-2-1.

Park: R. Bailey 0, K. Panchal 2, T. Glover 14, S. Rose 1, C. Madden 0, M. Ellis 5, N. Newman 5, H. Newton 4, A. Barber 14*, R. Haffenden 1, N. Watchorn 0, Extras 10. Total: 56.

* Park’s promotion dreams took another blow on Saturday with defeat away to Division Seven East league leaders Electricity Sports.

On a wet uncovered pitch, the toss was always going to be vital and when skipper Mold lost the toss, Park faced an uphill struggle.

And so it proved as wickets fell at regular intervals with only Wells, Beeken, Burdett, Creed and Jeary making it into double figures as the visitors limped to 102 all out.

After tea, and with the wicket drying all of the time, Park’s bowlers didn’t get the same assistance from the surface and only managed to claim four wickets before Sports hit the winning runs.

The six-wicket defeat dropped the Melton side to sixth ahead of the short trip to Queniborough on Saturday.