Promoted Egerton Park brought back down to earth with a bump at Kibworth
Egerton Park's fairytale return to Premier Division cricket was brought sharply back to earth on Saturday as they were handed a sobering 194-run defeat away at Kibworth — last season's runners-up and a side bristling with past and current professional talent.
If last week's dramatic victory over Sileby announced Park's arrival, this was the division reminding them of the standards required at the top table of Leicestershire and Rutland cricket.
Yet there were character-building moments amid the disappointment, and a club of Park's ambition will take lessons rather than despair.
Put into bat, Kibworth wasted little time in flexing their considerable muscle.
Northants CCC opener Arush Buchake laid a solid foundation with a fluent 67, before the game was taken away from Park by two outstanding performers.
Kibworth captain Josh Cobb, the former Northamptonshire and Leicestershire professional, played a typically brutal cameo — crashing 50 from just 34 balls to accelerate Kibworth's total at a decisive moment.
Current Leicestershire CCC player Liam Trevaskis then produced the innings of the day, a masterful unbeaten 125 from 140 balls that was as authoritative as it was elegant, anchoring Kibworth to an imposing 319-7.
To their credit, Park's bowlers refused to give in.
The most encouraging aspect of the afternoon in the field was the collective effort — all seven bowlers used claimed exactly one wicket apiece, with Justin Beaton, Mahir Manilal, Tom Glover, Will Creed, Carel Fourie, Michael Roberts and Abhishek Machhi all contributing.
Against an attack of this quality, that collective resistance spoke well of Park's determination.
However, the batting reply never got going.
Vijal Vinay fell without scoring in the opening over, and wickets tumbled at regular intervals against a disciplined Kibworth attack.
Alex Barber offered brief resistance with a dogged 27, while Carel Fourie battled to an unbeaten 23, but Park were dismissed for 125 inside 36 overs — a deficit of 194 runs.
Perspective, though, remains important.
Kibworth are one of the Premier Division's most powerful sides, and days like this are part of the education every promoted club must undergo.
Park travel to Lutterworth this weekend, and if last fortnight proved anything, it is that this group knows how to respond.