Wanstead 115 all out

Gidea Park 75 all out

Wanstead won by 40 runs

(Premier division)

BOWLERS dominated at Overton Drive on Saturday as Wanstead kicked off their premier division campaign with a 40-run win over Gidea Park & Romford.

The match escaped thunderstorms but conditions reflected the recent wet weather and seamers on both sides took full advantage.

A total of 112 overs were bowled but 40 were maidens and just 190 runs were scored.

The home side batted first and struggled their way to 78-5, Sains and Collard proving their main antagonisers with final figures of 3-24 and 4-20.

Skipper Jon Hinton kept himself and David Richardson down the order in the hope that conditions would improve and this ploy succeeded to an extent as they made 21 and 25 respectively.

A vital last wicket stand of 23 followed between Mohammad Fiaz (21) and youngster Tony Palladino (3 not out) as Wanstead finished with a total of 115.

This seemed a low target to defend but such was the advantage for the bowlers that the home side still felt they had a significant chance to come out on top.

Gidea Park's top-order batting proved the strongest point of their play last season and openers Stephen Peters and Andy Hibbert opened steadily, putting on 21 for the first wicket.

Then Peters was well caught for 18 in the gulley by Fiaz off the bowling of Rory Ellison, who was Wanstead's star performer with final figures of 5-17 from 11 overs.

Hibbert and Andy Churchill took the score to 44-1 but their dismissal for 18 and 14 respectively signalled the end of Gidea Park's resistance.

In a dramatic spell Ellison and John Chambers took six wickets for the loss of just two runs as the visitors' innings fell apart.

Arif Saeed took the wicket of Lee with the first ball of his second spell to complete a remarkable victory for Wanstead as Gidea Park were all out for 75. Chambers finished with 2-10 off eight overs.

Hinton said: 'We batted reasonably well but I thought we needed an extra 20 or 30 runs. But our bowling and fielding was superb. We didn't drop a catch and there was some excellent bowling from Ellison, Fiaz and Palladino. We couldn't ask for a better start to the season.'

This Saturday, Wanstead, who took 20 points, face a stern test as they visit neighbours Hainault & Clayhall, who finished fourth in the premier division last season