Flatt’s 123; Social Club 124-4

Seamers Jeff Tyrell and Charlie Marshall shared eight wickets between them and early order bat Winston Simmons smashed an unbeaten half century as Premier Division leaders Social Club breezed to an easy six-wicket win over Flatts at the Den yesterday.

Marshall picked up where left off the previous week against Western Stars at the same venue by claiming four for 21 off 6.3 overs while Tyrell also got in on the act by grabbing four for 37 off his allotted 10 overs.

World Cup veteran Kevin Hurdle, who made the initial breakthrough when he bowled Flatt’s opener Vernon Eve (seven) in the seventh over with the new ball, had two for 22 off nine overs with three maidens.

Middle order bat Kijaun Franks and Flatt’s skipper Rahji Edness, who left the match between innings to attend another engagement, led the visitor’s resistance, but found little support from their team -mates who all struggled against Social Club’s five-pronged seam attack.

Franks lashed five fours and two sixes during an enterprising knock of 37 scored off 56 balls while Edness added 17 before Flatt’s were finally dismissed for a modest total in the 38th over.

Edness and number three bat Ronald Gibbons (eight) put on 32 runs for the third-wicket before the visitors lost three quick wickets in the space of 25 runs to slide to 75 for six in the 26th over.

But thanks to a late flurry by Franks and player/coach Dean Minors (11 not out), who added 28 runs for the eighth wicket, Flatt’s were able to post a more respectable total to defend.

In reply, Simmons gathered 54 off 50 balls after being put down at mid off and brought up his half century in the 22nd over with a delightfully timed sweep shot that raced unchallenged just backward of the square leg boundary for four.

Simmons batted sensibly, combining patience with timely aggression, and along the battling Detroy Smith (32) produced 57 runs for the second -wicket and another 42 runs for the fourth-wicket with all rounder Jamiko Marshall (nine) who virtually threw his wicket away with the scores all knotted up in the 24th over.

Smith, who withstood some early hostile bowling from the new ball pair of Nelson Bascome jr and Franks, helped himself to two sixes and three fours before an innings that promised much was cut short when he played on facing his 49th delivery.

Seamer Barry DeCouto jr, left-arm spinner Vernon Eve, Franks and Bascome all claimed one wicket apiece.