Father and son team help Font to a three-wicket win

Mottisfont returned from Berkshire with a three-wicket win after a see-saw match.

Font skipper Ian Jerram put the home side in after winning the toss and openers Lawrence and Tait faced an accurate opening spell from the Barnes brothers.

The home side scored just 23 in the first 14 overs, which included the dismissal of Tait, caught by Dan Husbands off the bowling of Neil Barnes.

Then Donnington’s captain, Richard Dando, joined Lawrence and the complexion of the game changed as the pair put on 98 for the second wicket.

The slow-scoring Lawrence was eventually caught by Graham Collins off the bowling of Jerram for 19.

This heralded a mini-collapse as three wickets fell for 12 runs.

Dando and Barton then added 42 for the sixth wicket before Barton was dismissed by David Barnes for 10.

Dando continued to an unbeaten 110 and the home side finished their 45 overs on 179.

Font opener Dan Husbands had a new partner in Graham Blake, who had not played regular cricket for many years, but the pair put on 42 before Husband (25) was caught behind.

Blake was then joined by his son, Richard Blake, and they put on 57 for the second wicket before dad was dismissed for a valuable 33. Richard bettered his father’s score by one before he was bowled with the score on 111.

Daley made an impressive 36 to keep Font on top before he was caught on the boundary.

Closing in on victory the visitors lost two wickets on 166 before Jerram and Jon Webb knocked off the final few runs.

Left: Veteran Graham Collins rolls back the years at the top of the order in Mottisfont’s victory at Donnington.