BANBURY GUARDIAN: INJURIES to Banbury’s two all-rounders contributed to the side’s 118-run defeat at Reading – their first of the 2004 Home Counties Division One season.
Callum Taylor dislocated his shoulder while attempting to bowl only his eighth ball.
Fellow seam bowler, Mark Rorich, managed 7.4 overs before he was forced out of the attack and also off the pitch with a back injury.
With strike bowler Simon Launder already missing the game with a knee injury, Banbury were now also two players light in the field.
They understandably struggled against the host side and in particular their South African batsman Neil Winspear, who was 169 not out.
Reading finished up on 310-4 but after strong resistance from the Banbury top order, they lost their last six wickets for 54 runs and were dismissed for 192 with 14 overs remaining.
Captain Richard Kaufman said: “It was a flat deck and we thought it would be difficult to bowl them out, but we were confident we could chase any total.
“Rorich was bowling superb, and unlucky not to get Winspear out after going past his outside edge on a few occasions. Then his back went and Callum was already off.”
Ollie Murrey, called up from the seconds, finished with respectable figures of 1-29 off nine overs. The spin duo of Paul Hill and Jimmy Phillips, who last week claimed five wickets between them, could not manage one on this occasion.
“We were still confident of chasing their total,” said Kaufman. “We required one big innings of a hundred and at least two of over 60. But it does not help when Craig Haupt, scorer of a century last week, goes first ball.”
Paul Taylor replaced Rorich as opener and made 25, Steve Beck produced a solid 46 and Kaufman (62) made his second consecutive league half-century.
“I needed to get a hundred for the team if we were going to win but I got a good ball,” he said. The captain was not pleased with how easily the lower order was dismissed.
“I was disappointed not that we did not chase 310, but that we fell away so easily. We should have been able to rescue a draw and need to be stronger in those situations.
“On that wicket I would usually back us to dig in, but instead we have let Reading get away from us.”
This Saturday Banbury travel to bottom side Potters Bar, winless after three games.
Team selection will depend on the fitness of Callum Taylor and Simon Launder.
Mark Rorich is definitely out and his place is taken by Andrew Sabin, scorer of a century for the second team last week (see report, right).
Jimmy Phillips has an exam to take so he is another player missing. Ian Adams is on standby should either Taylor or Launder fail a fitness test.
Banbury regained some confidence the following day after crushing past winners Coventry & North Warwickshire by nine wickets in the National KO Cup.
Chasing 185 for victory, Paul Taylor (88no) and Craig Haupt (67no) helped steer Banbury home.
Banbury face a trip to Birmingham & District league side Barnt Green in the next round on Sunday June 6.