SPCL1 - Goldstraw sends Calmore swinging to defeat

A devastating spell of left-arm swing bowling by Dan Goldstraw sent Calmore Sports spinning to a humiliating 210-run defeat by BAT Sports in the Totton derby at Southern Gardens.

BAT's formidable 263-9 declared set up the biggest winning margin in the ECB Southern Electric Premier League.

Calmore's meagre 53 all out was the third lowest total recorded in Division 1 matches.

Ironically, the Weston Park School geography teacher, who returned a career-best 8-29, was having his first bowl of the season!

"With our first three matches being hit by rain, I didn't get a chance to bowl in early May and then I took the family away for a half-term break, so this was the first time I'd had the ball in my hand," he explained.

And how Goldstraw enjoyed bowling with the Dukes ball Premier League captains have decided to use in the all-day `time' games this season.

"It's well chronicled that the Dukes ball holds its shape better and swings more - and that's certainly what it did against Calmore," he added. "The late swing I got was too much for most of their batsmen."

The relatively inexperienced Calmore players reacted like startled rabbits trapped in a car headlamp as Goldstraw created 13 overs of left-arm mayhem from his favoured soccer pitch end at Southern Gardens.

He clean bowled four batsmen, had two trapped leg before, another caught behind and James Hibberd picked up at slip.

Ironically, Goldstraw's second ball - a rank long-hop - was deposited for six on the adjoining railway track by Martin Bushell, who was making his Calmore debut following his recent release from the Hampshire Academy.

"It was probably the worst ball I've ever bowled at this level - and it got what it deserved," Goldstraw said.

But that was simply the lull before the storm as far as Calmore were concerned as Goldstraw promptly removed Mark Archer and the unlucky Paul Cass in consecutive deliveries to have the visitors wobbling at 11-2.

Chris Thomason trapped Bushell leg before to prompt the fall of four more wickets for ten runs and have Calmore 31-6 at tea.

Only Hibberd (18) put up much of a fight as Goldstraw, who picked up 48 wickets last season, carved his way through the Calmore lower-order and tail.

The second half of the match was a huge disappointment for Calmore, who held their own during the morning session to have BAT Sports 145-5 at the luncheon interval.

"I suppose the game was in the balance at that stage, but having got David Banks out immediately before the break, we allowed BAT to score 60 runs in ten overs immediately after the resumption and lost any hold we had," reflected Calmore skipper Tom Pegler.

Calmore removed New Zealander Neil Parlane and Richard Kenway before snapping up the prize wicket of Damian Shirazi (25), who was in pristine form having twice scored centuries for the MCC Young Cricketers in the past ten days.

But Banks (55), also looking in good nick, produced some fine shots - before playing a reckless loose shot right on lunch to give the toiling Hibberd (4-92) his third of four wickets.

BAT came out firing after lunch, with Chris Thomason's carefree batting style being rewarded with a first SPL half-century in two seasons.

The pressure was off as Archie Norris (34) and Richard Dibden (24) guided BAT to an unassailable 263-9 declared off 57 overs.

Goldstraw took centre-stage after that as ten Calmore batsmen to contemplate whether to put their gear alongside the suckling pig being roasted on a spit at their Loperwood Park "hog roast" a mile up the road.