A CLOSELY-FOUGHT fixture at the Common saw Harpenden Cricket Club and Dunstable unable to produce a winner, although Mark Doherty's men can take some consolation from the fact Harpenden emerged with the lion's share of bonus points.

Having lost the toss, Harpenden's skipper Doherty was content to be put in on an excellent pitch, and although his own poor run of form continued, his team-mates excelled.

Jon Sheard and Chris Cade set the tone with a stand of 70 in 21 overs, before Cade was lbw for a quick-fire 45 which included ten fours.

Another big partnership then followed as Sheard and Phil Dakin added 102 before Sheard (76), Dakin (27) and Doherty were out in consecutive overs to bring the score to 179 for 4. Wicketkeeper Mike Davies and Duncan Gilson then used up the remaining overs profitably, putting on 43 at nearly a run a ball to post a solid total of 222-5.

With John Kerley who took 8-39 last week and Chris Arnold both absent from the bowling attack there were some doubts whether this target would be enough to stop the visitors, especially after the opening spin pairing of Steve Ball and Doherty was unable to make a breakthrough.

Doherty nevertheless had a hand in the first wicket by getting a run out, and Simon Murray then claimed the prize scalp of David Mercer, bowling him for four.

A second run out followed, but at 121-3 Dunstable were going well and fancying their chances of victory.

Harpenden swung the game back in their favour with some impeccable bowling from Murray who took two wickets for two runs in a second spell of three overs, and the experienced David Doyle who chipped in with 2-37 from 11 mean overs.

With four overs remaining, Dunstable were 191-6, and after Doherty had sportingly called back a batsman who had been dismissed run out by the umpire, three more wickets went down, two of them to Steve Ball. Doyle took the ninth wicket with the penultimate ball of the innings, but the number 11 survived the last ball as Dunstable finished their innings on 213-9.

July 3, 2002 16:30