Clymping close in on leaders with 58-run win at Serendib

After a 58-run win at bottom-of-the-table Serendib on Saturday, Clymping head a host of teams looking to chase down leaders Wisborough, and Green said: “At the start of the season, if you’d have said we’d be 13 points behind the leaders at the halfway stage, I’d have bitten your hand off.

“We’re thoroughly pleased with everything at the moment.

“Hopefully, we can kick on in the second half of the season. It’s going to be difficult as we have one or two players unavailable but we’re looking upwards and are looking forward to the rest of the season.”

After being stuck into bat, Clymping got off to a blistering start thanks to opening batsman Graham Merritt-Blann.

He reached his half-century in quick time, while opening partner Gary Tester had scored just one, and was out for 73 in just the 11th over with the score on 98.

Green also hit a quick 63 and Stuart Hanks struck 25 as Clymping had raced to 150 in just 20 overs.

Andrew Hancock added 28 not out as Green declared two overs early on 260-8.

Clymping took two early wickets in Serendib’s response, including the one they had targeted of dangerman Samson Burke. It could have been three as No 4 Mohamed Nabeel was caught off a Tester no-ball early in his innings.

He went on to put on 98 for the third wicket with Fazlan Nizamdeen but once that partnership was broken, wickets fell regularly and they were soon 156-7.

A 46-run eighth-wicket stand slightly held up Clymping but two wickets then fell with the score on 202 and with Serendib’s last man absent, Clymping won with more than six overs to spare.

James Salisbury led the way with 3-29 off 9.5 overs and Rob Fauvel and George Gaskin both picked up two wickets, with one each for Tester and Paul Challen.

Green said: “It was a particularly pleasing result and we played exceptionally well.

“Everything came off for Blanny, who batted exceptionally well and our innings was a really enjoyable one to be part of. We then bowled really well and James was fantastic,”