4:40pm Thursday 2nd September 2010
By Alan Feldberg
MATTHEW Eyles said last week that if Wycombe batted like they can then they would beat Aston Rowant.
He was proved extravagantly right as he shared an opening stand of 186 with Nitin Sehgal last Saturday that ended the match almost before Rowant could get their teeth into it.
After being inserted, Wycombe reached lunch without loss and even when Rowant did finally break up the openers an unbeaten half-century from Alan Duncan kept them firmly on the back foot.
In the end they were asked to chase 301-4 and their all out score of 95 suggests they were a beaten team even before coming to the middle.
Eyles, right, said: “It was Nitin’s best innings for Wycombe and his most important. My job was just really to make sure we didn’t lose early wickets and nullify Wes [Morrick].”
Morrick has been the scourge of Wycombe at London Road, taking seven wickets and finishing unbeaten in a successful chase.
Not this time though.
Eyles said: “Our batting was superb in very difficult conditions, but they bowled poorly. Conditions were actually better for bowling than when they came to our place earlier in the season, but as soon as we got past 200 with plenty of overs still left their confidence seemed to go down.
“Then we bowled well too so it was our best all-round performance of the season and a very satisfying win.”
It’s been quite a turnaround for Eyles’ team, who were on a sticky wicket a few months ago when confidence within the dressing room was rock bottom and a win of any kind seemed a million miles away.
He said: “I would be lying if I said there wasn’t any relief. We’ve been playing under immense pressure for the last few weeks. But we’re top of the league for the second half of the season. No other side has won four times.”
© Copyright 2001-2012 Newsquest Media Group
http://www.bucksfreepress.co.uk/trade_directory/