Lower-order 'pull together' to help Roffey overcome Three Bridges

Roffey captain Matt Davies (batting). Picture by Simon Newstead

The Boars won the toss and elected to bat and posted 235-7 off 50 overs, after a mid-innings wobble, with Davies (66*) topscoring.

In reply, Bridges fell just short of the total as they were bowled out for 219 in 48.4 overs thanks to a great performance from Rohit Jagota with the ball (4-31).

Davies said: “It was a really good game in the end. They played really well.

“We were maybe 50 or 60 runs short with the bat so it was always going to be tough trying to defend 235.

“I thought we bowled and fielded a lot better than we had done in previous weeks so that was a positive.

“We lost quick wickets again which was the issue at Brighton in the first game of the season.

“It wasn’t ideal but it was nice for the lower-order to pull together and get us to 235.

“It’s certainly something our top-order will need to rectify in the coming weeks.”

The excellent Theo Rivers (35) and Ben Manenti (64) combined, once again, to get Roffey off to a solid start.

The opening pair put on a 102-run opening wicket stand but both fell in quick succession.

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Davies and George Fleming (17) steadied the ship to push Roffey to 172-6 before the loss of Fleming to Michael Rose (1-30).

Leigh Harrison could only add another four to the total before he was bowled by Bridges skipper Matt Blandford (1-62).

But a 58-run eighth-wicket stand between Davies and Alex Collins (14*) pushed the Boars to a competitive total, finishing 235-7.

Roffey got off to a blistering start with the ball, reducing the hosts to 30-3 thanks to fine opening bowling from Jagota and Luke Barnard (2-49).

But Bridges’ Joe Walker (59) was proving to be a thorn in the Boars’ side as the wicketkeeper and Ollie Blandford (38) added 64 for the sixth-wicket.

However a quick Roffey double-salvo saw Walker and Blandford lose their wickets to see the score at 161-7.

Rose offered resistance with a steely 36 but his inability to find a batting partner to stick with him proved to be costly.

The loss of Rose to the superb Jagota signalled the end of Bridges’ innings, as the Boars wrapped up their third league win from three.

Roffey host East Grinstead on Saturday and Davies added: “They’re always a difficult side to beat. They’ll be looking to beat us.

“Having lost their first two games they will be looking to play catch-up so they’ll definitely put a strong side out and look to put one over us.”