ACADEMY FALL TO KIMBERLEY DEFEAT DESPITE DAL AND MARSHALL FIFTIES

Nottinghamshire’s Academy fell to a five-wicket loss on their travels to Kimberley despite battling efforts from Anuj Dal and Connor Marshall.

The hosts were on the front from the off, winning the toss and making early inroads after choosing to bowl first.

They reduced the Academy to 41-4 early on as Ben Savage took the wickets of Joe New (4), Jake Libby (7) and Adam Tillcock (12).

Dal began the recovery with Lyndon James, adding 43 before Tom Rowe bowled the latter for 13.

Marshall joined Dal and the pair guided their side out of the early trouble and in to a position where they could kick on and post a challenging total.

Dal had made 78 before he drove a ball from Blatherwick straight to mid-wicket, Alex King taking the catch and the Academy moving to 162-6.

Marshall pushed on though, reaching his fifty from 57 balls and taking his side past 200 with a four in the 45^th over.

However, the Academy’s last four wickets fell for 14 runs, Marshall the penultimate wicket to fall, for 68, as the visitors were 218 all out.

The Academy needed an early wicket to wrestle back momentum and Reicko Parker-Cole obliged, removing Sam Johnson for seven, Kimberley 19-1.

However, Shaun Levy and Rowe set an early platform for the chase that the Academy struggled to break.

The pair added 77 for the second wicket before Levy was trapped LBW by Marshall for 43.

The Academy tried to force their way back in to the match and when Paul Franks and Tillcock both took wickets with the score on 133, the hosts were all of a sudden four down.

However, a 59-run partnership between Rowe and Bacon got Kimberley back on track and despite the loss of the former on 72, they eased home with five overs to spare.

George Bacon (40*) and Alex King (18*) added the final 30 runs required to give the hosts a five-wicket victory.

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