Ton-derful May can't stop Shields loss
A STUNNING century from Rhys May wasn't enough to prevent Shields from slipping to a five-wicket defeat with four balls remaining of a pulsating encounter at Denton Bank.
A delayed flight to Newcastle from Essex almost resulted in the Australian missing the match, but he arrived just in time, albeit – to his own admission – not in the best frame of mind.
Chris Dorothy was promoted to three to give May time to settle, but he followed Dan Shurben back to the pavilion, both for single-figure scores to give Graeme Race a double in his opening burst.
The fatigued May, clearly intent on playing in an attacking and free manner joined Paul Muchall.
The pair advanced the total from 23 to 104 before the Durham county man was trapped by a ball that kept low from spinner Tom Cant.
On a placid, batsman-friendly track, very few balls misbehaved.
Cant was subjected to some lusty hitting from Oliver Stedman, and even the miserly Zohaib Khan was worked around with relative comfort.
Stedman's belligerent half-century included six maximums in a run-a-ball partnership with May who having gained a start, became more selective but no less fluent.
Shortly after the fourth-wicket pair had raised a century partnership, Stedman became the second of keeper Richard Coughtrie's five victims.
Stedman, 18, was followed by four further teenagers in the order as May reigned in his game sensing his responsibility to guide his side to a mid-point declaration.
This season's leading NEPL wicket-taker, David Rutherford, returned to quickly pick up the wickets of Chris Rainbow and James Ritzema.
Chris Watson and May accumulated steadily beyond the maximum batting point mark as the latter clocked up a deserved century.
Watson was unbeaten on 19 when the declaration was called at the halfway point at 263-9.
South Shields would have gladly accepted the total at the outset, but in such ideal batting conditions the score was within reach of the visitors.
In the past two seasons in the equivalent fixture, Benwell Hill have scored 104 and 99 and no player had scored more than 23.
In those fixtures Matty Muchall had taken 11-45, and in the reverse fixture at the start of the season the seamer claimed 5-14, but there was little joy on this occasion.
Opener Mark Dale cashed in on a regular supply of over pitched deliveries to put his side on track with the required run rate.
Only Dale's wicket had been taken by tea, so Shields knew that their chances of victory were slim.
Subdued, they relied on mistakes from the batsmen as the required rate rose, but it was always under control and stayed below a run-a-ball at all times.
Kris McShane picked up a couple of wickets while conceding runs at a steady rate.
Chris Watson's wicket-to-wicket bowling, accounted for Ali Maiden, but Zohaib Khan batted with authority.
The experienced Phil Nicholson (37no) provided support as the winning run came with four balls remaining.
Hill's victory takes them level on points with Shields in fourth place.
Daniel Shurben left the field with a suspected broken finger which kept him out of today's visit to Blaydon.
South Shields second team allowed Benwell Hill to wriggle from the hook at 135-8. Joe Moore's counter-attack brought him 50 in boundaries out of his 66 not out when Hill declared at 206-9.
Four Shields players were dismissed for scores between 25 and 30 to keep the Wood Terrace men firmly on the back foot. Ryan Hale hit an accomplished 29 before he was the last player to fall, with just four balls to survive.
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Weather for South Shields
Friday 25 May 2012
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