Hadleigh's hopes of chalking up their first Premier win of the season at the expense of the only team below them at the start of play went crashing.

Losing the toss and being put into bat, visitors Hadleigh found it hard trying to combat a ball that did a lot after heavy overnight rain had leaked through as hole in the covers onto the wicket.

From 118-6, Hadleigh finished all out on 179 with few being able to give much support to skipper Dev Ghandi, who finished with 84.

Young Paul Tibbenham, just back from Durham University, weighed in with an unbeaten 27 from number eight, while opener Duncan Paveling had 25.

However, the rest found trouble against Jeremy Moldrick, who took 5-44.

To be honest, pitch conditions were a lot better with the ball doing much less when Fives batted, but they looked in real trouble at 81-7.

That man Moldrick came to the rescue with 47 in a ninth-wicket stand of 60 and the hosts won with two wickets to spare.

Paul Corps captured the Hadleigh bowling honours with 3-39 and vice-captain Steve Brown took 2-62, but Hadleigh picked up only five points and know that they need to consolidate their batting if they are to rise up from the basement position they occupy once again now.

Certainly they'll hope to find a surface more conducive to big scores when they visit the County ground at Castle Park, Colchester, next weekend.

Published Monday, June 9, 2003

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