Joe Irving shone with bat and ball to sentence Spalding Town to a heavy 162-run home defeat against Woodhall Spa in the Lincs ECB Premier League on Saturday.
Having put their visitors into bat at Spalding Grammar School, Town were forced to watch on as Irving’s 59 inspired Spa to a commanding 237-8 from their 50 overs.
Seven players then scored ducks as Irving’s 6-16 helped skittled Spalding out for 75 in just 28.3 overs, leaving Rob Ambrose’s side in the bottom two.
It all started so well for Town, with the in-form Jonathan Miles (3-43) having opener Henry Wilson (1) caught by Josh Newton early on to leave Spa 7-1.
Ex-pro Prasanna Jayawardene (19) and number three Jack Timby (22) took the score to 45 before Roy Tilley (4-69) trapped the Sri Lankan LBW.
Timby was then bowled by veteran Tilley to leave Spa rocking a little on 66-3, but a game-changing partnership soon swung the game in their favour.
Irving and Pradeep Chanditha (36 from 28 balls) cracked 77 for the fourth wicket to motor the score up to 143, with the latter hitting a six and three fours.
Tilley eventually got Chanditha LBW, but that only served in bringing the destructive Chris Anderson (40) to the crease.
He feasted on five fours in a 36-ball knock and helped Spa kick on after Tilley removed Irving, who hit a six and seven fours in his half-century.
Jack Hughes (15) and Ross Dixon (9) kept Anderson company before both fell to Miles, with Matt Law (5 not out) and Paul Timby (9 not out) adding a few more runs in the final overs.
Spalding needed their top order to fire if they were to have any chance of chasing down the total, but lost key man Josh Newton (4) to Alex King (1-28) early on.
Faisal Javed (37) and Warren Nel (23) then added 40 for the second wicket to take the score to 61-1, but Javed’s departure sparked an alarming collapse.
Brandon Andrews (0) was Irving’s first victim, with Miles (0), Chris Dring (0) and Josh Lawrence (0) all following for ducks to leave Town on 68-6.
Warren Nel’s resistance was then ended by Dixon (2-8) and Ambrose (5) followed, before Irving cleaned up the tail.
Town – who only bagged three bonus points – will hope for much better in Saturday’s game at mid-table Sleaford (noon), as they bid to climb away from the bottom two.
