Spalding Town skipper Rob Ambrose has said that he bears no grudge to Louth counterpart Andy Carrington following Saturday’s controversial Lincs ECB Premier Division clash.
In what was Town’s final home game of the season at Spalding Grammar School, the Louth captain walked off due to bad light at around 7.15pm after being hit by a nasty Charlie Kearns beamer.
It was a tame end to an otherwise riveting clash, with Town needing just one more wicket to prevail while Louth required just 17 runs for victory themselves.
Ambrose had been bowling his spinners due to poor nature of the light, but brought quicks Kearns and Henry Charlton on when Louth looked set to chase down their target of 183.
The Spalding captain admits that he’d have done the same as Carrington had he been ‘offered the light’, but rued a missed opportunity to claim a hefty points haul.
He said: “It was very dark, I’ll be honest. What happened is that Charlie tried to bowl a yorker, but got it wrong and hit Andy pretty hard in the ribs.
“He literally dropped his bat and walked off after that! There was no intent on Charlie’s part, he’s a lovely lad and wouldn’t do that.
“It did leave a bit of a sour taste in the mouth as we were so close to getting the win. But let’s be honest, I’d have done the same thing if the roles had been reversed.
“We’ve got a good relationship with Louth, they are a top club. So we’ll just take it on the chin.
“What I will say is that we produced a very good performance. We did well with the bat considering the wicket was a little but green. 180 was always going to be enough for us to have a bowl at.
“It’s a shame as we looked like we’d get 17 points. But these things happen in cricket.”
Having lost the toss, Spalding were put into bat and made 182 in their 49 overs. Thivanka Rajaratne made 50 for the hosts, while Nuwan Jayasena added 40, opener Warren Nel chipped in with 23 and Kearns cracked 20.
Carrington (4-61) and Amila Wettasinghe (3-44) were Louth’s star pair with the ball, while Arran Brindle (2-30) and Tom Corden (1-45) also took wickets.
Louth’s reply was slow and steady, with England ladies’ international Brindle the mainstay with a methodical 55. Graham West (32) also made a handy knock, but Charlton (3-23), Kearns (2-34), Nuwan Jayasena (2-57) and Rajaratne (2-51) steadily chipped away with wickets.
But, with just numbers ten or 11 to dismiss at the death, Louth walked off to ensure that both took an equal share of the spoils.
Spalding travel to third-placed Bracebridge Heath this Saturday for their season finale (noon).
There is a mathematical chance that they could finish in the top six if a series of results go their way – but top eight seems more realistic.
