CHARLTON DOWN 232-8 (20pts) beat BROADSTONE THIRDS 157 (8pts) by 75 runs

CHARLTON Down completed the first half of their season with a hard-fought 75-run win at Broadstone Rec.

With the visitors batting first, 19-year-old opener Jack Eveleigh (56) produced his best batting display of the season as he held the innings together with some stubborn resistance, mixed with classical cover drives.

This included the pressures of losing Jae Miller, a centurion a week previously, with the score on 15-1.

Then, as the partnership seemed to be growing between Eveleigh and Sam Roles (25), Mark Wigmore claimed his second victim with the score at 60-2.

Matt Stevens (12) looked solid and comfortable before he was adjudged leg before off Fletcher with the score on 84-3.

It was the returning Ben Bassinder (2-46) who eventually bowled the patient Eveleigh, as he attempted to up the run-rate.

Fletcher (3-37) then removed Javed Gill with a brilliant diving catch at mid on by James Whittle and Charlton Down’s Rob Rutter followed soon after with the score on 148-7.

The in-form Kim Park once again batted beautifully for a very important 43 including eight boundaries and as the overs began to run out it was the turn of Mark Homewood (25) and Dan Stevens (25) to push the score past the 200 mark.

Their partnership of 48 came in the last six overs and pushed the score out of reach for the Broadstone batsmen.

In their reply, Broadstone decided the best form of defence was attack and sent in Ben Seymor to pitch hit.

He was very effective bringing up the hosts’ 50 in only the seventh over.

However, a change in the bowling saw slow right arm Gill (3-21) and spinner Roles (3-39) take five wickets for only 24 runs and leave Broadstone reeling from 62-0 to 86-5.

The prized wicket of Seymor (43) went to a brilliant fast flat catch by Roles on the mid-off boundary from the bowling of Gill.

Gill then picked up his third wicket bowling Wigmore for 13 with the score on 113-6.

An accurate throw by Roles and two wickets for captain Pete Tucker (2-2) then wrapped up the contest for the visitors.

Commenting on the clash, Charlton down skipper Tucker said: “Jack Eveleigh batted brilliantly in difficult conditions and it was so pleasing to see him raise his bat on reaching 50.”