Shenley II secured ten vital points to keep them out of the relegation zone on Saturday when they did well to draw a high-scoring encounter against a strong Bushey Met Police Club side.

Dave Affleck lost the toss and the opposition didn't hesitate to bat first on an excellent pitch. The decision proved a good one when the opening pair got off to a great start, cruising past 50 well inside 15 overs.

The Shenley opening pair of Lloyd Willingham and Kevin Wood bowled well in tandem without success but the runs flowed freely. Geoff Evans was the first home bowler to taste success and he helped apply the brakes on the innings taking four wickets in total.

However, whilst the run-rate had slowed, Matt Woodward's off spin was proving expensive at the other end and the visitors looked well on track to post 200.

Laurie Willingham came into the attack and bowled well until the sixth wicket pair started to take a liking to his medium pace and the scoring accelerated once more. They added just short of 100 together before the innings closed early on 245-5.

In reply Shenley got off to a poor start when the normally reliable Bubs Willingham hit a careless shot to point with the score at six. Lloyd Willingham followed shortly afterwards after he had made a promising start. The innings looked in further trouble when Andy Lewis was unfortunate to fall to an exceptional catch in the gully.

It was left to Liam and Laurie Willingham to try and rebuild the innings. Laurie was out with the score approaching 100 but Liam was starting to put together a sensible innings. Dalip Tahil joined him and the pair took the score into three figures, but the required run rate was increasing all the time.

When Willingham was out for 60 Shenley were well short of the runs that they needed and victory was looking unlikely.

Skipper Affleck and keeper Tom Blackman followed cheaply, and with the score at 160-7 the game appeared to be going towards the visitors. Woodward joined Tahil and the tempo increased with a few lusty blows.

After Woodward departed for 17, Shenley were hunting for batting points and some sensible play from Tahil, Evans and last man Wood saw them hold on for a well-earned draw and maximum batting points.

12:28pm Thursday 26th August 2004

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