From www.thisiswindsor.com

Windsor Suffered Second Straight Loss

WAYWARD bowling cost Windsor dear at Home Park on Saturday when their impressive 246-7 was passed with ease by Marlow. It was their second straight league defeat after an impressive start to the campaign but the two losses could not have been more different. The previous week they were skittled for 73 in a quagmire at North Maidenhead but the runs were in plentiful supply last weekend after being asked to bat first on a scorching wicket. Chris Bird (17) and Andy Chorley got Windsor off to a solid start. Greene and Chorley consolidated matters, taking the score up to 100-3 when the latter fell for 47.

Peter Thompson set about the Marlow attack with gusto and was ably supported by Aussie new boy Matt Greene, who made a stylish 51 before he and Thompson (47) both fell approaching the final assault. Skipper Deri Watkins (25) hammered some late blows to boost the score. Marlow set off in pursuit as if they had a bus to catch, taking 40 off the first six overs off spinners Wayne Spence and Raul Mohindru.

Paskin and Gidman took a liking to the home park track and with some aggressive stroke play. Normal new ball pair, Mark Huggins and Warren Griffiths, fared little better were not spared the onslaught, with the lanky Griffiths in particular taking some frightful stick, going for 34 in just four overs.

The introduction of Watkins slowed the scoring, but by now Windsor were well and truly on the back foot. Both openers fell to Watkins, the first Windsor bowler to deliver a consistent line and length but Marlow remained in charge and the South African Kleusch kept his nerve to steer the side to a five-wicket win with an over to spare.

Watkins was in no doubt where his side lost it. “We bowled on the wrong side of the wicket too often and they were able to get off to a flyer and we were always chasing the game after that. “It meant we had to try and contain them as they got nearer rather than attack and made their job much easier. At this level you cannot afford the one or two loose balls an over we were giving them. In Division 2A or 2B you will often get away with it but not here, they get punished. We have to do better than that in future games. It was a great batting track and the outfield was lightning quick, if anything it quickened up for them but I was pleased with the batting side of it. We also dropped three catches which could have been the difference between winning or losing.

“There is no panic setting in. Of the last two games the first one was effectively lost on the toss of a coin. In this game we had chances to their openers early. If we had our score suddenly looks a big total. We could just have easily have won both of these games, no one has stuffed us yet.”

Windsor get a Saturday off this weekend. Their opponents were to be Hounslow but the side folded in the pre-season. The following week they face struggling Marlow Park.