Holt inspires Stand to victory (From Prestwich and Whitefield Guide)

Holt inspires Stand to victory

12:00pm Thursday 16th August 2012 in Sport

A CLINICAL all-round display saw Stand steamroller Flowery Field at the SCG on Saturday, running out winners by seven wickets.

The visitors elected to take first guard before Scott Butterworth struck in his second over, bowling Mistry (4-0).

Coulding and Barnes patiently moved the score along to 27 then, in identical fashion to the week before, Matt Curphey came on as first change and took a wicket with his first ball removing Coulding (14), caught in the covers by Dave Taylor.

A score of 27-2 soon became 27-4 as Butterworth – bowling with an extra yard of pace – had Barnes (11) expertly caught at Gully by Jack Ritchie, before dismissing Zaman who padded up second ball.

Curphey removed Dickin (nine) and Butterworth’s hostile spell continued as he ripped through the Flowery middle order picking up another three victims in quick succession.

Steve Oddy and Damien Eyre shared a 21-run partnership to move the visitors up to 72-9 and it was left to Stuart Catterall to wrap the innings up, trapping Middleton in front with his fifth ball.

Flowery finished 84 all out, with Curphey taking 3-34, but it was Butterworth who stole the show with 6-31 from an aggressive 15-over spell.

Stand’s reply got off to a flying start, as they reached 30 without loss inside five overs with Brett Ernst and Chris Holt in the mood for an early finish.

Stand then lost three quick wickets and were reduced to 41-3, with Ernst, Taylor and Catterall all back in the pavilion.

Holt continued to take the attack to the Flowery bowlers, with good support from Pete Walters.

The pair shared an unbeaten 44-run partnership with Walters hitting a cameo 17, while Holt made a match-winning unbeaten 49, which included five fours and two sixes.

Holt ended the game with a classy straight drive, hitting Oddy back down the ground for four, to see Stand home with overs to spare.

Oddy finished with 1-26 and Middleton claimed two wickets.

This weekend Stand travel to Denton West on Saturday and host Denton on Sunday looking to build on their fifth-placed league position.