Man-of-the-match Will Rhodes seals semi-final place for Fenner

UNTIL this season Fenner and Nettleham had never met in the Grimsby Town CC/Grimsby Institute Knock Out – but their first fixture produced an action-packed match that saw almost 330 runs scored.

Nettleham won the toss and invited their Hull opponents to bat.

And in the first over Fenner skipper Craig Denby gave notice of what was to come when Jack Bayliss' fourth ball went for six.

Denby opened with Steve Sergeant but went soon after his first big hit, bowled by 15-year-old Alex Graham with the first ball of his spell.

This left Fenner nine for one and when Bayliss had Yorkshire Under-15 batsman Will Rhodes caught by Tom Dalton, the score was 27 for two.

But Will was replaced by brother Dominic, who hit a quick-fire 45 off just 17 balls, including five fours and three sixes in consecutive balls before being caught behind off Dalton.

Sergeant and Rhodes had put on 49 in just three overs before Ross Davy joined Sergeant to add another 51 before Paul Cook joined the attack to slow the run rate and dismiss the opener for 47.

Cook took his second wicket in the same over and went on to finish with three for 28 as Fenner reached 177 for seven at the close, Davy unbeaten on 50.

Warren Nel and Russ Binnington set off in hot pursuit, putting on 45 off the first four overs before Nel fell to Will Rhodes for 18.

Binnington was next to go, bowled by Dominic Rhodes for 31 which he hit off 23 balls with five fours.

This made it 56 for two but Nettleham were still well up with the run rate and after the third wicket fell on 68, James Stevens joined Matt Smith in a partnership of 52.

By now Fenner had their slower bowlers on and, coupled with some superb fielding from the Hull side, this slowed the scoring and brought the wicket of Stevens for 34 which came off 24 balls with two sixes and a four.

Smith and David Hutchinson battled on but going into the final over, Nettleham were still 27 behind.

And when Jason Hellwig's first ball bowled Smith for 38, Fenner had one foot in the semi-final.

But Hellwig still had more to come and the final over finished as a triple-wicket maiden as Nettleham's innings ended on 150 for seven.

This match, which was sponsored by Solutions, brought seven sixes and 27 fours.

Dominic Rhodes' quick-fire innings and his two wickets earned him the man-of-the-match award.

Fenner will now play the winners of next week's match between Louth and Caistor in their semi-final on July 19.