Rolleston 1st XI players claimed their first victory of the 2013 season with a four wicket success over visitors Rolls Royce. The aerospace representatives faced hostile opening spells of bowling by both Alex Britton (4-29) and Ben Liversage (2-41), soon finding themselves grounded on 57 for 6.

Britton removed batsmen 2,3 and 4 courtesy of a Matt Ford catch behind the stumps and two on-target deliveries, the second of which secured a leg before decision as the batsman shouldered arms. Liversage regularly beat the bat with some hooping away swingers and eventually gained his just reward when Faheem Ahmed nicked one low to slip fielder Marshall who completed an extraordinary catch.

Back came Britton to remove opening skipper Sahd Shafiq (11) who edged through to Ford. When Tom Yates pounced to capture a looping mis-hit by ex-Quarndon Mehmoon Tariq, Liversage celebrated figures of 9 overs, 2 for 29.

But middle order batsman Urfan Fazal (23) went on the attack and plundered four boundaries including a towering six off the ex-Trentside all rounder. Luke Nelson took little time in making an impression – bowling Kashif Hussain and sending down two maidens in his first three overs.

Deepak Rana attempted a suicidal run to Alex Brown and, in the following over, Fazal edged Baker through to Michael James who took a superb catch at full stretch. Just twenty four overs gone and the away defence systems were in tatters at 76-9.

Thanks to opening bowler and number eleven striker Amar Iqbal (22) another five overs were completed before an attempted repeat maximum off Nelson managed only in teasing out an impressive one handed overhead catch by Yates at mid-on: 106 all out.

The umpires ruled that Rolleston caterers required more time to fully prepare tea so, following a ten minute break, it was back out into the cold for fifteen overs. Yates (26) and Marshall (15) played true to form, the younger opener powerfully stroking four off-side boundaries before being trapped in front by the impressive Iqbal (3-29).

Ford and Marshall batted out to take tea with the score on 37-1. And, following the restart, the pair moved slowly but securely onto 53 prior to a mini-collapse. The ‘chirpy cockney’ played straight to Khalid - who had earlier hinted that fielding was not his strongest suit – and following a ‘yes/no interlude’ it was Marshall who returned to the pavilion, run out by a stunning direct hit. Iqbal claimed his second lbw decision when he removed Ford with the first delivery of the next over, and reduced the hosts to 53-4 two balls later when Mi James edged to Tariq in the slips.

Tom Rutter (13no) and Britton (34) settled in to rebuild the innings and were encouraged by a wayward over from Fazal which boosted the score by fifteen runs including two short pitched deliveries that Britton smashed to the rope. As the scoreboard ticked into three figures, Hussain engineered a bonus point for RR when he dislodged AB’s stumps and immediately nailed home skipper Mark James lbw.

It was, however, a case of ‘too little, too late’ and, despite a loud appeal for caught behind, Baker struck the winning runs with a boundary four off Tariq and the reply closed on 110 for 6 after 35.5 overs. Rolleston 22 points, Rolls Royce 3 points.