Coles sets up Marshalls first win
by Paul Barker, 8th May 2007

A brilliant century by Australian recruit Andrew Coles set up a thrilling first win of the season for Marshalls on Bank Holiday Monday at Elm Avenue. Home side Ransome and Marles kept things tight right through to the very end but paid dearly for a dropped catch with Coles being the lucky recipient when he had made 40.

Batting first Ransome and Marles made 212 for 7, with South African star Henno Jordaan keeping his fine run of form going with another 50, and Ian Sellars (30) helping to consolidate a fine start. Russ Keeley (49) kept the momentum going, but the final total looked likely to be a little bit flimsy and so it proved.

In fact Ransomes skipper, Gary Lambert told me ‘we felt we were about twenty runs short’ and on the evidence of what was to follow this assumption was to prove correct.

Marshalls lost wickets at regular intervals and Ransomes must have been quite confident, but Coles looked in command and he continued to dominate whilst nobody else seemed likely to stay with him. The problem for Marshalls was that Coles might run out of partners, but he held his nerve and completed a fine century with only one blemish that he got away with.

Ransomes skipper Gary Lambert kept his side in it with a great spell of bowling in which he took 4 for 37, but Marshalls squeezed home on 214 for 8, and both sides deserve credit for producing a real thriller.

I must apologise for my error regarding Saturday ’s match between Notts. & Arnold Amateurs and Ransome & Marles where I stated that Notts. & Arnold’s Australian recruit Tom Elliott had played himself in for the club’s first two matches and had now flourished with a magnificent unbeaten 189 which had broken the highest individual score ever recorded in Division 1.

In fact owing to a mishap with his registration Tom Elliot had not played for Notts. & Arnold this season and this was his debut for the club. My apologies to Tom and the Notts. & Arnold club for the mishap, and if this is a sample of what he is capable of achieving he should prove to be a major asset for the club. Once again, sorry!