Middle order fires for Rathkeale

Some sensible middle order batting kept Rathkeale College's hopes of a first innings lead alive in their Bidwell Cup senior men's inter-club cricket match with Lansdowne at Rathkeale College on Saturday.
The students were struggling when they lost their first three wickets cheaply but Andy Dodd (39), Brock Price (40) and M.Dalley (31) all provided handy contributions and saw them through to a respectable 183.
Dodd's knock included just the two fours but his good placement was evidenced by the fact he also scored five threes.
Price was a mixture of aggression and patience, hitting five fours but also 15 singles, while three of Dalley's last five scoring shots were all boundaries.
The Lansdowne attack was spearheaded by promising medium pacer Choi Jackson who took 4-38 from his 11 overs while Robin James took 2-58 from 22 overs and Dane Buchanan 3-43 from 18 overs.
A hard hitting 33 by Shane Coulson was the feature of Lansdowne's first innings which stood at 92-5 when stumps were drawn.
Coulson found the boundary on six occasions before being adjudged leg before wicket to the bowling of Dodd.
Still together at the end of play were the father-and-combination of Lindsay and Robin James with the former on 2 and the latter on 14
Three of the wickets to fall had been taken by Simon Clinton-Baker.He had 3-31 off eight overs while Dean van Deventer had 1-9 from nine overs and Dodd 1-12 from six overs.
Short scoreboard:-
Rathkeale 183 (Oldfield 5, Clinton-Baker 4 Bracewell 0, Dodd 39, Price 40, van Deventer 10, Ross 17, Dalley 31, Willetts 2, Lang 2, French 0 not out; James 2-58, Jackson 4-48, Buchanan 3-43) v Lansdowne 92-5 (Hannam 6, Goldsworthy 15, Miller 13, Coulson 33, Bunny 0, R.James 14 not out, L.James 2 not out; van Deventer 1-9, Clinton-Baker 3-31, Dodd 1-12).
Greytown looked well on the way to an outright win at the end of the first day's play with Red Star at Rathkeale College.
Red Star batted first and apart from Daniel Stoneley (31) there was little to enthuse over.
They were all out for 136 with Seth Rance and Willie Tatham snaring three wickets apiece for Greytown.
A well-compiled 89 by Josh Doherty was the main catalyst to Greytown reaching 230-7 by stumps, Willie Thomson and Carwyn Caffell both taking two wickets for Stars.
Short scoreboard:-
Red Star 136 (D.Stoneley 36; S.Rance 3-33, W.Tatham 3-11) v Greytown 230-7 (J.Doherty 89 not out, Tatham 25, Rance 30; Thomson 2-20, Caffell 2-57).
Wairarapa College had the edge on Academy in their Bidwell Cup game although an outright win to either side is still a distinct possibility.
Once again it was Jamie Perkin who top scored as Academy was all out for just 120 and thanks to a 41 by Sam Monaghan Wairarapa College had established a 17-run lead with three wickets still standing.
Short scoreboard:-
Academy 120 (Perkin 23, Young 20; Jones 3-20, Stone 3-20, Anderson 2-22) v Wairarapa College 137-7 ( Monaghan 41, Stone 26, Keen 22; Lewis 2-39, Young 2-30.).