FRANK & NEIL KINGS IN DRAW

28/07/03: The OLCC extended their unbeaten run to five matches as Geoff Samuels posted his best ever score for the club.

Samuels made 47 as the OLs made 169 for six to earn a draw having seen Kingsclere declare on 204 for eight, Will Green making a fine unbeaten 101.

The OLCC had earlier made a fine start to the afternoon as guest player Neil Smith quickly settled into a fine spell and grabbed three wickets, two of them caught behind by Tom Gillmor. And with James Craig, Samuels and Richard Newell Price all getting in on the act the hosts were soon in trouble at 73 for six.

But Green turned the innings around and added 89 for the seventh wicket with Browning before the latter was dismissed by Craig for 30, Peter Straw claiming his first catch for the club. Green then went on to complete his century and guide Kingsclere past 200 before Randall was run out by a Newell Price/Craig combination to precipitate the declaration.

The OLCC reply began inauspiciously as openers John Acland-Hood (2) and Andrew Moss (3) were both back in the pavilion with the score on six, the former caught at short leg and the latter bowled by Thorne.

Skipper Gillmor then added a typically flourishing 13 before holing out to mid-off and Ed Sugden produced a couple of lusty blows to make eight before his departure left the visitors wavering on 47 for four.

But David Pollard, playing his first game of the season, led the recovery with a finely-crafted 28 that came to an end when he was bowled with the score on 78, having put on 31 with Samuels.

Now joined by Newell Price in a stand of 59, Samuels kept up the pace and soon passed his previous highest score of 38* and looked set for a maiden half-century before being bowled for 47 attempting to strike a seventh boundary.

Newell Price then raced up to 45 not out as he and Straw (3*) saw out the last few overs to ensure a third draw of the season.

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