ALL-ROUNDER Geoff Ramsey starred as Farley triumphed by 36 runs in a low-scoring encounter at Pylewell Park.

His 57 was by some distance the biggest knock on a day when just five batsmen made it into double figures.

Farley had opted to bat on a rock-hard track but lost both openers for ducks – Simon Wakeford to a brilliant slip catch off the first ball of the game. They were 28-3 when Ramsey joined Andy Coveney in a stand of 51 which proved pivotal.

Coveney fell for 28 to another outstanding catch and, with the field set deep, Ramsey had to deal mostly in ones and twos. He was eighth man out at 106, and Farley’s innings were all over for 117 in the 33rd over. Carl Brooks (4-8) reaped the rewards for bowling straight after opening pair Kitcher and Woolgar had made the early inroads.

But any thoughts Pylewell may have had of cruising to victory were dispelled in a ferocious initial spell from BJ Cole and Ted Glanvill.

Cole bowled with impressive pace to rattle the home skipper’s timbers, while Glanvill used the bounce to good effect in his most incisive spell of the season.

Pylewell were reduced to 14-3 before Brooks and young wicketkeeper Kennedy staged something of a recovery. They moved the score on to 35 before Ramsey intervened, removing the dangerous Brooks and then claiming a reflex return catch to dismiss Cooper. Cole had now finished his ten overs, claiming 2-15, as the run rate stayed around two per over.

Then, Ramsey removed the dogged Kennedy for 24, and found time to grab a leaping slip chance, before some late swinging from Kitcher caused a few alarms. But Ramsey remained unperturbed, clean bowling the last two to finish with 5-19 as Pylewell were all out for 81 with nine overs left.

Farley’s second team had high-flying Great Durnford on the ropes in the Regional Division 3 North West encounter, but couldn’t deliver the knock-out blow.