A WEAKENED Cowdrey side lost to Nonington at Swanmead in a tightly fought contest in Kent League Division Three – a further setback after suffering two very narrow defeats.
Ryan Addison won the toss and elected to bat but he saw overseas player Sherynl Burns (3 for 28) remove Cowdrey’s top three with a hostile spell of fast bowling.
Minhaj Jalill and Jason Carver went about rebuilding the innings, and then the Sri Lankan all-rounder found another ally with Oscar Holmes to take the total up to 121 for 5.
A score of 200 looked possible but another collapse saw the home side dismissed for 134 with almost 12 overs unused.
Jalill was the last to depart for 48, caught on the boundary trying to add to his tally of two sixes, Harry Mansell picked up 3 for 35 at the end.
It was a below-par effort and Cowdrey knew they had to come out fighting. Thom Brown (2 for 34) duly did so, removing both openers.
As Daniel McHugh settling well, however, spin was introduced at both ends and Jalill (2 for 26) and Ralph Yeats-Brown (3 for 27) caused havoc.
McHugh eventually fell to the latter for 50 with eight boundaries, and at 95 for 7 the door was ajar for an unexpected Cowdrey win.
But the home team saw luck desert them again as Nonington lost no further wickets as they reached 135 for 7 off 37.3 overs, Burns remaining unbeaten on 22.
Cowdrey must now take on the league leaders Harvel at home on Saturday (July 13].
