ROWLEDGE suffered an agonising nine-run defeat in the SPL Division One bottom-of-the-table clash at Tichborne Park.

Henry Don (41 off 30 balls) hit cleanly straight down the ground to give Tichborne a flyer and set the platform for positive batting. Martin Cheyney and Hector Don attacked the spinners while adding 175 for the second wicket. Even so, David Lloyd and Chris Yates returned creditable figures, each taking two wickets

Hector Don, having taken a while to get himself in, chose the aerial route and the ball fell kindly into gaps as he accelerated to 91, while Cheyney advanced to his century.

Rowledge, chasing 271, quickly lost Nick Morant to the spin of Ed Berry. Tom Treble then hit 38 off 35 balls, but the visitors were in trouble at 71-4 after 18 overs, Ian Metcalfe having fallen to a bizarre lbw decision.

Ricky Yates, playing his first Saturday game of the season, and Lloyd then shared an excellent stand of 98, seeing off the accurate Tom Allam and going after overseas spinner Pradeep Gunaratne.

When Yates went for 65 (81 balls), Steve Martin helped Lloyd up the pace. Rowledge eventually required 40 off the last five overs, and it was game on.

Lloyd was in great form and his sweeping, both orthodox and reverse, was proving mightily effective. However, Will Allam returned to dismiss Martin and then Tichborne got the big wicket – Lloyd caught for 92 off 102 balls.

In between those two wickets, Rowledge had only managed six runs off two overs, and with the light fading and up against accurate ‘death’ bowling, the late order could not quite pull it off.

Rowledge entertain Ventnor this Saturday.