STOCKSFIELD captain Dan Whiley described his side’s narrow victory over Bates Cottages as a rollercoaster of emotions.

Looking firmly in control as he and Matt Bewick, recalled to the first team, put on a good partnership, a batting collapse saw the team crash all out for 129 from 102-2.

Some good bowling, however, meant they were able to defend the total by a margin of just six runs, but it didn’t come without a number of scares along the way.

Whiley won the toss and elected to bat first on a dry wicket, but they encountered a shaky start as they lost Luke Doneathy in the third over and Ben Archer soon after.

But the skipper and the returning Bewick rebuilt the innings, and stuck around for the next 30 overs or so as they pushed the score beyond 100.

They were both steady as they put on a pairing of 81 runs, Whiley hitting eight fours and a six and Bewick reaching the boundary on two occasions. But the latter’s dismissal brought about a rapid fall of the innings, Paul Merryweather taking seven quick wickets to leave Stocksfield in trouble.

Bewick went first with Whiley following, with in-form Sam Beedle and Tris Douglas then both caught at mid-on going for the full toss.

Andrew Wood missed a straight one with his second delivery faced, while Steven Henderson left one and his bails went flying.

Ryan Chamberlain and James Tolchard showed some resistance towards the end, but Tolchard became Merryweather’s seventh victim when he was caught at cover.

Kevin Golightly rounded off a poor afternoon at the crease for Stocksfield when he tempted Aaron Rourke with a full toss, the teenager going for the boundary but caught by Joe Mavin.

Despite the disappointing innings, Stocksfield went into the field full of positivity and were thankful for some great deliveries from Tolchard, who kept finding the breakthrough whenever Bates gained momentum.

Opener Martin Golightly was caught by Whiley and Martyn Elliott by Rourke, while Mavin was lbw for a duck to leave the hosts on 44-3.

Bates opener, captain Gavin Turnbull, kept chipping away and moving the score on as Doneathy and Tolchard were replaced by Wood and Chamberlain.

And both struck with two wickets at important times, Wood accounting for Stuart Elliott and Matthew Carr with Chamberlain following up with the wickets of Merryweather and Kevin Golightly.

As Matthew Hackett pushed Bates past 100, Rourke was brought into the attack and bowled him during a tight spell.

With Turnbull edging Bates to their target, Doneathy and Tolchard were brought back in and they prevented their hosts reaching their goal.

Douglas caught Craig Wood at mid off from a Doneathy delivery, with Tolchard wrapping things up with his fourth wicket as David Cragg was caught by Whiley at short cover.