A GUTSY effort from the Fordham batting line-up helped them to salvage a draw from a tough encounter with Godmanchester Town at the weekend.

A GUTSY effort from the Fordham batting line-up helped them to salvage a draw from a tough encounter with Godmanchester Town at the weekend.

Though Fordham have largely struggled for runs this season they showed real determination to hold out against a baying Godmanchester side who came within a whisker of victory.

Though the draw keeps Fordham marooned in the bottom two of Tucker Gardner Division One, it brings them closer to fellow strugglers Ramsey who are now just 61 points ahead of them.

After Godmanchester elected to bat first, Clinton Cornwell snagged a wicket in the second over for Fordham to raise hopes of a swift dismissal. The visitors responded with venom however, and they scored at seven-runs-per-over for the next 10 overs to reassert control.

As the innings progressed, county batsmen Michael Cafferkey started to come into his own, notching 55 while the hard-hitting Paul Swannell made 74. Godmanchester finished on 289-8 declared from 46 overs, leaving Fordham a herculean task to get back into the match.

With an imposing 50 overs of batting ahead of them, wickets in hand would be vital for Fordham but they were powerless to stop the stumps tumbling as Godmanchester struck early.

Gavin Harding hit 22 in a bid to right Fordham’s innings and a useful partnership of 65 from Darren (53) and Reece (13) Theobold gave them some hope as the innings progressed.

Lower order pair Graham Arnold and Cornwell batted gallantly late on to frustrate the visitors and at the close of play Fordham managed 144-8 to secure the draw.