The weekend was one of despair for the 1st XI.
On Saturday they travelled to Haworth and posted a respectable 179 with Sam Arkwright top scoring with 41 and Joe Holt making 40. The Bronte side made very light work of this, storming to a 7 wicket victory in only 25 overs. James Roper blasted 69 (8×4 5×6) and Jamie Rowell 49 (7×4 2×6). 14-year-old Hammad Hussain in the wickets again taking all 3 for 39. The other bowler’s figures do not make pretty reading.
On Sunday we entertained Barrowford in the Wynn Cup. Put into bat we scored 167 with Joe Holt making 62. Most of the other batsmen made a start but couldn’t go on to make a reasonable score. They were cruising to victory at 163-3 (shades of yesterday) when mayhem erupted as they lost 5 wickets for 1 run. At 164-8 could the “impossible” happen? Sadly, it was not to be as their skipper crashed the ball for 4 to leave us wondering why we didn’t reach 180 with the start we had. Sam Arkwright finished with 4-35 after his first two overs had gone for 26. Scott Robinson playing only his second game in two years finished with 1-13 off 8 overs with six of them being maidens. Jack Kitching was nearly as miserly bowling ten overs for just 19 runs. For them, Shuja Rashid, 92, and A. Iqbal,38, put on 100 for the 2nd wicket which took the game away from us until that manic finish.
On Saturday the 2ndXI entertained Haworth XI in what could be described as a niggly game – enough said about that. We lost the toss and were asked to go first, and rattled up 199-4 in our 40 overs. Jonny Coward 56 and Josh Robinson putting on 94 for the 3rd wicket. Earlier Duncan Ratcliffe had made 28. The Bronte side were reduced to 24-7 before Darren Ellerton 51no and skipper Stuart Jackson 27 put on 68 for the eighth wicket. Soon after the latter was out the innings closed on 110. Scott Robinson took 3-10, !4-year-old Adam Harding 3-14, Stephen Speak 2-9 and Jonny Coward 2-10. We retain the top spot in Division 3.
Sadly, the junior teams have been affected by the weather and covid – both home and away players – so virtually no junior cricket had been played during the week.
Next week the 1stXI entertain Haworth Road in a match sponsored by Lettie and Brendan Keane and Primeur Ltd. The 2ndXI travel to Denholme 2ndXI.
On Sunday the 2nd XI entertains Bradley 2ndXI in the quarter final of the Cowling Cup.
Trevor Coe
