This article comes in audio format. To listen, just click on the play icon below.
First Eleven
We were at home, The Billy Bob’s Ice Cream Parlour ground, entertaining league leaders Walton Park. It was obvious early doors that they were going to take some beating! Their manner and keenness were plain to see.
They won the toss and elected to bat first. Runs came quickly and after ten overs they were 51 for 2. They had an overseas player playing for them and he quickly made his mark. When he was sixth out for 93 (7 fours and 6 sixes) the score stood at 192 after 35 overs. We seemed to perk up with the bowling and claimed the last four wickets for the addition of 28 runs. Sam Arkwright claimed 4 for 35 with Haroon Ali, Mo Saghir and Jack Kitching taking two wickets apiece.
We were immediately on the backfoot as Mo perished second ball without troubling the scorers. Wickets continued to fall and we were 57 for 7 in the 20th over. Suddenly we seemed to realise that if we were not going to win, we needed batting bonus points. Ben Keane and Hammaad Hussain dug in and we crept closer to a first batting point. The pair reached their target in the 30th over, and pushed on to 108 when Ben was out for 22. Hammaad was next to go at 114 for a well hit 28. The question then was could the last pair secure a second bonus point by reaching 125. Sadly, it wasn’t to be as we were all out for 119.
Our lads were quick to acknowledge that they are the best team we have played this season and would deserve to go up as champions.
We drop to tenth in the league and are 42 points clear of a relegation spot with five games to play. The hard games keep coming as second placed Ben Rhydding visit Shires Lane next week.
Second Eleven
The 2nd XI enjoyed a stunning ten wicket victory on their travels to Ripley 2nds. They won the toss and elected to bat. We had three batters back in the pavilion in quick time. Then batsmen three, four and five held is up for a while, before we had a go at the tail which fell away easily, and they were all out for 133 in the 32nd over. Their total included 19 extras of which 11 were wides. Evergreen Scott Robinson added another four wickets to his impressive career total, this time for 31 runs. Maaz Nayyar claimed 3 for 31, Ben Jolly 2 for 30 and Caspar Bean 1 for 34.
Our reply was also spread over 32 overs. Caspar Made 59 not our and Gareth Wooler 55 not out to go with 23 extras which included twelve no-balls.
We move up to fourth spot in the table. We face a tricky game next week when we travel to Blubberhouses 2nds.
Match ball sponsors for the games are Margaret and Colin Holt and The Duke of Devonshire.
Trevor Coe – ECC Chairman
