16th May - Busy weekend brings mixed results
The visit of Harrogate gave Longhurst's side the opportunity to take more points and move further up the league. Having inserted the opposition, the 1st wicket was taken by Ben Garratt after Willow and Longers had softened up the openers. Harrogate batted steadily if unspectacularly, and wickets were hard to come by, the innings finishing on 176-6, Willow and Ben finishing with 2 apiece.
Longers obviously had somewhere to be, because after losing opening partner Asrar, attacked the bowling with venom. He put 154 on for the 2nd wicket with Ben and finished 110*; Ben made 53*, ensuring a 9 wicket win with 17 overs left. Needless to say this put the side in good heart for the difficult matches at Treeton and at home to YCA later that weekend, details to follow....
The Editor
Harrogate 176-6 (Someone 50; WIlson 2-41, Garret 2-34) v
SUCC 177-1 (Longhurst 110*, Garrett 53*; Sharp 1-33)
It seems like miles away, but with Steelo driving, the trip to Warmsworth is only 15 minutes, so a good warm up was had…. Would it pay dividends ?
Well, if we had practiced marking out a run up and wicketkeeper catching, then it might have done. After a couple of early breakthroughs, a partnership of 90-odd gave Warmsworth a good base to attack from in the final few overs. We won't mention the 14 wides or 11 no balls, we won't mention the two dropped catches in one Tom Steel over by the skipper. We will mention his three other catches and two stumpings, and Bob Cummins' outstanding one handed effort at backward point. Some lusty hitting and comedy running by the lower order got Warmsworth up to 215-9. Grant Johnson took the honours with 4-41.
Warmsworth also knew what length to bowl on their square, and were able to do it regularly. A sure but steady start by Bob and Dan gave a platform, but the middle order could not push on, as Harley, Hossell, and Humphreys all got into and out in the 30s. Reece hit the sightscreen with a towering six, but wickets kept falling and it was left to Nazakat and the migraine suffering Luke Shutt to keep Warmsworth at bay. 193-8 means the first bonus point of the season, but a feisty performance from a young side, especially in the face of greater experience. More to come from this side I reckon….
The Cushion
Warmsworth 215-8 (Jamison 52, Marshall 50; Johnson 4-41) v
SUCC 193-8 (Harley 30, Hossell 30, Humphreys 30; Knight 4-54)
The 3rd team match report will be very short. Forgemasters batted first and managed 133-8 in their full 44 over allocation, Chris Gill starring with 5-41, although he did admit that the wicket taking deliveries were not his always his best - still, they all count !
In reply, United did not get to grips the wicket, and batted without discipline or understanding of what was needed and at 30-9, were on the verge of embarrassment. Ollie Law smashed a quick 20 to scrape them past 50, but when Saqib was given out HBW (hip before wicket), the game was lost. Skipper Maltby was unable to give a quote usable for a family website….
The Editor
Forgemasters 133-8 (Bows 49; Gill 5-41) v SUCC 51 ao (Law 20*; Bows 5-24)
Super Dave Holloway's 4th XI had a tiger in their tank after securing another comfortable win away at Forgemasters. Junior debutants Tiger Dalby (24) and Tom Snookes (21) helped set a defendable 133 after showing the parental consent forms to the umpires. In reply some terrific bowling especially from other juniors Omar Arshad (4-9 from only 8 overs) and leg spinner Asad Ali had Forgemasters reeling at 11-6, a brief middle order fight back slowed things down before finally bowling them out for 86 with 14 overs to spare.
An eventful match also saw a Forgemasters opener taken off for stitches after been struck on the head by an Arshad beamer, Jordan Hawkridge plucking a catch out of the air one-handed like Pat Jennings (ask your Granddad), and a bemused Scott Hall bowled by a freakish daisy-cutter, and not to be a out done by son Tom the old war-horse Richard Snookes coming out of semi-retirement to plunder 3-23. A good day all-round with the juniors once again showing their potential.
Andy Brownhill
United 4th XI 133-8 (Hawkridge 26, Dalby 24) v Forgemasters 86-9 (1 retired hurt) ( Arshad 4-9, Snookes 3-23)
9th May - 3 out of 4 ain't bad
A good win at Doncaster Town, where Asrar got his first YL half century and nearly converted it into a century and Longers slapped a quick 60. Followed up by top bowling by Tom Knight and Willow , a complete victory was assured, a full match report will follow shortly.
United 1st XI 224-7 (Qadoos 93, Longhurst 68 v Doncaster Town 212 (Tom Knight 4-52, Adam Wilson 3-51)
The seconds snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against a Tickhill side who had posted a daunting total. The seconds won the toss and elected to bowl, opening up with Tom Steel spraying the ball like Jenson Button with champagne. Tickhill had reached 114 before the first wicket, that of James Kilvington (32), fell to the bowling of a hostile Reece Shutt. The visitors had added only three runs when Shutt struck again to send dangerman Steve Ramshaw's (66) bails flying.
Good middle order contributions from Shaw (25), Doyle (23) and Martin (24) kept the scoreboard ticking for Tickhill until their dismissals by Luke Shutt, Reece Shutt and Tom Steel respectively. Aussie Grant Johnson managed to shake off his frostbite to effect a runout and the rehabbing Nazakat Khan chipped-in with a wicket as the visitors ended on 226-8. United's top performances with the ball came from the brotherly bowlers Reece (3-48) and Luke Shutt (2-52). Despite the coldness of the weather, the performance in the field still left something to be desired.
United got off to a bad start in reply, slumping to 35-4 after the early dismissals of Cummins, Harley, Johnson and Revill. The game was dragged back from the brink as the partnership of Rodgers and Humphreys went to work. The pair had added 111 runs -- an omen perhaps -- before the skipper fell one short of his half-century to the bowling of Ramshaw - jug avoidance duly noted Mr Chaiman... That brought Tom Steel to the crease and with the required runrate still looking a stiff ask, a decision was made by the pair in the middle to cut loose.
By the time Rodgers was finally removed with the score at 201-6, he had amassed an excellent 84 runs from 99 deliveries. Steel (50*) continued scoring heavily and despite the fall of another wicket -- that of Boyden (2) -- United squeaked home with four balls and three wickets to spare. The honour of hitting the winning run went to Reece Shutt who sealed the deal with a single. The 2nds have now won three on the bounce after their opening day defeat against Rotherham Town and an profitable season looks in prospect.
Steelo
Tickhill 226-8 v United 2nd XI 227-7 (Dave Rogers 89, Tom Steel 50*, Andy Humphreys 49)
Maltby's men continue their good start to the season with a solid win over Handwsworth WMC at Bawtry Rd. Invalid Ollie Law starred again with the ball, with 6 victims and Rob Wade saw the side home with a measured 44. Full details to follow.
Handsworth WMC 130 (Ollie Law 6-43 ) v United 3rd XI 132-6 (Wade 44, Gill 20*)
Dave Holloway's efforts on the phone resulted in a 4th X rather than the VIII it looked like at one point during the week, - where did all those players go from winter nets ? A fantastic effort all the same as they ran Tinsley close, before succumbing by five wickets. Again, the youngsters showed the way with Burgin and Hobbs both doing well.
United 4th XI 118 - (Matt Burgin 27*, Hobbs 24* v Forgemasters 119-5 (Hobbs 3-27)