1 August 2009
Arnside 208/9 Shireshead & Forton 209/7
Invited to bat first on a wet pitch, Arnside lost Olly Hogg (10) to Dave Jack. The opener lost his middle stump having survived a close appeal for lbw the previous ball. Nobby Lee replaced Hogg and was given out caught behind having scored four, but was reprieved when the Shireshead captain sportingly rescinded the appeal. Gifted two further lives, Lee hit 80 from 117 balls finding good support from Mike Shepherd (33) in a stand of 84 in 20 overs. Adam Richardson was feeling unwell so his arrival at the crease was delayed until the fall of the fourth wicket in the 31st over. He quickly made up for lost time and threatened to convert a strong position into an unassailable one for the home side. He hit 44 from 29 balls, including three 6s and four 4s as 62 was added in 6 overs. At 175/4 at the start of the 39th over, with Lee and Richardson at the wicket, Arnside must have aspired to a total in excess of 250. The excellent Jack had other ideas. Having taken 2/25 in his first seven over spell the nineteen year old fast bowler had taken wickets in the first two wickets of his return only to bear the brunt of Richardson’s assault. He kept his head and bowled a ripper that left the Arnside man’s off stump bent back. With that wicket the game changed as Jack picked up two more wickets to return the best figures of his first team career of 7 for 75 from 14 overs. Tom Jacques (2/35) finally removed Lee as the final seven overs realised 33 runs.
Colin Twiname (19) and Tom Jacques (34) gave Shireshead a positive start, adding 37 before Twiname was bowled by Ian Bullough (1/53) in the seventh over. Phil Oliver hit 24 from 21 balls to take the visitors to 70 in the 14th over, and ahead of the rate, before being caught behind off Chris Howsley (3/74) who swung the ball throughout his 18 overs. When Tom Jacques (34) was lbw to Howsley it brought together the two most promising batsmen in the Shireshead club. 124 were needed from 27 overs, and Robbie Jacques (54) and Rob Charles (45) stood up to the plate adding 76 in just 13 overs with some wonderful strokeplay. Jacques’ second fifty for the first team was scored at faster than a run a ball, hitting seven 4s and three 6s, whilst Charles in his highest first team score faced 57 balls hitting seven 4s. Paul Yates (20) and Michael Armstrong (4) brought the scores level with three overs left. Both fell and it needed a Tim Mansfield smear to mid on and a dropped catch to complete the victory with five balls remaining. Lee had completed a good all-round game with 3/24 from eight overs.
The 2nd team game was abandoned due to the weather.
Arnside A 170 Shireshead 3rd 140 for7 CLICK FOR PHOTOS
Shireshead won the toss and put Arnside in on a sticky, damp wicket. After the loss of the first wicket for 4, skipper Eddie Hart, partnered by Darren Barber, took off with fine shots all round and snatched two runs for every misfield. Barber reached his 50 first in 71 minutes off 68 balls and they had just notched up their 100 partnership when David Riley held on to a low catch off the bowling of Matthew Liptrott (2/42) and Barber was out for 66 when the score was 109. Chris Hogg followed him back to the pavilion a ball later and Liptrott was denied his hat-trick by Matt Smith (19) who provided a good back-up to Hart’s pursuance of another big score. When the score was 149, Hart was eventually run out for 60. After the dismissal of M. Smith, who was caught behind off Mike Bailey, there were three run-outs and a mere 11 added to the score.
170 looked a formidable target and Shireshead who had hoped for a drier track by batting second, found it hard to put the balls away. Openers Simon Harrison (27) and Geoff Hornby (13) were restricted by the tight bowling of Dan Smith (1/32) and young David Hayward (2/27) and both wickets were claimed by Barber (2/29). Runs were gradually accrued with some fine shots by Liptrott (12) and Riley (22), and good running between the wickets by these and skipper Tony Richmond (30no) with Oliver Yates (6) moved the score on. There was rejoicing when Shireshead gained their first bonus point and they gratefully settled for 3 points at the end.