SUNDAY 16TH AUGUST
PCA Masters’ XI 230
Shireshead & Forton 149
Professional cricketers lit up Shireshead’s
centenary celebrations at Clifton Park on Sunday. Batting first the
PCA knew they were in a contest when former Yorkshire batsman, Ashley Metcalfe
played defensively at the first ball of the match bowled by Phil Savage. It
nipped back and hit middle stump and Savage ran down the wicket in celebration
that came close to a repeat when the next ball beat Stuart Law all ends up,
narrowly evading the outside edge of a man who has scored more than a 
hundred centuries in professional
cricket. Matthew Wood (11) hit two boundaries, but was bowled by Dave Jack’s
leg cutter. The former Yorkshire player, now professional for Honley in the
Huddersfield League, reflected later that he had been the victim of high quality
bowling.
With Law being dropped at backward square and Dominic Ostler (5) caught by Paul Yates from the bowling of Savage (3/42), the PCA were in trouble at 25 for 3 after seven overs. Law was joined by Phil DeFreitas and the two former Lancashire players, who now play together for Papplewick in the Nottinghamshire Premier League, added 44 in 8 overs. Law played some of his trademark on drives that have thrilled spectators at grounds throughout the world. His innings came to an end when he hit the ball in the air through backward point and Tom Jacques took a leaping one handed catch to give Savage his third wicket. DeFreitas (24) , after taking nine balls to get off the mark, was striking the ball well and hit four 4s and a 6, before he drilled Alan Moulsdale’s first ball to Jack at extra cover. This left the Masters 76 for 5 in the 17th over. Two current county players, James Middlebrook (34) and Carl Crowe (88) rebuilt the innings adding 87 in just 13 overs. Leicestershire’s Crowe faced just 68 balls hitting ten 4s and three 6s as the houses across the road from the ground were threatened. As well as his straight hitting he demonstrated the art of the reverse sweep from both the spinners and the quicker bowlers before falling to the returning Jack (2/48), Colin Twiname taking the catch. Ismail Dawood was caught first ball by Tim Mansfield from the bowling of Tom Jacques (2/43) before Paul Prichard (11) and Kevin Dean (10) were both bowled by Paul Yates (2/10).
With DeFreitas (2/15) and Dean (0/27) hooping the ball around, batting was not easy for the home side. Twiname (3) was lbw to DeFreitas and former Yorkshire wicketkeeper, Dawood, showed his class stumping Tom Jacques (18) from the bowling of the former England man. By now Robert Jacques was in situ and starting to play the best innings of his life. With the professionals keen to dismiss the home batsmen as quickly as possible the bowlers were serving no easy pickings. To the admiration of the crowd, Jacques drove and cut powerfully. He showed his intentions early in his innings by dancing down the wicket to Dean, who was the leading English wicket taker in 2002, and hitting the bowler back over his head. It was one of seven 4s and he also hit off spinners Crowe and Middlebrook for big sixes. He had made 62 from just 69 balls when he was caught by Dawood from the bowling of Darren Cousins (2/21). He had added 52 in 12 overs with Robbie Charles (14). Shireshead then collapsed from 108/3 to 108/8 as Middlebrook (3/16) took three wickets in four balls. Mansfield hit six boundaries in making 29 not out from 19 balls and Savage rounded off a memorable day by striking a six over midwicket from the leg spin of Law, whose wickets in international cricket for Australia have included Atherton, Jayasuriya and Dravid. Metcalfe (1/17) whose dismissal had begun the day’s proceedings finished the game by bowling Moulsdale with three overs left.
The Shireshead club wishes to thank all those who made such a memorable day possible. The list of people is too long for us to name everyone, but particular thanks are due to the sponsors, the Shireshead committee and the PCA for playing the game competitively and in good spirit.
