16th May

Shireshead & Forton  165/8 dec.  Arnside  68/8
Frequent heavy showers meant that Shireshead and Arnside shared six points each, but much of the cricket was compelling.  Asked to bat first, the home side’s supporters were treated to a partnership of 75 in 17 overs between Tom Jacques (48) and Tom Battarbee (42).  Jacques hit 6 fours and a six in a powerful 57 ball innings, whilst Battarbee caressed and cajoled the ball into spaces hitting 7 fours from 51 balls.  Paul Yates (10), Robbie Charles (18) and Mike Armstrong (21) all kept the score ticking, enabling Yates to declare after 42 overs.

Arnside were set 166 to win in 24 overs, and to their credit they came out playing shots.  The score had reached 25 after 5 overs, with Adrian Lee (14) surviving one chance, before Phil Savage removed Ollie Hogg (12) lbw.  In his next over he had Adam Richardson (4) caught behind and next ball Mike Park took a sprawling catch at second slip to remove Ian Bullough (0).  Hodgson (6) went next and when Lee  shouldered arms and watched in disbelief as his middle stump was removed, half the side were out in 14 overs, all to Savage.   In his next over, Savage bowled Barber (2) only for the umpire to call no ball.  Undeterred, he repeated the trick next ball, and this time the batsman had to go.  Tom Jacques (1/1) removed the obdurate Ben Lenton (12), but Shepherd (2 not out) and Baron (1) held firm, until the penultimate ball of the match when Savage bowled Baron.   Savage had taken career best figures of 7/24 from 12 overs in a superlative spell of medium-fast bowling.

2nd team
Ambleside 109 all out Shireshead 112 for 3On a weekend diluted with heavy showers, the trip to Ambleside seemed an unlikely venue for a completed game of cricket.

The site of the heavy roller on the wicket prior to the start of the game made the toss vital, and having called correctly the visiting captain asked the home side to bat first .

Opening spells from 17 year old Matty Liptrott (2/14) and Matty Cooper (2/32) had last year’s relagatees reeling at 28 for 4.A fifth wicket stand of 49 from Ambleside skipper Hugh Tyson(47) and Blackburn(12) led the fightback. The introduction of Alan Moulsdale dried up the runs and broke the fifth wicket partnership, removing both batsmen with figures of 3/12 from his fourteen overs of inexorable accuracy .Jack Dodd(3/18) was again amongst the wickets as the home side were dismissed for 109 in the 41st over.

The new opening partnership of Graham Swindlehurst (26) and 16 year old Sam Hilton (72 n/o) took the game away from Ambleside as thirty runs were scored off the first three overs. The loss of Swindlehurst with the score on 33 did not phase Hilton, and he continued to dominate the home attack with some lovely stroke play and clean hitting.

It was a perfect debut for the youngster which had earlier included three fine catches during the Ambleside innings. The first win of the season was completed in the 27 over, with six over mid wicket by another debutant Joy Arun(6 n/o).

(Cup)Milnthorpe 149 for 6 Shireshead 98 all outThe trip to Park Road paired the two second teams in the first round of the divisional cup. As on the previous day, skipper Simon Moulson inserted the home side on a wet track with variable bounce. Lord(18) was dropped first ball of the innings to a difficult chance off the bowling of Liptrott(1/20). The young bowler again found a good line and length in testing conditions aided by his opening partner Joy Arun(2/30). At 40 for 4 a missed run out chance gave John Naylor(22) a life and cost the visitors dearly as he went on to support Duncan(21) and veteran Kevin James(33 n/o). Peter Dodd(1/23) bowled with control and took a brilliant one handed catch & bowled chance to dismiss Whitehouse(9).In the final over Postlethwaite(15 n/o) was dropped twice off Moulsdale(0/29), giving the home side a commanding total.

The reply started slowly with Sam Hilton(7) holing out to Wright with the score on 16. A second wicket partnership of 30 from Graham Swindlehurst(16) and Mark Sutcliffe(9) kept the innings on track. A shooter from Wright dismissed Sutcliffe which was the beginning of the end as eight wickets fell for 52 runs.

John Coates(19) put up some resistance but Wright(2/23),Duncan(2/11) and skipper Naylor(4/11 including a hat trick) gave the home side a convincing victory. 

Bentham 174 for 7 Shireshead 3rd 112 for 9

Shireshead won the toss and elected to field.  After the early dismissal of Bentham’s skipper Simon Murphy (4), Tony Atkinson (17) was joined by Matthew Lister and together they put on 45 for the second wicket.  Lister’s next partnership with David Briggs (12) added a further 31, and he continued to hold his end throughout the innings, which was punctuated with brief spells in the clubhouse due to heavy showers.  His fine 75, which capitalised on the short boundaries, included three sixes and seven fours and he was out on the last ball, stumped by skipper Tony Richmond off the bowling of Alex Bantleman. 

In reply, after the departure of the openers for 42 runs, Peter Dodd (26), who had been the most successful of the visiting bowlers, played very sensibly, being content to take runs in singles, finding that the damp outfield prevented the fast scoring of the first innings, until he was tempted to lob a catch into the safe hands of the Bentham skipper, the first victim of Briggs’ three wickets. Briggs (3/24) took wickets alternately with Matt Lister who continued his earlier onslaught against Shireshead, particularly when he returned for a second spell.  His 11 overs included four maidens and three wickets for a mere 12 runs. 

Shireshead’s best partnerships were of 29 for the 2^nd wicket between Geoff Hornby (19) and Dodd and of 24 between David Riley (15) and Richmond (14) for the 6^th.  As the innings drew to an end, Bantleman and Graham Rand held on to force a draw and Bentham had to be content with 10 rather than 15 points.