27th June

Shireshead & Forton  201/2 dec.  Silverdale  187/9 rsp

Cricket supporters who ventured to the beautiful Cove Road ground on Saturday were treated to a feast of batsmanship of the highest order.  On a true wicket that offered early movement, Colin Twiname (56) and Tom Jacques bedded in with Jacques announcing his intentions with four boundaries from Liam Moffatt’s fourth over.  With the outfield lightening quick and sultry temperatures there was no hiding place for bowlers or fielders.  Jacques was the first to his fifty (66 balls) followed soon by Twiname (80 balls), and then put his foot firmly on the accelerator.  He was not distracted by Paul Moffatt (1/47) bowling Twiname after the pair had added 155 in 31 overs.  Phil Oliver made a breezy 11, before captain Paul Yates (8 not out) joined Jacques, as the young batsman reached his maiden century for Shireshead’s first team.  It was a brilliant innings that included 16 fours and a 6, his second fifty requiring only 44 balls.  He had just reached his hundred when the heavens opened.  Shireshead’s 201 for 2 had taken 38 overs, and Yates declared, initially hoping that the game could resume as a 38 overs match,  meaning that, from a points perspective, it would not be rain affected. 

Unfortunately the rain returned and, when finally retreated with the tide, Silverdale were left 32 overs for the chase.  Silverdale’s exceptional young batsman, Chris Williams, took up from where Jacques had left off, driving and cutting the ball with aplomb.  Phil Savage (2/34) removed Kieran Moffatt (12) and Dave Jack (4/56) bowled Jonny Mason (1), but Silverdale reached 70/2 from 10 overs, with Williams bringing up his fifty from 43 balls.  Savage removed Mark Webster (8), but Williams received good support from Phil Mason (21) as the pair added 47 in 9 overs, before Mason fell caught and bowled by Tom Jacques (1/55).  Jacob McManus (25), who has recently been scoring heavily in Silverdale’s second team, dominated a stand of 34 in 6 overs.  Silverdale needed 41 from 7 overs with six wickets left when Jack was reintroduced to the attack.  His second ball was chipped over midwicket by McManus only for Tom Jacques to take an astonishing diving catch after the ball appeared to have gone over his head.   Four balls later, Jack bowled Brendan Rich (0), and when in the next over, Phil Oliver (2/33) trapped Dave McManus (0) and Paul Moffatt (0) lbw with successive balls, four wickets had fallen for three runs in nine balls.  Chris Williams was still there and with Liam Moffatt (12 not out) smiting a six over extra cover the game was still alive, although Silverdale’s task of 23 from three overs was difficult.  Six had come from the first five balls of the 30^th over when Williams tried to hit Jack for six.  The shot was not quite powerful enough and Laurence Singh took the catch as calmly as if it had been prematch catching practice.   Williams had made 98 from 90 balls (twelve 4s and a 6) and had narrowly missed not just his hundred, but taking Silverdale to a breathtaking victory.   With two overs at the final pair, the field came in, but Moffatt and Hargreaves stood firm meaning both sides went home with six points, but content that they had played in a great game of cricket.

Sedgwick (6) 214 for 7 Shireshead (6) 64 for 7...Rain Draw

The term "get out of jail" was apposite at Clifton Park on Saturday, as the home side were saved by the ever changing weather conditions.

Batting first on a bone dry track the visitors struggled to cope with the Shireshead opening attack, and lost Simon Dazell (4) in the fourth over to Joy Arun (1/18).A second wicket stand of 71 from IanWilson (11) and, main contributor, Adam Hornby (77) gave Sedgwick the base for a big total. Skipper Adam Hornby was very destructive in his innings which included 11 fours and 3 sixes, but rode his luck against Rahul Sabharwal (1/67) with countless edges and defeats outside off stump.

Alan Moulsdale (1/51) bowled Wilson and stemmed the run flow as only 26 were scored off his first eleven overs. An attempted quick single and mix up  saw Nick Dalzell (5) sacrifice his wicket to keep his skipper at the crease.Malcolm Taylor (3/69), who took the brunt of Adam Hornby's hitting, finally got his man to a fine catch from Graham Swindlehurst, and then removed Mike Bracken (10) putting the home side back in the match.

However, a sixth wicket stand of 82 from Simon Willacy (45) and Jason Dalzell (41) took the visitors past 200, enabling them to set an imposing target

Once again the home side started very poorly and at 37 for 4 the Sedgwick score looked light years away.The young opening attack of the pacy Matthews (3/21), and Miller (2/17) virtually finished any ambitions of overhauling the Sedgwick total.Graham Swindlehurst (22) battled defiantly until he edged one outside off stump to Bracken off Matthews.

With the clouds moving in and darkening Simon Moulson(3 n/o) and Rahul Sabharwal (4) dug in sensing a reprieve.The first rain interruption in the twelfth over reduced the home side innings to 37 overs taking away the differential draw.Upon resumption veteran slow left arm Simon Willacy (2/1) removed Rahul, and as the rain returned Malcolm Taylor (12).This second interruption finished the game with the sides taking an even share of twelve points. 

Ambleside A 185-5 Shireshead 3rd XI  174-9

On a very hot and muggy afternoon at Ambleside, the home team won the toss and chose to bat.  The firm, dry wicket and fast outfield were a batsman’s delight, and Shireshead stuck to the task of restricting the scoring tenaciously until the final third of the innings.  The most impressive of Shireshead’s bowlers was Alex Bantleman, with 3-36 off his 12 overs.  The main contributions to Ambleside’s challenging185-5 came from Peter Dodd (43) and Justin Dean (59).

Shireshead started very impressively and when the 100 came up without any wickets lost in the 20th over, a win was very much on the cards.  But the departure of Geoff Hornby (26) and Simeon Glen (60) saw a mini-collapse, leaving the lower order too much to do.  Tony Richmond (19) scored some quick runs, and Alex Bantleman (9 n.o.) batted very effectively, but the team ended up 12 runs short, despite the contribution of over 30 extras.  John Dodd bowled well and took 6-47.