4/5 July

Shireshead & Forton  167/6dec  Heysham  107/3 rsp

Once again rain conspired to disrupt what may have been a compelling game on Saturday.   After Reg Cupit (1/39) removed Tom Jacques (0), Colin Twiname (43) and Paul Yates (12) took the score to 43 before Yates fell to Joe Toulmin (2/52).  The middle order all contributed, with Rob Jacques (28) in particular batting well, Mike Armstrong (19) and Phil Oliver (11) leading to Shireshead being in a strong position in the middle of the 40^th over when the heavens opened.  Special mention should be made of Rob Charles’ innings.  The young left-hander made a skilful 31 not out from only 23 balls and may have been denied a maiden first team fifty by the weather.

Shireshead’s supersopper meant the game could restart with Heysham being set 168 in 30 overs.  Cupit (29) and James Whincup (40) added 56 in 14 overs, before Cupit was trapped lbw by Mike Park.  The tall medium pacer bowled beautifully to take 3/15 from 9 overs as the game petered out.

Shireshead & Forton  170/8  Warton  142

Shireshead beat Warton by 28 runs on Sunday to reach the final of the Division One Cup for the second time in three years.   Batting first on the pacy Warton pitch, Colin Twiname and Tom Jacques (17) added 40 in 8 overs, before Graham Crowther (1/24) had Jacques caught at square leg.  Twiname then took control as wickets fell at the other end making a superb 63 from 68 balls which included 11 boundaries.  It was a surprise when he holed out to the long off boundary off James Rafferty (4/20).  Rafferty, struggling with an injury bowled sharp off spin and was the pick of the home side’s bowling.   Paul Yates (24 not out) with support from Mike Park (13) ensured that 58 were scored from the final ten overs to set Warton a challenging target.

As ever it was Tony Barrow (11) that supplied the early aggression as 26 were scored from 4 overs, before Oliver (1/32) induced an edge to keeper, Tim Mansfield.  Phil Savage (3/30) followed this up with wickets in three successive overs – Ricky Nelson (0) well caught by Oliver at second slip, Simon Gould (0) bowled through the gate, and Rafferty (1) bowled by one that nipped back.  At 51/4 the next wicket was crucial and Park (2/23), maintaining his recent good form, bowled the perfect off cutter which bent back the middle stump of Phil Bovis (31).  Crowther battled hard but, with Jacques (3/19) bowling a masterful line and length, and David Jack (1/31) bowling fast and straight, he received little support, as Rob Charles took a brilliant low catch to remove Rory Batson (3).  Although Danny Dixon (9) and Matthew Poole (8) showed glimpses of their talent everything depended on last man Brendan Heaven (5 not out) and Crowther.  The pair added 25 in 4 overs to keep last season’s beaten finalists in the hunt until, with 29 needed from 17 balls, Crowther went for a big hit, but could only find the outstretched hands of Yates who took a good low catch in the deep.  Crowther had made 43 from 45 balls.

Shireshead will play Burneside or Westgate in the final at Milnthorpe Cricket ground on Sunday 9th August.

Shireshead 2nd XI 92 Trimpell 93/6

Another awful batting collapse by Shireshead on Saturday, gave second placed Trimpell the points in a rain reduced match.  Having lost the toss, the visitors were asked to bat on a damp wicket with considerable bounce.  The opening attack of Steve Benniston (3/27) and S McClements (1/18) dismissed the top three for just six runs.  A fourth wicket stand by Sam Hilton (17) and improving batsman Jack Dodd (22) ended with score on 34 as L.Benniston (3/18) bowled Hilton.

The next three batsmen failed to reach double figures and at 48 for 7 the match was heading for an early finish.  Joy Arun (26) played aggressively including three big sixes and shared an eighth wicket partnership of 33 with Jack Dodd.  The introduction of Peter McDermid (2/7) finished the visitors innings in the 35 over for a miserable 92.

During the tea interval heavy rain threatened to finish the game and save the Clifton Park men for the second week running.  After a period of soaking up the standing water, the game contiuned at 6.20pm leaving Trimpell nineteen overs to win the match.

Andy Hill (33) started aggressively dispatching Malcolm Taylor (3/44) for two sixes in the opening over. Two quick wickets including a bizarre run out of M.Baldwin (8) gave Shireshead hope, as 41 were needed off the last eight overs. Alan Moulsdale (2/47) removed L.Beniston (0) but skipper Steve Pemberton (16 no) and Steve Beniston (7 no) saw the home side to victory with seventeen balls to spare. 

Trimpell A 133-9 Shireshead 3 dnb

After a mostly hot week, the teams looked forward to a challenging match in good cricket weather.  Indeed it was at the start.  After an initial flurry of runs, Shireshead pinned down the Trimpell batsmen, so much so that at the half-way point of the innings the score was only 50 and 5 wickets had been lost.  The spearhead of the Shireshead attack, Graham Rand, took 4-19 in his 12 overs, but he was ably assisted by Peter Dodd (0-14 off 5) and Alex Taylor (2-20 off 10).   Furthermore, Shireshead for once took their catches, with Rand and Taylor each taking a steepler and John Coates taking two at silly mid-on.  It was then Trimpell’s turn to take the attack to Shireshead, almost solely by Craig Scotson (61 not out), though the Shireshead team were pleased to see a return to form of Mike Bailey (2-25) who, after two wickets in two balls, was looking for a repeat of last year’s hat-trick against this opposition.  Very frustratingly, after 43 overs the heavens opened, and a flooded pitch meant an end to the game.