Ashley vs Runcorn CC

Date: 5th July 2008

Venue: Ashley CC

Toss won by: Ashley

Batted First: Ashley

Match Report

 

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The covers were peeled back under heavy skies to reveal a Twiney special, and Ashley skipper Ian Barber had little hesitation in winning the toss and electing to bat against struggling Runcorn. With a new opening combination of Craig Knight and Dave Baythorpe, Ashley started well with Knight scoring well in his customary areas and Baythorpe hitting over the infield with confidence. The partnership was broken with the score on 56 when Baythorpe got a leading edge off Hill to bring an in-form Liam O’Doherty to the crease. However it was three weeks since he last batted and he misjudged his first ball badly offering no shot to one that nipped back and he was sent packing back to the shed where he told anyone who would listen that it was never going to hit in a million years,,,,,,, for the rest of the afternoon. Craig Knight survived an unfounded appeal for caught behind but a valid yet bizarre run out chance on the same ball but from thereon moved the smoothly through the gears to make them pay for the life. Paul Leach made 23 before falling to Scowcroft LBW, to bring Dave Deans to the crease who had spent the previous ten minutes on the bench telling everyone that he was not going to be tempted by the alluring variation of Scowcroft. Fast forward to him sat on the bench head in hands one ball later having lifted the same bowler to long off who had been set there “cos this lad got out there in the first game, lets see if he’s stupid enough to do it again? He was. All the while Craig Knight continued to crash it around the Railway Field with aplomb until when on 93 and a debut Ashley century within his grasp he was bowled by Foster in a tired looking shot. Seamus Sons and Ross McKinstry pushed on as Ashley closed on 190-5 when in all honesty it should have been 220 declared after 42 but momentum had twice been lost in the innings to those glorious first ballers.

 

Runcorn were behind the eight ball from the start with the skipper getting the breakthrough trapping Booth in front. Ollerenshaw, a constant irritation for all participants throughout the match continued his moaning and groaning all the way back to the shed when Wilson snaffled a regulation chance off the glove from Dave Woods.  Weston survived a rare Sons drop on the edge off Deans to score 45 before Alves had his man clean bowled playing back, but not before a rejuvenated   Woods had Yates taken at the wicket. With Cahill at the crease continuing his good form from the first game with some powerful and clean hitting off all the bowlers the game was most certainly within the visitors reach. He smashed a fine 51 and the game was finely balanced when in a cracking piece of ground fielding by Paul Leach saw the batter six inches short to a direct hit. Runcorn were then caught between two stools with the win still an outside chance but they batted well to pick up their maximum batting points. Ashley picked up a couple of late wickets to reduce Runcorn to 168-8 at the close.

 

This was a much improved performance from Ashley in both disciplines and ofcouse it was a treat to get the chance to bowl our full allocation of overs after the heavy defeats in the last 2 games. Craig Knight’s super knock of 93 was obviously a highlight but was frustrating for all concerned that he didn’t quite get over the line for the landmark that his fine knock deserved. A draw was probably a fair result in the end with both Ashley and Runcorn lacking the penetration to rip through a side on such a good pitch. Thanks are due to Dave Twiney for producing another belter. Next up, Ashley must pack their flasks and butties for the long trip to Malpas.

FIRST INNINGS

 

Batting

 

Batter

How Out

Bowler

Runs

1.

C. Knight

Bowled

Foster

93

2.

D. Baythorpe

Ct. Scowcroft

Hill

27

3.

L. O’ Doherty

LBW

Hill

0

4.

P. Leach

LBW

Scowcroft

23

5.

D. Deans

Ct. Linden

Scowcroft

0

6.

S. Sons

Not

Out

27

7.

R. McKinstry

Not

Out

14

8.

D. Woods

 

 

 

9.

D. Alves

 

 

 

10.

I. Barber

 

 

 

11.

M. Wilson

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extras

6

 

 

 

Total

190-5

 

BOWLING

Name

O

M

R

W

S. Ollerenshaw

14

1

51

0

J. Hill

13

4

47

2

A. Scowcroft

9

0

55

2

S. Foster

9

0

37

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SECOND INNINGS

 

Batting

 

Batter

How Out

Bowler

Runs

1.

A. Booth

LBW

Barber

4

2.

S. Ollerenshaw

Ct. Wilson

Woods

15

3.

J. Weston

Bowled

Alves

45

4.

R. Yates

Ct. Wilson

Woods

1

5.

M. Cahill

Run

Out

51

6.

I. Williams

Ct. Knight

Alves

0

7.

S. Foster

Bowled

Deans

23

8.

C. Linden

Ct. Deans

Alves

10

9.

A. Scowcroft

Not

Out

10

10.

J. Hill

Not

Out

1

11.

J. Whitfield

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extras

6

 

 

 

Total

168-6

 

BOWLING

Name

O

M

R

W

I. Barber

17

4

47

1

D. Woods

10

2

30

2

D. Deans

6

1

29

1

D. Alves

12

0

61

3

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Result: Ashley (16pts) drew with Runcorn (8pts)