Ashley vs Mobberley

Date:  26th May 2008

Venue: Ashley

Toss won by: Mobberley

Batted First:

 

Match Ball Sponsor: Mr Kevin Guiney – Newsagent, Hale Road, Altrincham

 

A much-improved performance this Bank Holiday Monday saw Ashley 4ths pick up 7 points as they held off a strong Mobberley side at home. Losing the toss for the first time this season Ashley bowled first and Wardle & Furness bowled accurately and with some hostility as only 15 runs came from the bat. After 20 overs the score had moved onto 57 but the bowlers had yet to take a wicket. Returning for a 2nd spell Wardle had Spilsbury well caught by Smith at point and the 2nd wicket fell soon after when Eadie found the edge for his 1st of the season. Blain held a skier off Birtles and then ran out Baker, more of him later, off the last ball to complete a fine display behind the sticks.

 

Brownhill and Smith opened and were soon dodging the short stuff from Baker who was intent on testing out the middle of the wicket, a policy which ultimately cost his side the chance of victory, coupled with a grunt to rival Anna Sharapova and a follow through longer than Gary Tyms’ at Bollington 10 years ago. The openers added 64 runs, mostly scored in the arc between 3rd man and fine leg as Smith skillfully hooked the ball over his shoulder or guided it over the slips.  A couple of loose shots from the these two off change bowler Patel allowed Mobberley back into the game, his first 3 overs were all wicket maidens and Ashley only managed 5 scoring shots off him all day.

 

M Wardle and Blain then added 46 for the fifth wicket but 2 more wickets fell in quick succession and with 60 need of 10 overs the lower order batted out for a draw. J Wardle showing some courage to handled the returning Baker from the Church End without the benefit of a sight-screen that had copped it in the early morning winds. Baker sensibly changed to the Mobberley End but persisted with his examination of the middle of the pitch, mixed in with grunts, stares, obvious slower balls, long follow throughs and a beamer. Birtles wore a batting helmet for the first time in his career and at times resembled Brian Close playing the Windies in 1976, defying the bodyline attack from Baker with an SS Jumbo bat and various parts of his body. If Baker’s cricket career fails to take off he will surely earn a fortune as a Prince Harry look-alike.

 

FIRST INNINGS

 

Batting

 

Batsman

How Out

Bowler

Runs

1.

Pritchard

Ct Blain

Eadie

70

2.

Spilsbury

Ct Smith

Wardle J

48

3.

Bentley

Ct Blain

Birtles

34

4.

Darr

Not out

 

16

5.

Baker

Run out

 

 5

6.

 

 

 

 

7.

 

 

 

 

8.

 

 

 

 

9.

 

 

 

 

10.

 

 

 

 

11.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extras

16

 

 

 

Total

189

 

BOWLING

Name

O

M

R

W

Wardle J

14

1

67

1

Furness

5

3

8

0

Roberts J

5

1

21

0

Birtles

11

2

27

1

Oldbury

5

1

30

0

Eadie

5

0

34

1

 

 

SECOND INNINGS

 

Batting

 

Batsman

How Out

Bowler

Runs

1.

Brownhill

CtPritchard

Patel

18

2.

Smith

Ct Way

Patel

38

3.

Roberts

Ct Cook

Patel

 0

4.

Howe

Bowled

Knight

 0

5.

Wardle M

Bowled

Way

29

6.

Blain

Ct Edwards

Baker

 4

7.

Wardle J

Not out

 

 9

8.

Furness

Ct Way

Baker

 2

9.

Oldbury

Ct Baker

Patel

 0

10.

Birtles

Not out

 

 2

11.

Eadie

 

 

 

 

 

 

Extras

40

 

 

 

Total

102

 

BOWLING

Name

O

M

R

W

Baker

12

4

36

2

Knight

14

1

56

1

Patel

12

7

8

4

Way

4

0

27

1

Cooke

3

2

4

0

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Result: Draw