A Thread on the joys of village cricket

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Undefeated again mainly because we had no game

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Saturday's venue

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Well was off to Whittle as a captain however the virus has scuppered the game, one first team player tested positive last weekend, so as a club decided to leave players out as a precauton, seconds left with 10 and now two of them have dropped out so down to 8 decided to forfeit c'est la vie

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Good news following our forfeit of yesterday's game the League bless their cotton socks gave us two points, we are on a roll on four points with two other sides

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Venue for the last rites of 2020

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Magnificent footwear mud from 4 weeks ago



Skipper Duffield watches the usual batting collapse



Actually were not doing to bad at this point



Messers Lever and Bruce after a calamatous run out seemed to sum up our batting this season, if you've not guessed we lost, fullk blog when the lazy sods put the scoecard up

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July 2019 we beat BAE Preston to top Division 6 of the Palace Shield it was our last win, as usual our lack of chronic lack of anybody to bat more than 20 overs being the main problem,
We managed only one three figure team score throughtout the season as on Satuday after a good start we folded fairly quickly.
One difference on Saturday was the wicket it was bone dry and hard given the wickets we have played on this season, this was a first.
What wasn't a first was we lost the toss and on a warm afternoon we took the field, against a side (Fylde) who play in the division against us.
We took two fairly early wickets which brought wily campaigner John Marsh and Will Smith who nudged their way to about 70.
Have played against John many seasons ago when enduring a brief spell at Great Eccleston, last time I bowled had him dropped first ball he made 50 plus.
Twenty five years later I get his wicket caught at short mid on.
Winder was next in with Smith they took singles when they could and hit the bad ball for four. We thought we had Winder run out but sportingly changed the decision when it was clear he had not been run out due to the stumper not having the ball in gloves.
Sporting decision cost us a shed load of runs, after the departure of Smith, Hebblethwaite and Winder turned ones into twos and we started to go around the park, the last couple of overs saw Winder sending the ball into outer space he made 78 not out. For us Pollard took 3-25 from 8 overs.

And now to the batting bit, in his first innings next season Tom Gregson will be hoping to avoid a hat trick of first ballers, 0-1, Messers Clayton and Webster both got to double figures and things were looking good, once these two had gone it was the usual quick hello and good bye to those who were bowling at us. McKenzie got 4-20, my magnificent duck was a cue end of the bat over the stumper to Winder at first slip who stuck out his left hand and the ball stuck.
We finished with a run out which summed up the season's batting.
The plus points we played when all looked lost in March and thanks to all those that made it possible.
Back next season hopefully will actually get to watch some games as well.

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It's coming closer

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It begins we start next week

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The first ball of the season from then on in it was a quick procession to be revealed later

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The optimistic talk of promotion at the nets on Friday was rudely interupted by a hammering on the Saturday. Originally we were down to play Vernon Varus IV but Covid rules have meant they wll not be competing this season as clubs are not allowed to play two matches at the same ground on different pitches, somting to do with not having 44 players within coughing distancce of each other, nonsense really.
The fixtures were re arranged we were due to play Penwortham iv away at Bretherton, however we ended up playing them on our own lovely patch of ground.
The Pavillion is in a worst state than usual the paint is peeling off the walls, however we cannot use it until mid June so we all arrived changed and it's bring your own teas.
A quirk of fixtures meant we had no first team game therefore had 5 first teamers in the squad safe to say there were slight murmurings of discontent but with a pool of rich talent to pick from some will be unhappy.
We were going to bat first if we won the toss however we lost the toss and were put in.
A quiet start we were in control for four balls before Mr Minshall was bowled by the fifth, by the time Messers Duffield, Webster M, Clayton,Luxton, Rawcliffe and Webster C were gone we had managed to stagger to the alarming score of 12-7. Yours truly and Mr Richards offered a modicum of resitstance facing 50 balls, Top scored with a magnificent 5 , Mr Richards on 4 not out. To leave us with the almighty total of 23 all out.
Gheewala finished with 6-2 bowled a bit like Waqar Younis early on, late swinging toe crushing yorkers, Consterdine 2-9 had the useful head high beamer followed by a yorker a canny combination. Roebuck 2-6 saw of the last two.
So minutes silence for the Duke of Edinburgh before just under 6 overs later we were leaving teh pitch having lost by 10 wickets

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We go again against Walton le Dale on Saturday

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Another Saturday another defeat, no first teamers in this week, so the fact we were all out for 23 with a stronger batting line up last week meant we had a substantially weaker batting side this week, so win toss bowl was the scenario, we lost the toss and Walton decided to bat.
We ambled out into the field on a warmer day than recently the wind had dropped. We rn out Patel when the score was 10 he should have actually been caught from the same ball but we got the wicket anywhere
We had a couple of lads making debuts Alex Conn bowled a useful spell without taking a wicket moving the ball away from the bat, Bolton went with the score on 54 hitting the first ball from Pollard straight to the skipper at mid off. Harrison soon came and went but a partnership between Preston and Bolton took the visitors to 110 were Bolton was LBW, he wasn't particlarly happy with the decision but had to go
Ex Ingol player Newton joined Preston and the pair of them looked like putting the score to way beyond our limitations, but with 9 overs to go the skipper brought me on.
1st, 33rd and 7th deliveries cleared the boundary although the first six was fingered tipped over the bar by Dave Lever, however the Lever/Mackay partnership got rid of both Preston and Newton, also snaffled Benyon caught behind, whilst at the other end the skipper weighed in with the other three wickets.
Ended up with 3-26 in four overs delivering a vast variety of pies

Batting was it's usual miserable self from 16-0 to 33-7 when I was run out by a direct throw from the boundary(How dare they it's division 6) Lever went 45-8 soon became 46-9 but Clayton and other debutant Beveridge managed to get us up to 89, Clayton ended up with 25 not out and Beveridge made 15. The annoying fact is that after the two young opening bowler Walton's back up bowlers were not as good.

Plus point 3 points takes us off the bottom for the time being, onwards, upwards only

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A deceptive picture looks sunny however the wind was from rhe North Pole

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Nottinghamshire broke their three year drought of no victories in four day cricket on Saturday and after a 22 month drought Wyre 2nd XIs also won, the last time yours truly played a pivotal role in the victory which at the time took us top of Division 6, this latest epic brought not only a career best score but a maiden 50 at the age off 66

We won the toss and bowled Stu Walters making his first appearance of the season took a few overs to settle before getting some ryhtym in, he had a few LBW shouts turned down not surprising as their umpire seemed to be looking at the ground when the ball was bowled however in fairness to teh guy he was pretty fair when we were batting, however our umpire more of that later.
Messers Patel and Woodford took the score to 88 scoring with some easy against steady bowling including a 15 overs spell from the skipper Duffield. The visitors only had 10 men
Woodford was first to go a great catch by Dennis the first of two blinders and Patel was bowled by the skipper for 48 and from then it was just a case of chipping away which we did. Clegg and Ahmed put bat to bowl both scored over 20 but it was a steady prossession from then on in and they posted 157 crucially 33.5 overs which meant we had 11 extra overs to get the runs.
Covid rules means for the moment it's bring your own teaswhich in a way spoils the game because the highlight is someone else prpearing a raft of sandwiches, cakes etc.
Back to the game the two New Longton opening bowlers were miserly to say the least at looked at the scoreboard and we had crawled along to 7-2 from 15 overs and by the time the 20 overs had gone we were in deep trouble, Watkinso taking three wickets in his opening spell.
As with last week the support bowlers slightly less better and that's being kind, when Housden bowled Pollard we were 32-6 and in I go.
At teh other end was skipper Duffield afrer his 4-81 with the ball he now had to do his stint with the bat.
My first scoring shot was a four however the difficulty you had batting was the support bowlers bowled some dross however in between the dross you were lible to get the unplayable delivery, so batting was not easy.
Without too much alarm we pushed the score along although did some fly swatting at balls outside the off stump was in more danger of being run out, but on and on we went past 100 with overs to spare needed five an over started to inch closer and closer. The two opening bowlers were brought back on however they were both slightly knackered however our umpire missed countless no balls were Hassan was miles over.
Duffield was first to 50 followed shortly after by myself.
Toe ended the ball back to Hassan with the score at 152 going for 52. We crawled along and needed three of the last over, score were level when the last ball was bowled it went for a bye, victory with Duffers 52 not out.

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Broadgate Preston



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The deluge on Saturday did not stop us from getting back to normal with a narrow defeat in which in my personal view the toss was the winner. Given the weather think most of us had given up on the game being played except the home captain who was optimistic a game could be played.
By 1.30 safely ensconsed in the armchair having a laugh at both Sheff Wed and Derby trying to get relegated, got notification play would start at 3pm in a 33 overs a side game.
Quick change into playing gear and off to the Broadgate area of Preston interesting to note that the game on Preston Cricket Club which was accross from where we were playing looked like it had been called off.
Losing the toss we were put in and on a low slow wicket never really got started a partnership of 30 between Duffield and Clayton was our only sign of resistance although Walters managed the end overs with a useful 14 not out, no one else really got in Duffers following his 50 last week top scored with 29 after my stella knock last week it was back to a round figure that is more common than me getting 50.
First ball off my ever so short impersonation of Stevie Wonder saw me just about hit a ball that bounced twice in fact only saw it after the second bounce due to sight screens not being in the right position and being slightly less white than normal
Hollinshurst bowled tightly got 4 wickets, Cunningham 3 and Hashimi 2, the last named had the most odd action all whirlwind arms never knew when he would lett go of the ball

The openers put on 20 mainly to Dawson who hit very straight and hard Gurusinghe fell first, we were then struggling as Dawson punished anything that was short or wide and looked as if they would cruise to victory, Dawson was then LB to the captain for 45 and we started to chip away at their batting,the captain who is in inspired form with ball and bat.
Duffers managed to prise another 4 out giveing him 5 wickets but Hashimi we couldn't shift and Vara slogged them to victory, creditable mention to Alex Conn bowled really well deserved a wicket they will come on another day
As for the ground perfect nick maybe the tide being out on the Ribble helped
Home this week yeah teh ever lovely Cottam Hall