Last Saturday we entertained Dukinfield at home looking to get back to winning ways. After heavy rain during the week, the wicket was always going to be difficult to bat on, and after winning the toss, the visitors chose to bat first.

We made an excellent start with the ball as Amila Weththasinghe knocked over the top four batsmen with the score on only 37, including Dukinfield dangerman Ridee who went leg before without scoring. Captain Dave Gandy did his best to add some respectability to the score either side of a 25 minute rain delay (which reduced the match to 46 overs a side), riding his luck at times as he went aerial bringing up his half century off 79 balls. We picked up three more wicket, but Gandy finished unbeaten on 54 with Morton on 13 as the visitors posted 119/7 in 46 overs. Amila claimed 5/60 from 22 overs, Sutcliffe 0/17 from 11 and Catterall 1/35 from 13.

The rain returned at Tea which delayed the rolling of the wicket, but our innings eventually got underway at 5pm as the rain moved on and it brightened up somewhat. We lost Dave Taylor second ball leg before to Ridee and then Sutcliffe played too early at a Ditta delivery and was caught by Collins for 6 with the score 7/2. Amila and Chris Holt came together and added a 24 run partnership before Holt (7) was removed in similar fashion to Sutcliffe caught and bowled by Ridee. Amila took it up on himself to get us back in the contest and he played one of his most patient knocks to date, dealing mainly in boundaries whilst pinching the odd single. At the half way stage we had reached 51/3 and were well in control of proceedings. After losing Catterall (1), Andrew Sharp continued to attack as he and Amila increased the run rate, with Amila reaching his half century from 89 balls.

More inclement weather was moving towards the ground and with the score on 93/4 with 12 overs left, our pro set and 27 required for victory the rainfall became a lot heavier and even though both sides wanted to stay out in the middle (us because we knew the match situation and Dukinfield because they thought they had lost if they went off and didn’t return), the umpires didn’t want to stay out and play was halted at 6:55pm. At this point there was only one side going to win the game…us. We waited for the rain to stop but it soon became apparent it wasn’t going to even though it did easy off quite a bit without stopping. There was a cut off time of 7:36 and because we were 3 runs behind where we needed to be after 34 overs using the farcical modified rain affected rule system (even though we were in total control), we were desperate to get back out for one more over. This wasn’t possible and in the end we lost by 3 runs in a game which we totally dominated.

Amila finished unbeaten on 54, with Sharp unbeaten on 16. Anil Ridee claimed 2/34 from 17 overs, in the biggest sporting injustice since Thierry Henry’s handball knocked Ireland out of the World Cup!    

Perhaps a more comparative system which incorporates wickets lost and run-rate – thereby leading to more entertaining Cricket – is surely called for! 

We arrived at Thornham on Sunday still perplexed by the previous days result. However, after winnings the toss we elected to bat and got on with the job in hand. Dave Taylor set the tempo of our innings from the outset as he smashed the ball to the boundary five times from his first twelve balls. He and Chris Holt put on 50 inside 9 overs before Holt was dismissed for 11. Weththasinghe and Chadwick both fell quickly to leave us on 61/3 in the 17^th over. Taylor continued with his positive approach against the inexperienced Thornham bowling line up and he reached his fifty from 46 balls, before falling for a fine 71 in 54 balls which included 13 fours and 2 sixes.

Stuart Catterall was joined by Paul Duerden who added a quickfire 20 before falling to Tom Grey as we reached 135/5 in the 28th over. Catterall was joined by Matt Curphey, who after a patient start soon got his eye in and started scoring heavily. The pair played superbly together and remained in the middle for the rest of our innings adding an unbeaten sixth wicket partnership of 166. Catterall after reaching his fifty in 56 balls progressed to three figures by hitting a straight six when on 94, to finish unbeaten with a textbook 112, whilst Curphey brought up his half century in 53 balls before finishing unbeaten on 69, having added 107 as a pair from the last 10 overs. Our innings closed on 301/5, with Chris Heywood the pick of the Thornham attack conceding just 23 from his 7 overs. 

In reply the home side were never at the races as, Sutcliffe (3 wickets), Weththasinghe (1 wicket) and a Matt Curphey direct hit run out restricted the hosts to 21/5. The Mickelthwaite brothers frustrated us for a 15 over period valuing their wickets to add 47 runs, but there was a total lack of adventure and ambition to win the game or even push for a point. Catterall finally removed Andy Mickelthwaite for 27 from 92 balls, caught by a fine diving catch from Carl Sutcliffe at long on. Amila was too good for the young Thornham batsmen as he kept passing he edge of the bat in probably his finest spell of the season so far.

Gary Penchion turned to Matt Holt who was given the script of hitting a decent spot and letting the ball do the work and Penchion’s faith paid dividends as Holt picked up three wickets including Matt Mickelthwaite for a top score of 32, with Penchion himself responsible for two catches off Holt’s bowling as we restricted the hosts to 96/9.

Amila returned to the attack to remove wicket-keeper Walsh caught behind by Jack Bond and in the process wrap up a convincing 204 run win. Amila finished with 2/20 from 14 overs, Sutcliffe 3/32, Catterall 1/11 and Matt Holt 3/15.

Our second eleven had a convincing win at Dukinfield on Saturday. The hosts batted first and posted 193, which we knocked off quite easily for the loss of only 2 wickets, thanks to 42 from Jack Ritchie and half centuries from Itchy Yahathugoda and OJ Beirne.

On Sunday our seconds were involved in the second tied game of the day on the ground, something which I can’t imagine has happened before on the same day. In the morning our under 13’s tied with Prestwich 88 runs each, before our second team tied with Thornham 105 each in a low scoring but entertaining game. OJ Beirne was again in the runs top scoring with 47 and Jack Ritchie picked up 4/27 from 17 overs, coupled with 3 runs outs as Thornham went from 104/8 to 105 all out.

Next weekend the first team travel to Woodbank with the seconds in action at the SCG.