MICHAEL CLINNING'S SUPERB ALL-ROUND DISPLAY
Fleetwood came desperately close to their first
win of the season thanks to an outstanding all-round display
from Michael Clinning at the Ernest Pass Memorial Ground.
Chasing 175 to win, Barrow finished ten runs
short of their target with the last pair at the crease,
closing on 165 for 9.
Clinning underpinned Fleetwood's innings with a
superb 106 which included 14 boundaries. It was the talented
35-year-ol's first Northern League century since 1999.
He then took 4 for 44 in ten overs of cunning
spin bowling late in the Barrow innings after the home side
had looked set for victory as Cumberland batsman Darren Clark
completed an accomplished half-century.
Cliining owed all his wickets to outstanding
wicket-keeper Lee Jones who in all claimed five victims,
including three stumpings.
There was consolation for Barrow in the exciting
potential of 14-year-old leg-spinner Liam Livingstone, who
claimed 5 for 56 in 14 overs.
Invited to bat after Barrow skipper Daryl
Wearing won the toss, Fleetwood lost opener Tom Wilson to a
smart catch by Paul Wilcock at backward point in the fourth
over from Graham Dawson's bowling.
Unperturbed by a short delay while a helicopter
landed at the adjacent hospital number 3 batsman Clinning
dominated the scoring, reaching 50 out of 78 in the 22nd over
with some crisp driving either side of the wicket.
Helicopter
stops play at Barrow |
Liam
Livingstone bowls to Fleetwood centurian Michael
Clinning |
But after Clinning and James Ellis had laid the
foundation with a patient second wicket partnership of 76
Ellis was stumped by Chris Brookshaw to give Livingstone his
first victim.
Adam Parker was adjudged LBW to Livingstone but
Adam Sharrocks helped Clinning push the score along before he
was superbly caught at mid-wicket by Barrow pro Pasan
Wanasinghe to leave Fleetwood 134 for 4 in the 37th over.
Livingstone, in partnership with Wanasinghe,
then quickly worked his way through the rest of the visitors
batting line-up with only Clinning providing resistance.
Fleetwood's Sri Lankan pro Nisitha Rupasinghe
was bowled by fellow countryman Wanasinghe for 5, skipper
Wayne Clarke was bowled by Wanasinghe for 0 and Matt Clarke
caught by Jonathan Miles at mid-off off Livingstone also
without scoring.
But Clinning, having survived two chances to
Wanasinghe, one in the slips in the 20s and another difficult
caught and bowled chance when on 98 and been also caught in
the slips off a Dawson no-ball, reached three figures in the
46th over with a cut for two off Livingstone.
Clinning was eventually the eighth batsman to
fall for a memorable 106, bowled by Wanasinghe in the 47th
over and the Fleetwood tail failed to wag as they were bowled
out for 174 in the 49th over to give the home side a bonus
over.
Livingstone's first five wicket haul in senior
company was richly deserved and credit goes to the Barrow
skipper for having the courage and confidence to bowl the
youngster for such a long spell.
Wanasinghe continued his fine bowling form with
a return of four for 25.
On a chilly and overcast afternoon Barrow made a
confident start before their teenaged Cumberland batsman
Jonathan Miles was adjudged caught behind down the leg side
off Tom Blundell to give Jones the first of his five
victims.
Fleetwood
pro Nisitha Rupasinghe bowls to Ian
Allington |
That left Barrow 23 for 1 but Ian Allington and
Wanasinghe confidently took the score to 48 in the 21st over
despite some excellent bowling by Blundell before Allington
was caught at cover by Matt Clark off Parker's bowling for
21.
Darren Clark then joined his professional at the
wicket and was soon out-scoring his illustrious partner with a
fine display of crisp hitting.
Barrow looked well set for victory as both
batsmen countered the threat of Rupasinghe and Clark reached
his 50 in the 39th over.
But the game changed as Wanasinghe
was caught behind off Clinning in the same over for a patient
35 after a stand of 71.
Clark then became Rupasinghe's first victim in
the 42nd over, caught by Parker at mid-wicket, to leave the
home side 125 for 4.
Fleetwood suddenly sensed their first win of the
season and Dawson, aiming a blow to leg, was trapped in front
by Rupasinghe.
Wilcock fell to a smart stumping by Jones off
Clinning and Iain Kermode departed in identical fashion to
leave the home side 159 for 7.
With Barrow still chasing victory, Livingstone
perished to a superbly judged catch by Matt Clark on the long
on boundary in the penultimate over to become Rupasinghe's
third victim.
Fleetwood
crowd the bat in the tense final
over |
In the third ball of the last over Wearing was
superbly stumped by Jones as Clinning claimed his fourth
wicket.
But the Barrow last pair of Brookshaw and Rob
Lightfoot safely negotiated the last three balls as Fleetwood
had to be content with a winning draw from an excellent game
of cricket
Michael Latham's Featured 2nd Division Match of the
Day
Match 2
Kendal v Blackpool
15 POINT WIN FOR BLACKPOOL
Kendal was
the scene for an entertaining Second Eleven game against
Blackpool |
Blackpool captain Andy Griffiths has kindly provided a
match report of his side's game at Kendal
On an overcast day with spots of rain in the
air, Blackpool were invited to bat first by Kendal captain
Alan Thompson on a track which does credit to the Kendal
groundsman.
Another
view of Kendal's senic ground |
Openers Steve Mercer and Nicky Wall were
watchful as the wily old campaigner Adrian Potts opened the
bowling with young Mark Phillips. The score-board was showing
a quite respectable 31-0 in the 12th before disaster struck as
first Wall (12) and Mercer (13) were undone by Potts and then
veteran David Newton, in his first 2nd XI appearance of the
season, was beaten by a direct hit from the boundary coming
back for a second after "turning like the Titanic....!" and
not managing to get out of first gear as the throw always
looked like beating him home!
31-0 became 37-3, but with Robin Bracewell
showing positive intent and John Caunce content to fight it
out without ever looking well set, the re-building process
commenced. Bracewell demonstrated some excellent driving and
pulling, both in the air and on the floor, as he raced to 35
with a flurry of boundaries, before he was undone by a ball
that nipped back and took the top of off stump from the
impressive Freeman. Captain Griffiths departed third ball for
0, caught behind (again off Freeman) and Will Norris
flat-batted one back to the bowler to be caught and bowled for
3. A recovery to 75-3 had become 79-6, as Kendal again
wrestled the initiative in a topsy-turvy game.
Mike "Jam" Hartley (6), a late replacement for
the injured Jamie Hogarth, rekindled memories of his last 2nd
team appearance some years ago with a chassis drive for 4, but
when he attempted to run a yorker down to 3rd man, it was no
surprise to see the stumps shattered, and with Luke Melville
stumped for 1, Blackpool were in deep trouble at 90-8,
However, Kendal somewhat let Blackpool off the hook, and as
Caunce found somebody who could keep him company for a
sustained period, in the shape of David Booth, the score
gradually nudged up to something which could be defended, and
importantly the number of overs used were increased so that
Kendal were not given too many overs in reply.
The returning Potts eventually saw Caunce's
stubborn resistance broken for a determined and defiant 34,
and with Armstrong adjudged LBW for 1, it left David Booth 29
not out, a vital contribution which showed the batsmen and
middle order how to do it. Adrian Potts, with 4-43 from 14.2
overs, and Matthew Freeman 3-23 from 8 overs were the pick of
the Kendal bowling attack.
With 55 overs to score 148 to win Kendal fancied
their chances on a track which had something in it for the
bowlers, and with Blackpool going into the game a bowler light
it would be hard work to keep the four main men fresh and
firing.
Andy Armstrong found an immediate
break-through to remove Freeman for a duck, Luke Melville had
Paul Dodds caught behind by John Caunce for 3 and with
Ashburner adjudged LBW to Armstrong for 3 the captain had the
start he was asking for with Kendal 20-3. All of the bowlers
responded well, and it was good to see Steve Mercer and Luke
Melville bowl at both ends and in Mercer's case bowl three
spells as the bowling changes invariably did the trick, with
wickets to the first or second ball of spells on three
separate occasions.
Mercer had Phillips caught behind for 11,
Melville found one good enough to bowl Treweneck for 6, but
then a good stand between Mark Phillips (24) and Sam Cooper
(20) took Kendal to the half-way mark with five down, but with
Phillips falling into the "sweep trap" and Mercer bowling
Cooper, it was left to an extremely experienced yet capable
tail to wag to see Kendal to a draw or an improbable win.
Dowker was LBW to Booth for 5, and with Dugdale
(with a runner after suffering a groin strain in the field)
and Thompson, both with 50's to their name in the previous
week's fixture against Carnforth, it was still going to need
some disciplined and penetrative bowling to see Blackpool take
all 15 points. When a hero is needed, and with Armstrong fully
rested after his opening 11-over burst, the captain always
knows he will find a willing volunteer in his premier opening
bowler, and so it proved once more as second ball of his
comeback saw Dugdale LBW for 10.
Thompson was joined by Potts, and all credit to
Kendal as they continued to look for the big shots which would
get them the runs they needed (rather than bat for the
draw!).
Potts was given a life courtesy of a missed
chance at long off, Knocker Wall taking the ball full on his
chest, but Armstrong was not to be denied and another vehement
LBW shout was upheld as Thompson was the last wicket to fall
for 10, with Kendal 112 all out, 35 runs short. Armstrong
finished with 4-34 from 14.3 overs, with great support from
Melville 2-20 from 11, Mercer 2-29 from 12, and Booth 2-22
from 9 which rounded off a man of the match performance from
the experienced veteran.
An excellent 15 point win against an experienced
and capable Kendal team, and with the game played in good
spirits the teams enjoyed a couple of beers and some banter in
the bar afterwards.
