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SBCI Monthly Review – May 2023
Bad weather April behind us, I don’t think we’ve lost a single over of senior cricket to the rain in May and our junior sides are now well into their respecitve seasons. Four wins from 5 for the first team in May, its 36 points out of 36 points for the 2’s and progression to the latter stages of the Crossley Shield and our Sunday Team bow out of the Rod Warhurst trophy at the group stage following 2 defeats from their three games.
Senior Cricket
1st Team
After two of April’s scheduled three games were lost to the weather, and the third resulted in a heavy defeat to Thornton, the 1st XI were hoping for an upturn in fortunes in May. And that’s exactly what they got, with four victories out of five in all competitions.
The month started at Outlane, with the first round of the Parish Cup once again taking place on a Saturday. Our hosts won the toss and chose to bat, and despite a couple of early wickets, had made their way to 87-3 and looked set to post a challenging total. We fought back to take the last 7 wickets for 50 runs and restricted Outlane to 137 all out. Dan Sykes was the pick of the bowlers with 4 for 22 off his 9 overs and Robin Hanson took 3 for 10. In response Jamie Summerscales held the chase together with 72 not out, as we eased home with more than 18 overs to spare.
Our second league match of the season was against Mytholmroyd at home, and despite a tricky start where we fell to 35-2, Sam Hinchliffe (72) and Gnanam (50) were in fine form as they put on a significant partnership to help us to 208/6 off our 45 overs. In response a brilliant spell of 4 for 14 off 10 overs from Alex Scholefield and an economical one of 2 for 7 off 11 overs from Lewis Firth had Mytholmroyd in real trouble at 22-6. ‘Royd never recovered from there as Tom Wood picked up 3-2 and we bowled them out for 44, a 164 run win.
Our fine bowling form continued the following Saturday as we bowled Copley out for 87 at their Arches home. Wickets fell at regular intervals as Alex recorded 4-21 and Tom took 4-18. Skipper Simon Wood took an impressive six catches with the gloves. What perhaps should have been a more straightforward victory certainly was not so, as we lost both openers for ducks and then Alex to an unfortunate LBW for 16, leaving the score at a nervy 26-3. However, Sam stuck it out for a very valuable 41* and was well supported by Adam Fawcett at the end as we got home with 5 wickets left in the hut.
The following day our bowling form of late deserted us somewhat, albeit on a batting-friendly day, as over 500 runs were scored between the teams in our Parish Cup 2nd round match at Booth. Simon lost the toss and we were sent out into the field, and for much of the innings it was evenly matched. However, 152-5 became an imposing 275-7 as some impressive lower-order hitting combined with some off-colour bowling. Tom Wood’s spell of 3 for 37 off his 9 overs was the pick of the bowling alongside Alex’s economical spell going at less than 2 an over.
Our response got off to a reasonable start as the openers took the score to 45, when Tom fell. Jamie’s 66 looked to be keeping us in the hunt but when he was fourth to go with the score at 140, the target was a long way off. A brisk 30 from Simon kept us going, but despite 29 from Arun CK and 48 not out at the end from Lewis, we ran out of time and wickets simultaneously, all out in the last over for 253, a 22 run defeat.
Our final game of the month, a return to league action against Sowerby Bridge, was another high-scoring affair. We won the toss and batted first, and spread the runs around as six of our top eight passed 20. Alex (56) and Adam (45*) were the top scorers. We defended our score successfully, by 47 runs, by taking wickets at regular intervals. Lewis was the top wicket taker with 4-51 as we just failed to get the 12 points, nevertheless, 35 points from 36 represented a very successful month in the league as we head into the summer months.
2nd Team
A full house for the 2nd team in May with two tricky ties against lower league opposition safely navigated and full points from the three league fixtures played.
Waqas 4 for 23 and the skipper 2 for 17 were the standout performers with the ball after we’d asked Outlane to bat first in the 1st round of the Crossley Shield. Rob and Chris with the other wickets to fall as well as a run out meant that we’d be chasing 119 to get through to the next round. And we did so comfortably by a margin of 7 wickets with more than 20 overs left. Chris 42 not out ably supported by John and Mark with Tony being 13 not out at the end.
Our first league fixture of May saw us make the relatively short trip along Burnley road to Mytholmroyd, where Rob Larkin, Greeny and Mark were the stars of the show to see us home with five overs to go. Rob took 5 for 30 with all other bowlers taking a wicket with John helping out with three catches and a stumping from behind the timbers. John and Mark then put on an opening stand of 140 and despite the loss of Mark and Chris, Greeny and Dylan saw us to an eight-wicket win.
The following week, we weren’t at our best against Sowerby Bridge, but still came out on top taking the maximum 12 points after winning the toss and deciding to bat first. John and Mark got us off to yet another good start with Mark top scoring with 81, John 33 and Chris 24 were the other main contributors to the score along with 26 extras and Tony and Rob scoring at more than a run a ball to get us to 200 exactly off our 45 overs. We rolled Sowerby Bridge out inside 30 overs with Hampy and Waqas taking 5 wickets between them and Chris finishing things off with 3 for 0 from 2 overs!!
We were back at the Astley’s 24 hours later to take on Mount in the second round of the Crossley Shield and despite a few changes to personnel we reduced our guests for the day to 76 for 9 (Tyson 5 for 13 and the skipper 3 for 21 from their allotted overs) before the 10th wicket pair put on nearly 80 to post a more than useful 155. Against a more than decent opposition bowling line up, we were behind the required rate, especially at 32 for 3. A 126 run partnership for the 4th wicket between Chris and Tony (who wouldn’t be able to walk properly until the following Wednesday) was timed to perfection as we more than caught up with the required rate to record a seven wicket win with 5 overs and a ball left- it was certainly a closer game than it looked on paper.
And so onto the final match of May where the club saw its first century of the season. John and Mark got us off to a rapid start before John was controversially given out to what looked like a bump ball. Mark and Chris then put on 108 before Chris fell for a fine 44 to a splendid catch at backward square leg. Tony and Tyson upped the ante with a rapid 33 and 10 for 5 balls, but it was Mark who was the star of the show with a run a ball and chanceless 107 not out as he carried his bat for the full 45 overs. In reply, Bradshaw never threatened our 237 and another 5 wicket haul for Tyson with 2 a piece from Simon and Waqas ensured that we finished the month with a perfect points haul.
Sunday Side
Just two matches for our Sunday side in May as Stones conceded the dead-rubber fixture on 21st as they were unable to raise a side, owing to Halifax playing in the FA Trophy final.
The two fixtures we did manage to play are, unfortunately a reminder of our batting frailty. We were rolled out for 68 at Barkisland with only two players making double figure scores and the hosts knocking off the runs required inside 14 overs despite two wickets for Richard Conway (Happy 50th for yesterday Rich!!).
It was a similar tale the following week, where a much stronger Copley side won by 10 wickets. Our batting included four wickets in as many balls as we went from 48 for 2 to 48 for 6 inside an over. Dave with 31 was the mainstay of our 81 with Chris the only other player to make it into double figures.
We did manage to get a friendly with Sowerby Bridge played on the Bank Holiday Sunday with no scheduled fixture and it proved to be a good run out as everyone got a bat and a bowl.
Junior Cricket
The Under 13’s had their game abandoned away at Queensbury at the beginning of May which came as a relief to players and spectators as it was the coldest many of us have ever been at a cricket ground. We were 28 for 2 chasing 92 before the heavens opened. A heavy defeat at home to a strong Stainland side followed before we beat Mytholmroyd in a great game at home by five wickets. Jack with 3 wickets and 21* to see us home by five wickets. We then played the same opposition in the cup seven days later and were defeated by 6 wickets.
The 11’s have won lost one league game in May (by a narrow margin of 7 runs) and had one game abandoned as well as “winning” a cup game due to the opposition not being able to raise a side. Hopefully, we’ll get some more games on in the coming month.
Our under 9’s have also suffered from opposition teams not being able to raise a side and have only played one league and one cup-match in May. Both fixtures were lost to more experienced and older teams, so no shame in that.
Dave and Lewis