Grimsby march on in Bob Welton Cup with victory over Louth 2nds

WITH Grimsby Town Cricket Club’s 1st team having a bye in the first round of the George Marshall Cup, the club’s second team took centre stage at Augusta Street.

Town played Louth 2nds in the first round of the Bob Welton Cup and defeated the visitors by 41 runs in an entertaining, low scoring game.

Grimsby captain Dave White won the toss and elected to bat first on a slow pitch.

Openers Dave Unsworth (32) and Will Burgess (37) gave the innings a solid start as they put on 55 for the first wicket.

Unsworth was caught by Louth skipper Dean Jacklin when he miscued a shot into the offside off Fergus Ringland.

Burgess and Toby Blake then added 41 runs for the second wicket, before Burgess departed LBW to Jacklin.

The spin of Jacklin and Steve Wright was very effective for Louth and Town’s innings went into something of a decline.

The slower bowlers proved difficult to get away on the sluggish pitch and Jacklin claimed 3 for 25 from his eight overs.

He was well supported by Wright, who took 2 for 16 from his eight.

Grimsby were 106 for 2 but when Blake (23) was trapped LBW by Wright, the innings fell away and Town were all out for 154, with two of their 40 overs unused.

What was clear though, was that batting wouldn’t get any easier and with Grimsby having four slow bowlers in their team, Louth would find this target a challenge.

Grimsby opened with two slow bowlers as Harrison Tice and White took the new ball.

Tice got through his eight overs, taking 1 for 19.

He claimed the important wicket of opener John Medler, caught by Isaac Towndrow for one.

Leg spinner Muhammed Shahzeb finished with the best figures of the day as he took 4 for 22.

The only Louth batsman to make much of an impression was Wayne Garlick, who batted well to score 45 from 61 balls.

He struck seven boundaries but was deceived by Shahzeb who enticed him down the track, allowing wicket keeper Jamie Charlton to whip the bails off.

Town’s young medium pacers Isaac Towndrow 3 for 26 and Blake 2 for 8 pushed home the advantage and Grimsby bowled out Louth for 113 in the 39th over.

Grimsby will now visit Messingham in the next round of this competition, in the first week of June.