Double ton delight for surprised Dennison
Chris Dennison has admitted that he would have settled for a steady half-century at the start of the Foster’s Halifax League last Saturday. Instead the stand-in Copley skipper crashed a magnificent 220 at home to Blackley in the Premier Division - more runs than many teams totalled on the opening day.
The left hander’s runs came off only 131 balls and his knock included 20 sixes and 16 fours.
Last year’s Parish Cup and Twenty/20 winners went on to record a 62-run win in game which produced more than 700 runs on a wicket which had some moisture in spite of the dry week.
Dennison, 23, put on 241 for the first wicket with Oliver Thorpe (85), after a relatively quiet start, and Craig Chew’s 45 not out left Blackley licking their wounds at tea with 383 for three to chase.
The visitors responded positively with a well constructed 78 from Reece Jennison and a hard-hit 119 from number seven James Watson to reach 321 for nine.
Dennison, in charge for two games while Craig Taylor chases Halifax AFL title success in goal for Stump Cross, was delighted with his day’s work.
“I had said to myself that if I got 50 in the first game I would be happy but I got a few more than I thought,” he revealed.
“Somebody said my score was 10 short of the Halifax League record but I’ve been told it is the first time that anyone has got 200 for Copley’s first team.”
Dennison’s previous best was 126 away to Sowerby Bridge last year, when he also scored 69 in the Parish Cup final win over Jer Lane.
Dennison is now hoping he and the other players can back up last Saturday’s win at Thornton tomorrow.
Blackley skipper Jennison elected to field last Saturday. Dennison admitted he would have done the same, given the choice, on a wicket which had retained some moisture in spite of the dry weather.
Dennison admitted it would be hard for Copley to repeat last year’s success.
Toby Thorpe, who hit a century in the cup final, has joined Bradford League newcomers Scholes while his brother Oliver will be off to university soon and dad Richard is injured. Cup winning skipper James Clarke has retired and Freddie Hammond is also away studying.
“We will try to play well and enjoy ourselves and see where that takes us,” he said. Stones Under 11s will have to wait an extra few hours for their training session with former England captain Andrew Strauss today.
The Ripponden club won a visit from the former opening batsman after success in a national competition.
Strauss was due to arrive shortly after lunch but organisers announced yesterday that his visit would now take place at 4pm.