Boro give title chasers a real scare
A FINE bowling display by Littleborough’s Ryan Miskella went unrewarded as the home side made the visitors sweat in the searing heat at Hare Hill as they scraped home by three wickets at a red hot Hare Hill on Sunday.
They set the visitors a target of 106 and reduced them to 38-5 in front of a decent post world cup crowd.
Miskella opened the bowling with the leg spin of Kaber and took two wickets in his second over to reduce Darwen to 11-2 courtesy of a regulation catch by Kaber and a fine diving catch by Nash.
Reece Davies then staged a mini fight back of his own as he raced to a run of ball 27 out of 38 before he fell to Miskella courtesy of a catch in the covers off Nash.
Next ball Miskella then bowled Scott Friend all ends up with a fine inswinger.
Kaber then removed Mark Friend lbw to leave the visitors in desperate trouble at 38-5.
Savage was then joined by Bowdon as they attempted to rebuild the innings.
Smith Butler and Wilman were introduced into the attack as the Boro went searching for another breakthrough.
The visiting pair dug in and batted well but the result may have had a different outcome if Hernon and Smith Butler could have held onto difficult chances.
Kaber bowled Bowdon and Miskella earned his collection when he had the hapless Cordingley caught in the covers by Kershaw to leave the game in the balance at 88-7.
However, pro Savage was still there and he got his team over the line with a gutsy 36 not out.
Earlier in the day Littleborough’s batting woes continued as they could only muster 105 and more disappointingly had over eight overs left when the last wicket fell.
Having said that Darwen’s attack was the best I have seen all season with the main quintet hardly bowling a bad ball all day.
First to go was Tom Pye for a breezy 16 caught behind with score on 21.
Smith Butler and Kaber fell in similar fashion to Davies and Wade respectively to leave the home side on 55-3.
This soon became 77-5 when Hernon was bowled for a hard fought 20 and Miskella was the victim of an appalling lbw decision clearly smashing the ball into his pad.
The bowler was the only one to appeal and the umpire’s finger went up so quick he was in danger of doing a ‘Gareth Southgate’ and dislocating his shoulder.
Bowdon was the pick of the bowlers with a run up and action very similar to that ex Boro bowler Andy Smith Butler and he accounted for Rose (played on) and Nash (lbw) on his way to impressive figures of 3-11 off 10 overs as the Boro innings closed on 105 all out.
This young Boro side continued to fight all the way in a gutsy display with the ball and they pushed title contenders Darwen all the way and the manner in which they celebrated confirmed they knew that they had been in a fight.
Next stop is Nelson away on Saturday.