Improving Stacksteads go out of cup

STACKSTEADS CC STACKSTEADS CC’s foray in the Ramsbottom Cup came to an end with a defeat away to Salesbury CC 1sts, however they produced a markedly improved performance with bat despite no one being able to capitalise on promising starts.

Salesbury won the toss and decided to bat first on a poor looking pitch, which from ball one produced inconsistent bounce, however they lost their first wicket due to a mix up in communication as Will Cook-Martin threw in from the boundary to run out Parkinson.

John Dawson then plucked a fine catch off Faber’s leading edge from Andy Jones, before Andy Holt took a more straight forward chance off the same bowler to dismiss Scott and leave the home side faltering on 25 for 3.

Captain Mercer and Richardson, after shakey starts, started to rebuild the Salesbury innings with excellent running between the wickets keeping the scoreboard ticking over when boundaries were short in supply.

As the pitch appeared to become more benign, the now established batters saw off the opening bowlers with Richardson surviving a dropped catch, before upping the scoring rate.

Cook-Martin, bowling for the first time in four seasons performed admirably, however it was spinner Tom Thompson who lured Richardson out of his crease with John Hindle completing the stumping, to break the 69-run partnership.

Mercer now supported by Mohammad, continued to attack anything loose, taking advantage of the short straight boundaries before the latter was caught out off Hussey’s bowling with the score on 154.

Mercer brought up a deserved century but eventually became Hussey’s second scalp with 113 runs to his name.

The home team’s lower order continued to score freely to propel their total to 244 for 8 at the end of their 40 overs with Jones adding one more wicket to finish with 3 for 41 off his eight over allocation.

Stacksteads lost the early wickets of John Hindle for three runs and Paul Scaife for 13 to leave the visitors on 32 for 2 before Holt and Hussey started to build a promising partnership.

Holt was particularly brutal on anything short of a length, hitting five boundaries on the way to 31 before being caught out with an uncharacteristic prod to gully.

Despite Hussey and Cook-Martin both looking comfortable at the crease the pair found it difficult to produce boundaries at regular enough intervals to keep up with the escalating run rate. Hussey was caught out for 29 with the team’s score on 98 then Pete Hoskin helped move the total on to 120 before being bowled out prompting a mini collapse.

Firstly, Cook-Martin was fortuitously bowled out off a full toss, followed quickly by Mahmood being caught out attempting a big hit early in his innings leaving Stacksteads on 126 for 7.

Francis Chadwick occupied the crease whilst Dawson blasted five boundaries, but it was a case of too little too late as both departed with 81 runs still required off just a handful of overs.

Thompson and Jones took advantage of some generous bowling from Salesbury with the game now effectively over to reach a respectable 182 for 9 at the close and spell the end of their debut Senior Division cup campaign.

This Saturday Stacksteads are at home to Barnoldswick 2nds.