Masterclass from Stacks partnership
STACKSTEADS CC A BATTING masterclass from Will Cook-Martin and John Hindle helped Stacksteads CC to an eight-wicket victory at home to Ribblesdale Wanderers CC 2nds and kept the pressure on Barnoldswick at the top of the Division One table.
Stacksteads put Wanderers into bat and Andy Jones made an immediate breakthrough in his first over as Bamber miscued a pull shot straight to John Dawson.
Alcock showed his attacking intentions straight away by dispatched Dawson’s early deliveries to the fence, whilst Jones bowled out Rain off his pads, leaving the visitors on 18 for 2.
Alcock continued his onslaught attempting to hit every ball out of the park and generally succeeded prompting Dawson and Jones to be withdrawn from the attack. Replacement bowlers Matt Hussey and Matt Croney initially suffered the same fate at the hands of Alcock although they did manage to slow the run rate down by denying him the strike and also forced a few false shots, one of which was dropped in the deep.
Wrigley started to contribute at a more sedate pace and had scored 34 well crafted runs out of a partnership of 117 when he was bowled out by a turning delivery from Croney.
Alcock was finally caught out by Paul Scaife in the next over off Hussey, after bludgeoning four sixes and eleven boundaries in 43-ball 89.
This sparked a collapse as the middle order tried to repeat their predecessors’ heroics to no avail as Croney and Hussey took four more wickets between them for the cost of just ten runs ●● John Hindle handing the initiative back to Stacksteads. Omar and Braithwaite showed more restraint to hold up the home team with solid techniques however on 155, Croney managed to sneak one through the latter’s defence.
Five runs later Croney trapped Omar LBW to end the Wanderers innings on 160 in the 32nd over, securing a five wicket haul for himself.
Stacksteads lost Jonathan Butterworth early in their reply for four runs, however after that it was one-way traffic with Cook-Martin and Hindle dominating all of the bowlers.
The pair showed controlled aggression in dispatching anything loose to spread the field and then picked up ones and twos with excellent running between the wickets. Hindle, who had not been needed to bat in the previous two matches, showed no signs of rustiness, hitting one maximum and six boundaries in his innings of 76.
Meanwhile CookMartin continued his recent good form scoring 74 with nine boundaries, when he was surprisingly caught out with just six more runs needed.
Ellis Hussey made short work of knocking off the remaining runs by dispatching two boundaries as Stacksteads cruised to a 12-point victory in the 32nd over.
This Saturday Stacksteads are away to Read 2nds.