Widnes fail to benefit from Hafiz’s efforts
LYING in third spot at the start of play, Widnes Cricket Club’s first XI went into last Saturday’s game against second-placed Upton with high hopes of gaining an advantage over their opponents in the second half of the season – sadly this was not to be.
With prior arrangement from the League, both teams agreed to start the game at 10.30am with a view to hopefully watching the England versus Sweden World Cup game later in the day.
Upton captain Ross Dixon won the toss and decided to bat first on a gloriously hot summer’s morning.
Openers Chris McArthur and Matt Owen started steadily for Upton taking the score along to 43 in the 12th over when the latter was caught by Will Myers of Johnathan Campbell’s bowling for 25.
It took until the 19th over when James Williams was caught by wicketkeeper Chris Kirby off Qamar Hafiz’s bowling for 21. Three runs later, Chris Stowell-Smith was out in identical fashion having scored two.
Dan Owen joined MacArthur in the middle and it took until the 30th over for the next wicket to fall when the former was stumped by Kirby off Rob Magee’s bowling for 13.
Captain Dixon was next in for Upton and the total reached 123 in the 38th over when the fifth wicket fell, the skipper snared lbw by Magee for 10.
Matthew Ingram came to the crease ● and Upton tried to increase their run rate, until he was run out by Majid Majeed for 22 leaving the visitors 163-6.
Hafiz now returned to the bowling attack and with his first ball castled MacArthur for 63.
Andy Roberts joined Mike McGreary and was given out lbw first ball.
Two balls later, Hafiz bowled McGreary for a duck and Upton were now 164-9.
Hafiz had recorded an outstanding triple wicket maiden over.
Tail-enders Ian Linwood and David Williams limped Upton to 176 in the last over when the latter was bowled for two, again by Hafiz, leaving the Upton total at 176 all out in 49.3 overs.
Hafiz’s bowling analysis was excellent, returning figures of 6-39 from 14.3 overs of work including three maidens.
Widnes must have been really pleased with the bowling and fielding perfor- mance leaving them confident of chasing down the Upton total.
There was no innings break and both teams immediately turned around.
Widnes opened the batting with Mike Byrne and James McCoy.
Their innings started well with the total moving onto 44 in the 10th over when McCoy was given out lbw off Dixon’s bowling for 26.
Matt Burns joined Byrne and the total moved onto 63 when the former was bowled for two.
Campbell now joined Byrne but was caught by Ingram off McArthur having scored three and the total only moved on by six runs.
Majeed was in next but was run out by Dixon in a moment of madness without scoring.
Ben Hewitt came in next and was given out lbw without scoring. Widnes were now in real peril at 73-6. Kirby came out to bat next, and three runs later Byrne was out lbw for 40.
Widnes had gone from a comfortable 44-1 to being on the verge of a catastrophic defeat.
Hafiz now joined Kirby and managed to score 13 before being bowled by Ingram.
Magee scored two before being given out to a dubious lbw decision and Widnes were now 102-8.
Captain Evans came in to join Kirby, and with the chances of a victory all but gone the Widnes batsman batted out the remaining 14 overs under extreme pressure making sure they did not give Upton a full points victory.
The Widnes total finished on 125-8 off 50 overs. Kirby finished not out on 22 and Evans unbeaten on seven.
Upton bagged 12 points from the game with Widnes collecting six. ● Widnes’s second XI secured an extremely valuable victory at their counterparts from Upton.
Electing to bowl first after winning the toss, Widnes restricted the home side to 164-8 off 45 overs.
Widnes managed to reach the required target inside 38 overs only losing four wickets along the way.
Owen Price top-scored with 62 while Andy Kirby chipped in with 48. ● This Saturday sees the first XI travel to Urmston while the second-team entertain Urmston at Beaconsfield Road. Both games start at 1pm.