Richards rips into Woodley
ON another glorious day for cricket Woodley entertained the reigning champions Hawk Green.
Greens skipper Josh Unsworth won the toss and elected to bat, opening the innings with himself and Josh Hampson against Woodley’s opening attack of Paul Turner and Michael Mallett.
After a steady start with both batsmen treating the bowlers with respect and the score on 28, Hampson was adjudged caught behind down the leg side off the bowling of Turner for 15.
This brought to the wicket man in form, Peter Richards. He too treated the bowlers with respect and in partnership with Unsworth steadily took the score to 72-1 when, in the 14th over, Unsworth was brilliantly stumped by Woodley’s keeper Jake Hounslow for 31.
This brought Ben Littler to the crease to join Richards and it was at this point that the latter decided to take the attack to Woodley.]
It was a case of let the mayhem begin as Richards cut loose with numerous maximums, some sumptuous cover drives and leg side pulls and with Littler also joining in the run fest the Woodley bowlers were put to the sword with only the experienced Turner escaping the mauling.
The runs continued to flow until the 40th over when Littler was brilliantly caught on the edge by Jamie Kay off the bowling of brother Danny for 73, 246-3, a breath taking partnership of 174.
The talk on everyone’s lips was will the Green reach 300 with only five overs remaining.
The question was answered in the affirmative by Richards, in a 20-run partnership with Jordan Henderson, 16, in only eight balls.
When Henderson was well caught on the boundary, once again by Jamie from Danny’s bowling, the score was 267-4.
Thenm with his personal score on 128 and three overs remaining Richards cut loose and the Greens final total was 315-5 with his personal score 165 not out.
Danny Kay was Woodley’s most successful bowler with three wickets all caught by brother Jamie.
The Woodley reply was led by Harrison Webb and Danny Oldland against the bowling of Jordan Henderson and Lee Hallas.
Both batsmen started steadily and after two overs Henderson was replaced by Mark Richards.
First to fall was Webb, caught behind by Ben Littler off the bowling of Hallas for 10, 12-1.
With Hallas and Richards bowling a really tight line, new batsman Danny Kay and Oldland were struggling to find runs and eventually Oldland succumbed and was caught Henderson off the bowling of Richards for 30, 51-2.
There was no let up on the Greens’ stranglehold on the game as Logan Jeffs removed Turner for 5, 66-3, then Richards dismissed Danny Kay for 17, 70-4.
Of the remaining batsmen only Jamie Kay and Gary Pickin with 19 and 18 respectively offered any resistance and the innings closed when Paul Needham took a spectacular catch from the bowling of Henderson to remove Hounslow, 120 all out.
The successful bowlers for the Green were Henderson, 3 -11, Hallas, 3-28 and Richards 2-21.
Next week the Green are at home to Hayfield on the Saturday and away to Alvanley in the Village Cup on the Sunday.