Greens make hay in ideal conditions

ON Saturday Hawk Green hosted local rivals Stockport Trinity and on winning the toss the Greens skipper, Josh Hampson, elected to take first knock and opened the innings with himself and Sam Messih against Trinity’s opening bowlers Robert Jones and Thomas Atkinson.

In fantastic conditions for batting the outfield and the square looked resplendent and both batsmen made the most of it with Hampson taking the initiative with a series of cover drives and his trade mark shot off the back foot behind point.

Messih was playing a patient role, supporting his skipper and the partnership gathered momentum when Messih started to play his shots and reached his half century before he fell bowled by Emma Royle for an excellent 59, 147-1.

Next batsman Ben Littler kept the scoreboard ticking over whilst Hampson became becalmed in the nervous 90s.

Once he reached his well deserved ton he again started to bat with a certain freedom and with Littler took the score to 225 when a heave ho of a shot saw him bowled by Atkinson for a run a ball magnificent 127.

Next to the crease was Jordan Henderson and he did not disappoint as he finished unbeaten on 22 from just nine balls and with Littler finishing on 41 not out the innings closed on a very competitive 261-2.

The Trinity response was led by James Shaw and Adam Hugill against the Greens opening attack of Jason Downey and Dylan Heginbotham and quite frankly neither batsman looked at ease with the pace and bounce of the wicket.

It was Heginbotham who struck first having Hugill caught by Brad Holme for 0, 2-1, and in the next over Downey cleaned up Shaw bowled for 2, 2-2.

The two new batsmen at the crease, Peter Langton and Nishan Wickramasinghe, settled in quite nicely and the latter played a series of excellent cover drives to move the score along.

I have in the past few games criticised the Greens fielding which is normally of a very high standard but after fielding practice during the week they got their mojo back and it showed.

Jordan Henderson took an excellent catch at gully off the bowling of Heginbotham to dismiss Langton for 15, 24-2.

Next to fall, arguably to the catch of the game by Paul Needham off, once again, Heginbotham, was Wickramasinghe for 37, 59-4.

The two new batsmen, Ellie Mason and Joel Shaw, had problems managing to hit the ball off the square and when they did Shaw was run out by an excellent piece of fielding and throw from Paul Needham, certainly no need for the third umpire, 63-5.

At this stage Jack Needham was introduced into the attack and quite frankly he was too quick and accurate for the remaining batsmen.

First to fall was Mason to another fine catch by Paul Needham for 6, 65-6, Tom Quinn fell to an outstanding caught and bowled by Needham for 1, 68-7, Billy Thompson was Needham’s next victim to a smart catch by Sam Messih for 3, 69-8. Robert Jones came and went without troubling the scorer, caught behind by Littler for a duck, and the final victim was Emma Royle, bowled Needham, 77 all out leaving skipper Thomas Atkinson stranded on 8 not out.

Pick of the Greens bowlers were Dylan Heginbotham with three wickets but Jack Needham finished on five overs, five wickets for just five runs. Let’s hope this is the pickme-up the Green need for the rest of the season.

Next week they are away to Oakmere wickets pitched 1pm.

The 2nd XI played Langley and the hosts posted 164-9 with George Ridings claiming four wickets, the Greens response faltered at 10-2 but Ridings and Joe Buttler took the score to 95-4 when youngster Charlie Hallas and Tom Headridge finished both not out for 59 and 24 respectively, Hallas reached his 50 with 11 x 4s and one 6.

In midweek the Greens 1st XI beat Bredbury to move into the next round of the T20 competition when the will play Maritime.

DANE Vilas admits his Lancashire side suffered an off-day as they slumped to their first defeat in the Vitality Blast campaign.

Josh Buttler hit a half century but was unable to stop Worcestershire Rapids moving to the top of the North Group with an eight wicket success at New Road.

England wicketkeeper batsman Buttler top-scored with 55 off 46 balls. But Lancashire, who went into the game having won their opening two games, were kept in check on a slow pitch by an excellent performance from the Rapids attack and restricted to 132-4 after opting to bat.

Then an opening stand of 79 in nine overs by Riki Wessels and Brett D’Oliveira ensured Worcestershire claimed the win.

D’Oliveira went onto complete a 36-ball half century and ended unbeaten on 61 from 45 balls with one six and seven fours as victory was achieved with 16 balls to spare.

“It is disappointing,” said Lightning captain Vilas.

“The way we have been playing has been really good and this was a bit of an off-day.

“Jos Buttler played a top innings and showed why he is one of the best in the world in this format, but even he struggled to get the ball going.

“I was talking to him in the middle and it was really hard to get underneath the ball. It was really slow and difficult and we were just below par.

“If we had made 150 we could have put a bit more pressure on them with the bat and then who knows what would have happened.

“It is only one defeat and, hopefully, we can bounce back.”

Ben Dwarshuis made the first breakthrough for Rapids when top edged a catch to Charlie Morris at third man on 10.

Liam Livingstone showed his power in smashing Dillon Pennington over long off for six.

There was a second scalp for the Rapids when Alex Davies on seven drove Morris to cover.

Buttler was soon into his stride with a reverse sweep for four off Moeen Ali which brought up the 50 in the eighth over and he then lofted his England colleague over mid-wicket.

Livingstone made 25 off 26 balls but when he tried to accelerate, picked out Wessels at long on in D’Oliveira’s first over.

Buttler survived one dropped chance at long off against Morris but was dismissed from the next delivery on 55 with Wessels holding on at long on.

Rapids openers D’Oliveira and Wessels raced to 48 in the powerplay and put on 79 when Wessels was bowled by Matty Parkinson, who then had Moeen on nine caught at mid-wicket.

But D’Oliveira saw Worcestershire home.