Rare humiliation for Green as injuries hit
ON Saturday Hawk Green travelled the short distance to Stockport Cricket Club and on winning the toss the Greens skipper asked his counterpart to take first knock.
The Stockport openers, Zafar Jatoi and Brock Fitton, faced the Greens opening attack of Jack Needham and Elliot Young and it was Young who struck first when Fitton shouldered arms and was bowled for 1.
Next to the crease was Taimoor Malik who, in partnership with Jatoi, simply threw everything including the kitchen sink at the bowling, and it paid off, with a lot of help from the Greens’ fielders, some of whom had a nightmare.
Several chances were put down, Jatoi being the grateful batsman. Having said all this, there were some excellent shots played among the mayhem.
Next to fall was Malik, lbw to Young for 30.
He was followed very quickly by Raja Akbar Ali, caught Henderson for 3, and Naveed Gondal lbw both to the bowling of Young who closed with the excellent figures of 15 overs 3 maiden 44 runs and 4 wickets.
Unfortunately, the Green were unable to find a bowler to back him up.
Benjamin Perry joined Jatoi at the wicket and plundered a quick 57.
During all this one of the Greens fielders suffered an injury whilst chasing the ball and much to the dismay of many of the players and spectators the hosts skipper refused – initially – to provide a substitute fielder.
He eventually did so but only after the Greens injured player returned to the field of play just to stand at slip.
Perry eventually fell, bowled George Ridings for 57 and the innings closed shortly after Jatoi was smartly stumped by the Greens’ young keeper Jake Skelton for 111 and the innings closed on 233-7.
Following last week’s batting display, the Green could have been forgiven for thinking this was a realistic run chase they would be capable of chasing down.
Openers Josh Hampson and Craig Young faced the Stockport pace attack of Mike Ely and Naveed Gondal and it became apparent after the first couple of overs that this was not going to be a stroll in the park.
After bemusing the batsmen, Naveed was the first to strike, bowling Young with an absolute beauty which swung in, straightened and took his leg stick out for 2.
Next to the crease and next to fall was Dylan Heginbotham caught Sam Edwards bowled Ely for 5.
Jordan Henderson played one glorious shot before he became Naveeds second victim, also bowled, for 4.
Throughout all this Hampson was hanging in until he became the second victim of the Edwards and Ely combination with 15 to his name.
The next two batsmen to the crease, Brad Holme and Peter Richards, were both deemed lbw to the bowling of Naveed who then dismissed Skelton for 4 and with Ely accounting for Hill the innings closed on 55-9 with Young unable to bat due to injury. This was Green a humiliating defeat for the Green, the likes of which they have never encountered before.
While there will be a slightly bitter taste in the mouth the questions will always be how and why?
With an ever growing injury and absentee list the next few weeks could prove difficult for the Green, who are at home next week to Barnton wickets pitched 12.
AWARD-WINNING, Sussex based sculptor, Hannah Stewart has been commissioned by the Stockport County Supporters Co-operative and Help the Hatters to design a full life size bronze statue of County’s legendary former Uruguayan manager, Danny Bergara. The statue will be located outside the Cheadle End stand at Edgeley Park.
The statue appeal has also been given a significant boost, as Stockport County owner, Mark Stott has pledged £10,000, to take the overall total raised to nearly £40,000. The two supporter’s groups would like to thank Mark for this very generous gesture.
Hannah was commissioned by leading advertising agency AMV BBDO, on behalf of their client Mars to create a sculpture of professional female footballer Lily Parr, which is exhibited at the National Football Museum in Manchester. A prolific attacker, Lily scored over 1,000 goals during her thirty-year career and was considered one of the country’s greatest players of her generation.
Lily was born in 1905 into a working-class community in St Helens, it was during the First World War that she had the chance to play football at 15 years old, with the most successful team of the time – Dick Kerr Ladies. Sadly in 1921, the Football Association declared the game ‘unsuitable’ for women and they banned their member clubs from hosting games, making it very difficult for women’s football to attract significant numbers of spectators.
Football’s Forgotten Superstar - https://www. soda-visual.com/ mars-supporthercampaign-lily-parrstatue-film/
Large scale work includes ‘Mary and Jesus – Mother and Son’ a life size bronze, commissioned by The London Oratory School. Further casts of this work were purchased by St Kevin’s College, Melbourne and Aquinas College, Perth, Australia. ‘Hauling Man’ is a life-size bronze commissioned by Kier for the new Tesco store in Hailsham to celebrate the history of rope making in the area. ‘Iguanodon’ is a twometer long bronze dinosaur commissioned jointly by The Cuckfield
Society, Cuckfield Parish Council and Mid Sussex District Council for a new play area.
Other key clients include Marie Stopes International, Miller Construction (UK) Ltd, Christ’s Hospital, The London Oratory School and Queen Mary University of London.
Stockport County supporters will have an opportunity to learn more and ask questions, at a “Meet the Sculptor” evening, which will take place in the early stages of the forthcoming 2022 – 23 season. Hannah will provide a presentation on her portfolio, the process of designing and creating a statue and some sketches of Danny. We will be joined by a few of Danny’s former players, to make the evening even more special.
To donate, please visit www.justgiving.com/ crowdfunding/ dannybergara.
For more information about the appeal, visit www.dannybergarastatue. co.uk.