Erratic Cleethorpes crash out of the cup
CLEETHORPES Cricket Club, fielding a side which bore no resemblance to that from the previous day, were knocked out of the Extra Cover Insurance Whitworth Cup on Sunday.
After scoring 235-8 from their 40 overs, the Meggies threadbare attack could not contain Aston Hall - who won by one wicket.
The Meggies gave an undisciplined display as they proceeded to assist the visitors by conceding an amazing 41 wides.
The visitors, gifted an extra five overs, reached their target with two overs to spare.
After winning the toss, Cleethorpes decided to bat first on a wicket which had produced over 400 runs the previous day.
They made a disastrous start to their innings when Callum Carter, looking for an unlikely single, ran himself out with only five runs on the board.
Sameera Sadamal carried on where he left off in the previous game by effortlessly stroking shots to all parts. Together with Bill Kirby a partnership developed taking the score to 53 before Kirby (34) edged behind.
The visitors’ attack was then made to look very ordinary as Sadamal and Tom Rollinson (back in the side after missing the league win) added 75 for the third wicket. The former had just completed his second half-century of the weekend before he casually pulled a short ball straight into the hands of a lone leg-side fielder.
Rollinson completed his half century as a fourth-wicket partnership with Ian Mansfield added 47, before it was nipped in the bud when the latter walked past an Adam Clarke delivery and was stumped.
With the total on 188, Rollinson, after scoring 69, was caught in the deep. The Meggies went on to lose a further 3 wickets before they closed on 235 after an eighth-wicket stand of 42 between Sam Baker (29) and Harry Costello (14).
It was Costello who opened the Cleethorpes attack with a three-wicket burst putting the visitors on the back foot.
Rollinson was used as a bowler with Max Taylor continuing behind the stumps after donning he gloves the previous day.
It was a combination of these two, when Nathan Ward edged a Rollinson delivery giving Taylor his first catch behind, as the visitors slumped to 30-4.
Taylor finished with two victims behind the stumps, didn’t concede a bye, but by the close of play must have been a tired young man, after several successful full length dives prevented even more wides being added to the total.
Mainak Ray and left-hander Mark Barnard then took control by gradually getting on top of the inexperienced attack which was becoming ragged. They added 105 before two stunning catches ended both of their innings.
Ray was first to go, caught by Kirby, after hitting 55. Barnard fell to a Sadamal catch - and the Meggies were in with a chance.
The bowling however became erratic and, in despair, the Clee skipper decided to bowl himself. Despite adding to the wides total he grabbed a couple of wickets before Mansfield took the ninth wicket with the scores level. An edged boundary sealed the result ending any hopes the Meggies may have had of a league and cup double.