Hawk play it again in final of Bissenden
HAWK Green travelled to Buxworth on Saturday for game number 16 of the league season but amazingly their 30th consecutive game of the season without an abandonment.
On winning the toss skipper Josh Unsworth chose to bat with Craig Young and Josh Hampson opening the innings. The Buxworth opening bowlers, Dan Gilbride and Dave Marchington, bowled a tidy opening spell on a damp wicket which aided them.
First to fall was Young, 3, 10-1, caught and bowled Marchington, next to the wicket was Peter Richards and in partnership with Hampson took the score to 50 before he was bowled for 13, shouldering arms, to a delivery from Gilbride.
Jack Needham joined Hampson and four overs later the latter fell for 32 bowled Gilbride, 57-3.
Skipper Unsworth and Needham made light work of the bowling for the next eight overs as the pair added 65 valuable runs until Unsworth fell for 39, caught Critchlow bowled Marchington, 122-4.
Needham, in partnership with new batsman Lee Hallas, took the score to 159 when he was caught off the bowling of Nathan Critchlow for a fine 51 and he was followed back to the pavilion almost immediately by Paul Needham, bowled by the same bowler, 160-6.
Hallas and Sam Clark added 13 runs before Hallas was LBW to Critchlow for 13, 173-7.
The tail wagged briefly through Clark, 26, and Jason Downey, 16, and the innings closed on 211 all out in the 38th over.
The reply from Buxworth started disastrously as their first four batsmen were brushed aside by the opening attack of Ryan Stringer and Jason Downey all bowled, 25-4.
Mark Richards was introduced into the attack and he removed Andy Reynolds and Critchlow, 36-6.
Brian Higgins shone briefly for 29 before the Buxworth innings closed on 66, Richards 3-37 and two wickets apiece for Stringer and Downey giving the Green a further 20 points in their quest for the league title.
The seconds also had a comfortable victory, beating Hazel Grove by six wickets. After restricting the visitors to 170 they passed the target with Justin Blackhurst 46 and Ben Littler 72 not out thus maintaining top spot.
Sunday saw the DCCL showpiece of the season, the Bissenden Cup Final hosted by Mottram and contested by Hawk Green and Dinting and unfortunately the weather was the winner.
Greens skipper Josh Unsworth once again won the toss and elected to bat and Craig Young and Josh Hampson opened the innings. Hampson was first to fall, bowled Rudi Liebenberg for 3, 5-1, next to the crease was Peter Richards who, after hitting Danny Brightmore out of the attack, fell to Mark Stringer for 19, 37-2, on what was proving to be a very sticky wicket.
Young eventually fell for 19 in the 19th over, 62-3. Unsworth and Jack Needham added 38 runs before the latter fell for 22, bowled Peter Hills, 100-2 in the 27th over and with an injection of runs required, Jordan Henderson started brightly but lost partner Jack Needham for 38, 123-4. Henderson followed shortly after for 21 and with only seven overs remaining the Green needed runs on the board and this was provided by Paul Needham and Lee Hallas with some audacious running and clean hitting, addnged 68 runs as the innings closed on 227-7 with Needham on 49 not out and Hallas 30 out off the last ball of the allotted overs for 30.
The Dinting reply started brightly, following the dismissal of Matt Coleman for 5, Greg Harwick and Mike Parker took the attack to the Green and the next 12 overs saw 50 runs added when Jack Needham removed Parker for 36.
Unfortunately the rain prevented a result with Dinting on 141-9 and the replay will be on 20th August again at Mottram.
Next week sees the Green 1st Xl away to Tintwistle with the 2nd Xl at home to the same opponents and then on the Sunday their opponents will be Woodley at Hayfield in the Hawk Trophy, wickets pitched 1pm.