CUTTHORPE (4)                        170 all out

THORESBY COLLIERY (20)       171 for 6

Cricket is a contest.  Cricket is also a performance.  It has also been whispered that cricket is an art.  As with most things this is open to interpretation, however Saturday’s match was all three.

 

The clouds were out to celebrate once again.  It is ever so strange to see this dull greyness in summer.  When one looks up above it is as if the clouds are angry.  Whilst we sit and play we can only wonder what we have done?  Nevertheless, the rain held off and the match was played without interruption. 

 

Cutthorpe batted first and got away to a flying start.  Their opening bat (A. Thompson) scored freely off the front and back foot.  His initial onslaught made it difficult to apply any pressure.  Of course he played the occasional loose shot but as they say – “fortune favours the brave….” and so in the scorebook you shall see runs next to his name.  His partner did not share his luck.  Steve Willis had him caught at mid on early in the innings.  Hill clean bowled Thompson, deceiving him with a slower ball.  Hill and Willis bowled well in patches.  They did their best to restrict the scoring however it wasn’t easy because there was a good batsman at the crease.

 

This batsman was A. Butt.  Butt started cautiously.  He took great care to see what was happening in the middle.  To watch this player defend is to know in that instant that he has played this game for many many years.  He is balanced and relaxed.  His head is still, perfectly still.  With a short backlift and quick feet, he only moves after the ball has been released.  The sureness and speed of his movement translates into runs.  I doubt if there are too many batsmen in this league who see the ball as early as him.  One Thoresby bowler smiled in appreciation of ‘good cricket’, after Butt dispatched a good length ball to the boundary, well in front of square. Butt compiled 61 runs which was his team’s top score.  In the end he hit the ball straight to mid off.  This proves a well known fact – we all make mistakes, no one is perfect.  The true test of character however is how one deals with their failures.  There will never be a limit on how much we can learn.

 

And so after this dismissal the Cutthorpe lower order simply drifted away. The batsmen were eager for those precious last runs, and Scott tempted them with his flight.  Unfortunately they were not up to the challenge.  They skied the ball again and again.  The Thoresby fielders were generally on song.  They held onto most of the chances.  Because of good team spirit and intelligent cricket, Thoresby restricted their opposition to 170.  Could they accumulate that total?

 

The answer is yes.

 

However that one word cannot convey the true essence of the match.  A score can only tell you who won.  My interest lies in the process of what it takes to win. Numbers in the end are only numbers.

 

Cheshire and Hill opened the Thoresby innings.  Hill was watchful whilst Cheshire was his exuberant confident self.  If the ball was up he hit it.  And as we well know when he hits them, they stay hit.  One could never tire of watching him murder the ball.  He hits it with purpose and determination.  I believe that he uses his height well to wield his sturdy willow in a massive and rhythmic swing.  His confidence was his downfall in the end.  He swung at a ball that wasn’t quite there and short cover held onto a blinding catch. 

 

After Cheshire’s departure Thoresby suffered a mini collapse.  Hughes was dismissed for one whilst Scott was clean bowled for zero.

 

Hughes’ dismissal deserves particular mention because it was a beautiful display of cricket.  A.Butt was bowling with the new ball and was obtaining substantial movement off the seam. (A.Butt bowls with a similar grace to the manner in which he bats – his run up is small but fluent.  At the point of delivery his balance is immaculate with all his weight moving towards his target.  Like all the great bowlers he has the gift of pace off the pitch – I suspect it has something to do with his quick snap of the wrist – once again that is only a point of view)  And so Butt was in the middle of a useful spell.  He had forced the batsmen to play and miss on several occasions.  Hughes did not face too many balls, however Butt put one in the exact spot.  It was short of a length on the line of off stump and Hughes played back.  He was well behind the line of the ball and his bat was loosely held underneath his chin.

He seemed to have it covered.  Alas he didn’t.  The ball moved away fractionally and kissed his outside edge.  The ball then landed safely in the hands of second slip. 

 

It could be seen as a regulation dismissal - one that is meant to take place with the new ball.  However it is so much more.  Hughes did not follow the ball.  He had the discipline and skill to remain balanced and in line.  Because he had soft hands and played the ball extremely late, the ball did not shoot off his edge.  It fell smoothly to the ground.  The second slip however stayed low and eagerly lent forward, to clasp the ball safely with both hands.  For a cricket connoisseur, this type of dismissal is a treat of treats.  It is one of those rare moments where the game’s genius is truly revealed.

 

Any way moving on……Thoresby were now 3/57.  The top three batsmen were dismissed.  These same three batsmen are the only ones to have scored substantial runs all season.  And now the middle and lower order was expected to do battle with a team that was towards the top of the league.  Yes my friends there was tension in the air – the fielding side knew that they had the upper hand, whilst the men in the pavilion sat, anxiously seeing what would happen next.

 

Enter Ben Marson.  Today is a day he will remember for some time.  It was a building block in his cricket career.  He should savour his 34 runs and remember how he scored them.  I suspect it is the beginning of many more good things that we will see from this promising young talent.

 

Hill and Marson steadied the ship.  They batted for almost two hours and blunted the attack.  With each over they remained at the crease the opposition knew the game was slipping away that little bit more.  Hill was patient and determined.  He did not hit the ball, but rather placed it in gaps.  Marson played with maturity beyond his years.  He waited for the loose ball and dispatched of it with care.  One shot of note is a delicate backfoot jab that he placed over the slips for four.  He wore a cheeky grin as he saw the ball scream away.  I have never seen such a shot before.  It is quite unique.

 

This pair steered the Thoresby ship to the edge of victory.  It was Steve Willis who would take us the last mile.  He came in and kept the run rate ticking along.  And then in the 49th over he let loose.  To win the match he blasted a good length ball for six over long on.  The ball flew and sailed and then fell – all the while the Thoresby team was up and shouting cheers of joy.  It was a dramatic finish to an outstanding performance.

 

Each and every participant must be commended for contributing to such an exciting game.  The desire to win is what fuelled this exhilarating performance.  Meanwhile the second half of the season awaits….

(JC Hill)

 

 

CUTTHORPE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BATSMAN

 

HOW OUT

SCORE

 

BOWLING

O

M

R

W

THOMPSON

 

B HILL

45

 

S PATEL

5

0

10

0

T BARLOW

 

C PATEL B WILLIS

3

 

J HILL

13

2

46

2

BUTT

 

C LIPPEATT B SCOTT

61

 

S WILLIS

12

2

39

2

FIELDS

 

B WILLIS

0

 

P SCOTT

11.1

0

42

4

McCOLLOM

 

C SCOTT B HILL

0

 

W LIPPEATT

8

0

20

1

S BARLOW

 

LBW B LIPPEATT

17

 

 

 

 

 

 

COMBE

 

RUN OUT

7

 

 

 

 

 

 

PIEREPONT

 

C CHESHIRE B SCOTT

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

M BARLOW

 

C CHESHIRE B SCOTT

8

 

 

 

 

 

 

WILKINSON

 

NOT OUT

3

 

 

 

 

 

 

KNOWLES

 

B SCOTT

5

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXTRAS

20

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

170

10

WKTS

 

 

 

 

 

 

THORESBY COLLIERY

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BATSMAN

 

HOW OUT

SCORE

 

BOWLING

O

M

R

W

M CHESHIRE

 

C COMBE B PIEREPONT

39

 

BUTT

21

2

58

1

J HILL

 

C FIELDS B PIEREPONT

48

 

McCOLLUM

4

0

31

0

P HUGHES

 

C KNOWLES B BUTT

1

 

PIEREPONT

19.5

1

63

4

P SCOTT

 

B PIEREPONT

0

 

KNOWLES

4

0

8

0

B MARSON

 

C FIELDS B PIEREPONT

34

 

 

 

 

 

 

S WILLIS

 

NOT OUT

24

 

 

 

 

 

 

N BIRKETT

 

RUN OUT

9

 

 

 

 

 

 

S PATEL

 

NOT OUT

1

 

 

 

 

 

 

C FLINTON

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

G KEEBLE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

D EVANS

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

EXTRAS

15

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

TOTAL

171

6

WKTS

 

 

 

 

 

Other results in Division 1

At Burmah Road : KIVETON PARK (4) 143 all out (Dean Walker 34, Craig Turton 3 for 37, Russell Breedon 5 for 29) lost to BLIDWORTH (20) 144 for 7 (Aran Pairama 64, Ian Thompson 3 for 31) by three wickets.

At Villas Road : GLAPWELL (4) 236 for 6 (Andy Smith 50, Ian O’Brien 65, Nick Truswell 39) lost to BOLSOVER (18) 237 for 2 (Tariq Rashid 141 n.o., Mark Bull 55) by eight wickets.

At Langwith Road : WORKSOP (7) 209 for 7 (Jamil Hassan 49, Tim Ward 40, Glen Pym 35, Dave Newman 3 for 48) lost to CUCKNEY (19) 210 for 7 (Paul Gurnell 49, Dean Sayer 45 n.o., Simon Shipp 38) by three wickets.

At The Fieldings: MANSFIELD HOSIERY MILLS (20) 230 for 8 (Mark Langford 51, Jason Gorman 61, Justin Miller 6 for 76) beat BRIDON (3) 97 all out (Asela Jayasinghe 3 for 19, Darren Johnson 3 for 17) by 133 runs.

At Goosedale Lane : NOTTS. & ARNOLD AMATEUR (3) 173 all out (Julian Thornhill 78, Mark Silcock 4 for 40, Dave Bell 3 for 27) lost to FARNSFIELD (20) 174 for 3 (Paul Delaney 89) by seven wickets.

 

Provisional League Table

 

 

Division 1

 

Total

 

P

Points

Mansfield Hos. Mills

11

181

Kiveton Park

11

168

Notts & Arnold Am.

10

151

Cutthorpe

11

130

Bridon

11

129

Cuckney

11

126

Thoresby Colliery

12

113

Farnsfield

11

110

Worksop

11

98

Glapwell

11

96

Bolsover

12

86

Edwinstowe

11

81

Blidworth

11

80