By Match reports: Cleethorpes Cricket Club records mixed results
There was a mixed bag of results for the Cleethorpes Cricket Club sides in action at the weekend.
The first team won one of their two games, while the seconds were narrowly beaten and the third team pulled off an impressive victory.
The firsts travelled to Treeton in excellent form after recording five successive wins, but they came out on the wrong end of the result.
After winning the toss and batting first, the Treeton opening bowlers stuck to their areas very well and bowled some brilliant deliveries to leave the Meggies reeling at 35-4 and then 86-7.
Some vital lower-order contributions from Kieran Brooker (22) and Josh Knapton (21*) to support Ian Mansfield (47) ensured that a respectable total of 158 all-out was posted.
In reply, the hosts got off to a rapid start and were 50 for no loss after the first six overs.
Cleethorpes showed fantastic character again to reduce Treeton to 115-8. Mayank Mishra (3-31) and Matthew Owen (3-39) again bowled superbly in tandem and with great control during the middle phase of the innings.
Two more wickets for Brooker ensured a nail-biting finale, but with Viraj Bhusole (94*) still at the crease, victory was secured by one wicket for the hosts.
On Sunday, Cleethorpes saw off tough opposition in Tickhill in the second round of the cup.
A bowling attack consisting of Big Bash recruit Liam Guthrie, bowling at a very good pace, were managed well by the Cleethorpes line up and a score of 205-5 off 40 overs was posted.
Cook top scored with a fluent and classy 71, which was supported by two partnerships with James Hubball (22) and Mansfield (46*).
In reply, the Meggies struck early with Knapton removing James Stuart with a brilliant delivery that took out the middle stump. This was followed by another wicket for Knapton and one for Tom Morris.
Control and more wickets then came through Owen (2-33) and a superb spell of spin bowling by Mishra (4-25) ensured a comfortable 60-run victory for Cleethorpes.
Cleethorpes’s seconds slipped to a narrow defeat against Haxey after losing on the final ball of the game in a high-scoring contest.
The Meggies won the toss and had no hesitation of bowling first on a used track at Chichester Road. Patrick Henderson (10) and Mathew Thompson (9) both fell early, while Kris Hall added a fluent 34 before departing softly when looking well set.
The Carlton brothers – Eddie and George – then batted patiently, adding 106 for the fourth wicket before George Carlton (47) fell with the score 171-4 with seven overs left to play. Paul Sunley (0) then departed before Eddie Carlton reached his half-century, finally departing for a patient 53.
Callum Robinson (16*) steered the Meggies to a promising 211-9 total at the end of the innings.
In reply, Cleethorpes bowled tightly at the start with just 25 runs coming from the first 14 overs, with both Alfie Dean and Freddie Lumby bowling excellent new-ball spells. Lumby picked up the wicket of Tonks with a smart caught and bowled.
Andrew Severn joined the attack and continued to squeeze the game. At the 30-over mark, Haxey needed 131 off the final 20 overs, but they were just one wicket down with the dangerous Jack Smith set on 50.
Robinson, both Carltons and Paul Ridley toiled away before Smith was removed for a well-made 90. With 80 needed off the final 10 overs, the game swung back in the Meggies’ favour before three dropped catches began to hurt them.
Deans picked up his first wicket, seeing Tom Smith caught well by E Carlton on the fence. With the game well poised in the final few overs, a bizarre run-out decision caused disbelief both on the pitch and with the supporters.
Haxey secured the final eight runs with one ball to spare following two misfields in the final over to claim the victory.
In a top-of-the-table clash, Cleethorpes beat Horncastle at blossom way.
The hosts batted first and got off to a flyer, with Akbar Amadzai and Stuart Wood putting on a 30-run opening partnership before the former fell to a run-out after casually walking out of his crease.
Wickets fell at regular intervals after the fast start, with Rob Cowlam, Hanzullah Niazi and Wood (24) all falling without building a meaningful partnership.
Max Chapman and Simon Taylor batted well against a chirpy attack and gradually began to rebuild the innings, putting together a 56-run partnership before Taylor (25) fell to a low bouncing long hop.
Arifkhan Waklizai and Rasoulkhan Ahmadzai were unable to keep up the momentum, bringing Will Hollamby to the crease for the final eight overs. Taking advantage of some loose bowling and smart running, they managed to put on a quick-fire 50 partnership to leave Cleethorpes on 187-7 off their 45 overs, with Chapman hitting 68 not and Hollamby notching 17 not out.
In response, Horncastle raced to 66-1 off the first 10 overs, utilising the hard, new ball and pace bowling. A change of bowling to Hanzullah (2-30) and Akbar (2-25) began to stem the flow of runs, with four of the opposition’s top order being removed.
After Niazi claimed the wicket of Nathan Whiting (50) shortly after drinks, the visitors were 110-5 before wickets began to fall at regular intervals.
The runs continued to flow and the target still seemed reachable until debutant Jacob Ibbotson (4-20), Hollamby and Liam Macfarlane produced an excellent spell of bowling to restrict the visitors’ runs. They found themselves 142-9 going into the last 10 overs.
Arif (2-39) eventually picked up the final wicket, leaving the visitors 27 runs short to ensure Cleethorpes took all 20 points to consolidate their position at the top of the table.
