Scholes Cricket Club: Scholes C.C.:192 - Barkisland:144

  Scholes C.C.:192 - Barkisland:144 Back to Games & Reports
  Teams: Score:      
  Scholes C.C. vs 192      
  Barkisland 144      
Game Played 6/20/2009 1:30PM  

SYKESY STUNS BARKISLAND
(Scholes (192 for 9) beat Barkisland (144 all out) by 48 runs
Scholes stand six points clear of their nearest Premiership rivals after an excellent 48 run win over Barkisland on Saturday. The fact that the audacious 16 year old Louis Sykes, promoted from the second team after making runs for fun all season in the Premiership 2, was the catalyst for their victory, was a huge bonus for James Noble’s title chasing side. For Sykes settled into First team cricket with aplomb – composed, unflappable and displaying impeccable shot selection his innings of 65 on debut was of the highest promise.
Barkisland’s Paul Winrow must have expected there to be some juice in the wicket as he asked Scholes to bat first, and he was soon vindicated as Noble, Smith and Khan were all back in the shed with a forlorn 27 on the board. Sykes strolled out to join the grittily determined Latif, and after middling his first ball for a single never looked back. The ball was wobbling about, and Barkisland’s attack is far from shabby, spearheaded by the lively Sri Lankan Billa, and yet Sykes remained an oasis of calm. The pair added 123 for the fourth wicket, with the younger man outscoring his illustrious partner as he reached his 50 with a six over mid on and a fluent drive through mid off for 4 in the next over. Sykes perished with eight overs left, as he looked to accelerate further and skied Billa to midwicket, having stroked six 4’s and three 6’s in his memorable 65. The fact that Scholes made such a complete pig’s ear of the rest of the innings was testimony to the quality of what had gone before. Latif went lbw to Robinson after reaching his patient and very valuable half century, and the rest of his colleagues expired quickly in their lust to smash the ball to all corners of Chapelgate, failing to appreciate that a simple six runs an over would have got Scholes up to the 200 mark, a fairly formidable total on this wicket. Billa, varying his pace ball by ball, deserved his 5 for 45 from 16 overs, and Robinson chipped in at the death with 3 for 21.
Barkisland’s new all rounder Scholefield has been a heavy scorer for Mirfield Parish Cavaliers for the past few seasons, and his former colleagues Khan, Latif and Shahnawaz were delighted when he fell for a duck to Mott, adjudged lbw as the ball dipped back in to the all rounder. It was 10 for 2 when Taylor played on off an Alsop slower ball, but the experienced Winrow and Weston set about their repair job with gusto. Former Scholes skipper Weston, playing at Chapelgate for the first time since leaving to be closer to his home at Barkisland, will have expected some good natured abuse from the likes of Coldwell on the sidelines, but it should never be forget that Dave Weston played a huge role in helping Scholes reach the pinnacle of local cricket in winning the Sykes Cup in 1996, and back to back Premierships in 2000 and 2001. The two W’s had took it up to 74 by the time Shahnawaz replaced the wholehearted Tom Brook, and as usual Scholes’ new golden arm somehow persuaded Weston (27) to guide a gentle long hop outside the off stump into the waiting hands of Smith at gully. Fraine was bowled neck and crop in Shahnawaz’s next over, but Winrow remained unperturbed, stroking the ball through midwicket with regularity, and with 80 required off the last 15 overs with six wickets left the equation was simple for Scholes, if Winrow remained at the crease to the end the visitors would most likely win. Alsop had looked to be understandably flagging as he had bowled unchanged up the Scholes slope throughout, but working perfectly in tandem with the indomitable Shahnawaz, their next nine overs put the game out of sight for the visitors, as a paltry 16 runs were conceded. As the wickets began to tumble there were two more razor sharp stumpings by Holmes, and the pressure finally told on Winrow, who holed out to Noble at deep square leg for a very noble 80, studded with twelve silky boundaries. Barkisland’s last five wickets fell at a clatter for eight runs as they were bowled out in the 47th over for 144, with the relentless Alsop castling Steers in his 24th consecutive over, securing his 6th victim at the cost of 54 runs, a Herculean effort up the hill. Alsop modestly reckoned “it’s coming out all right” later that night, as we deduced that he has bowled 53 overs for 92 runs and taken 14 wickets in his last three matches, all against good sides. Shanawaz had again done the business with 3 for 37 from his 12, and Mott, restricted to six overs by a slight shoulder strain, had done his bit in getting rid of the dangerous Scholefield.
Scholes II’s also still top the premiership after a gutsy win over a talented Barkisland in the reverse fixture. Steers (35) Clayton (33) and Richard Wimpenny (43) laid a sturdy foundation for the late pyrotechnics of skipper Marsh’s 34 ball 56, in which he assures me he didn’t slog any of his six maximums into the churchyard, and a rapid 25 from the burly blade of Jack Bryson. 239 for 9 looked a winning score, but the home side were undaunted, and at 158 for 4 with 16 overs left looked on course for victory with Raven undefeated on 60. But then Steers stuck out a size 10 that deflected a drive off his own bowling on to the unlucky Raven’s stumps to secure the cruellest of dismissals, and despite the best efforts of 14 year old Westbrook (44) the home side subsided to 201 for 9. Joe Hinchliffe took 4 for 38 from his 11 overs, including a rare triumvirate of sharp caught and bowled dismissals, and Steers chipped in with 2 for 21.