Scholes Cricket Club: Elland:110 - Scholes C.C.:153

  Elland:110 - Scholes C.C.:153 Back to Games & Reports
  Teams: Score:      
  Elland vs 110      
  Scholes C.C. 153      
Game Played 8/29/2009 1:30PM  

GREAT WIN AT ELLAND EDGES SCHOLES CLOSER
Sat 29th August Elland (110 all out) lost to Scholes (153 all out)
One more win. Scholes’ extraordinary 2009 Premiership campaign of 17 wins from 23 matches, including a remarkable 13 six point hauls, has left them with 107 points, already two more than champions Honley won their fourth successive title with in 2008, with three matches left to play. With an 11 point lead over their only realistic title rivals Skelmanthorpe, one more win will secure the Premiership title for the third time since Scholes entered the Huddersfield District League in 1988. Of course the sting in the tail is that Saturday sees Skelmanthorpe visiting Scholes, and the Lidget Laner’s will be ultra determined to delay Scholes’ celebrations for at least one more day by completing the double over James Noble’s side. However, even this very cautious, glass half empty Lancastrian will bow to the effervescent and unshakable confidence of stalwart Scholes supporter Aidrian, who has been re-assuring me for a month that “It’s all over”. I still can’t help worrying about Scholes losing all six points in very tough matches to Skelmanthorpe and Shepley at the weekend and surrendering their lead; but then I think of Scholes’ marvellous win at Elland last Saturday, and Skelmanthorpe’s horrendous defeat at Clayton West on Sunday, and believe that surely the momentum is with the Chapelgater’s to go on and clinch the title..

Hullen Edge lacks atmosphere at the best of times, and the combination of the Giants at Wembley and a cruel wind whipping across Elland’s massive ground resulted in there being only a handful of spectators present for such an important game. Elland asked Scholes to bat, and seemingly moments later the League leaders were 1 for 3 with openers Noble and Smith and Louis Sykes already back in the shed. Latif then went for 13 and Brook ran himself out for duck, and although Mott battled hard for his 29 and helped the resolute Iqbal Khan take it up to 83, three more quick wickets fell to a combination of fine bowling and poor shot selection, and Scholes were seemingly stranded on a lowly 98 for 9. What happened next will be the stuff of Scholes folklore for years to come if Richard Holmes has anything to do with it. Bristling with righteous indignation at the failings of his team mates “Bubbles” strode out to the wicket like a man possessed, determined to help the valiant Khan get Scholes up to a defendable score. 55 runs later he perished, harshly adjudged lbw for 13, but the consummate glovesman had done his job in scampering through for countless two’s with Khan, and he had even stroked a couple of boundaries. Khan was left undefeated on a superb 72*, and 153 looked a half decent score with the grass left so long on the football pitch at the grammar school end it was virtually impossible to hit a boundary down there.
Scholes failed to take the early wickets their opponents had, but the scoring rate was always kept in check, as Baxter managed 4 runs in the first 14 overs. At drinks on 28 overs Elland were 61 for 1, leaving them needing a further 93 runs in 22 overs with nine wickets left, and some big hitters to come. It looked to be a comfortable position and Scholes were slightly flagging, fully aware that Skelmanthorpe looked odds on to secure yet another fine six point win at home to Delph and Dobcross. However Elland skipper Robinson strode on to the pitch to tell his men to get a move on, a bold move that backfired massively as Baxter (24) and Scott (18) fell immediately unwisely hitting out, and then Robinson himself went for a duck and Buckley made only one as they became the first two of Alsop’s seven victims and the home side had collapsed to 63 for 5. “Sloppy” was simply irresistible thereafter, as wickets continued to fall at regular intervals, and even Thornton (7) had a rare failure against Scholes. Elland crumbled to 110 all out in the 47th over, and a jubilant Scholes knew they had taken a massive stride towards winning the Premiership title. Mott’s 2 for 24 in 12 overs and 29 runs was an important contribution, and Shahnawaz had another two victims in his fine season, and Alsop’s 7 for 44 in 20 overs was one of his finest ever spells for the Chapelgater’s.