Scholes Cricket Club: Scholes C.C.:157 - Hoylandswaine:158

  Scholes C.C.:157 - Hoylandswaine:158 Back to Games & Reports
  Teams: Score:      
  Scholes C.C. vs 157      
  Hoylandswaine 158      
Game Played 8/2/2009 2:00PM  

HOYLANDSWAINE NICK IT IN THRILLER
ROMIDA SPORTS 2020 CUP FINAL 2-08-09
Scholes (157 for 4) SOMEHOW! lost to Hoylandswaine (158 for 7) by 3 wickets
A miserable mizzle, that clung so stubbornly to the Holme Valley hill tops like an unwanted rash on Saturday afternoon, and prevented any play in Scholes’ crucial home game against visitors Slaithwaite, enabled Premiership rivals Skelmanthorpe to stealthily move in to second place in the race for the Byrom Shield. The Lidget Laner’s were the only Premiership game to finish, and in taking six points off Holmfirth they leapfrogged Honley and Shepley to move 14 points behind leaders Scholes with 8 games left.
With the Second XI also unable to start, attention was then focused on Sunday’s Romida Sports 2020 Cup final against Hoylandswaine, hosted by Scholes at a gloriously sunny Chapelgate. And what a final a large and vociferous crowd was lucky enough to witness, as Conference Court Conference leaders Hoylandswaine came back from the dead to pluck an incredible last over victory from under the noses of home favourites Scholes.

Much, much earlier the Premiership leaders had raced away to 51 for 0 off the first five overs, as Mott made a rapid 18 and the burly blade of Shahnawaz proved mightily effective in this form of cricket, as the man whose insurance firm had sponsored Scholes’ suitably garish new shirts raced to 32 in no time before Lakmal shivered his (black for the day) timbers. The two promoted to pinch hit bowlers had sadly provided a bit of a false dawn for Scholes however, as tight line and length bowling and tigerish fielding from the visitors saw Scholes add a miserly 43 runs in the next ten overs. The Chapelgater’s hopes of posting a really daunting target had perished in a middle order malaise that left some talented hitters stranded back in the shed at the end of the innings. Latif went for 9 and Khan struggled to find his timing until the last five overs, when the veteran finally opened his shoulders to hit three sixes towards the end and bring up his half century (55*), aided by Andy Alsop’s uncomplicated 31 which helped ensure Scholes at least had a half decent score to defend with 157 for 4.

Opinions were divided over tea as to whether Scholes would have enough, but I doubt if there was a person in the ground who gave Hoylandswaine a prayer of victory after five overs as they meekly crumbled to a deathly 25 for 5. All their main batters were gone including the prolific Ashton, who was stumped off a wide after wandering out of his crease for a Sunday stroll. Wright mis-timed a pull also off Shahnawaz, and with Mott castling both Simon and Lockwood, and Dickinson smartly run out by Latif it looked all over bar the shouting. Bashford (22) shone briefly, but when Lakmal became Josh Brook’s second victim, Hoylandswaine looked to be out for the count on 62 for 7. I thought so, I’m sure most of the crowd thought so, and in my defence so did the group of people I was standing with – which included the Examiner Sports Editor, Examiner cricket correspondent, and several Premiership umpires. And yet all those years of accumulated cricketing wisdom were to be proved unutterably wrong in the remarkable nine overs of compelling cricket that followed.
Simon Chadburn and Dan Walton were the culprits to Scholes eyes, and outright heroes to the Hoylandswaine following who could hardly believe what they were witnessing. Chadburn had his deserved slice of luck when Craig Marsh safely pouched a steepling catch at mid on with the score on 85, only to look down in horror to see one foot had stepped over the boundary line, but no more chances were given. Although 84 were required with only seven overs left, the ‘Swaine pairing began to gather belief as they stayed together and the boundaries began to flow. 36 were needed from the last three, and the fateful last over saw the visitors requiring 14 to win from the six balls to be sent down by Shahnawaz. Incredibly for such an experienced cricketer he opened with a no ball, and six runs came from the next three balls. Another no ball followed to the despair of the Scholes supporters and two runs were scrambled leaving Hoylandswaine needing four to win, and Chadburn “Chinese cut” Shahnawaz past a despairing Holmes to the boundary off the penultimate ball to spark wild celebrations from Hoylandswaine players and supporters. Chadburn was named man of the match for his memorable 62* and Walton’s unbeaten 39 was equally as valuable as Hoylandswaine triumphed in a brilliantly exciting game of cricket.