Scholes Cricket Club: Marsden:164 - Scholes C.C.:199

  Marsden:164 - Scholes C.C.:199 Back to Games & Reports
  Teams: Score:      
  Marsden vs 164      
  Scholes C.C. 199      
Game Played 8/16/2009 1:00PM  

Marshie's men lift 6th Paddock Shiled
Paddock Shield Final Marsden (164 all out) lost to Scholes (199 for 7) by 35 runs
Scholes Second XI, skippered by Craig Marsh, lifted the Paddock Shield for the sixth time on Sunday with a fine win at a hyperborean Hemplow over Marsden.
Marsh was faced with a difficult decision on winning the toss, and admitted later to hoping he called incorrectly to avoid deciding whether to bat first and post a total, or bowl on what proved to be a damp and spongy surface on which no batsman could ever truly feel in. He decided on the former, probably swayed by the fact that bowler Joe Hinchliffe had sped out of the car park 35 minutes before wickets were pitched, having opened his “coffin” to discover he had indeed left his whites in the dryer some 7 miles away at home. Don’t tell the local constabulary but he set some kind of record by doing the return trip in 23 minutes, and went on to play a very significant role in Scholes’ victory.
Openers Mark Wimpenny and Louis Sykes, a classic combination of sturdy experience and embryonic talent, carefully laid the foundations for what was to be a substantial total on such an unreliable pitch. 26 came from the first ten overs as Hall and Longmore bowled well and without luck. Wimpenny was dropped at slip and then square leg, but the phlegmatic “chief” remained unflustered, and Scholes had reached 66 as drinks were taken at the 25 over mark. Safely ensconced in one of the Marsden “bunkers” under the banking, and sitting on the Albert Butterworth memorial seat, we were mostly sheltered from the perishing wind howling down the golf course above the cricket ground, but the sun simply couldn’t break through the grey clouds wrapped around the Pennines, a real shame considering all the effort Marsden had put into organising the day so well.
Wimpenny (43) finally went with the score on 80, as a hideous lifter went through the surface yet again and thankfully his gloves saved his teeth, although the ball flew gently to keeper Daniel. The 16 year old Sykes watched unperturbed however, resolute in defence and gradually looking to pick up the scoring rate. He had compiled a classy 46 and Scholes stood at a healthy 116 when he fell, unselfishly attempting to hit out as he knew Scholes had some powerful batters still in the shed. Opening bowler Sam Hall was back on for a second spell and looking increasingly dangerous, and Adam Steers, in his sixth Paddock Shield final and desperately hoping to pick up a first winning medal became his third victim, but not before making a classy 29. Richard Wimpenny (24) smashed a couple of sixes, the second of which severely damaged the windscreen of a Scholes supporter’s car unwisely parked at square leg, and both Matthew Boorman (11*) and Jack Bryson (14) made important runs at the end, as Hall with a fine 5 for 30 showed just how much there could be in this wicket for the bowlers. Still Scholes were happy enough with their total of 199 for 7, and could be considered favourites over the tea interval.
The odds on a Scholes win had shortened further after four overs of Marsden’s reply, as they had lost openers Ackroyd and Zaffino with only 12 runs on the board. Opening bowlers Richard Wimpenny and Josh Brook were excellent as a paltry 14 runs came in the next 15 overs, and when Wimpenny castled Danny Clee in the 19th the home side looked stranded on 36 for 3. Daniel (27) resisted bravely until bowled by Joe Hinchliffe, and Clarke made a determined 35 until another brute of a ball reared on to his gloves and he was caught at square leg. Hall then had his timbers shivered by the fired up Hinchliffe, and a sorry run out left Marsden 114 for 7. A brief rally followed but Hinchliffe picked up two more crucial wickets for his “Michelle” (5 for 36), and the coup de gras was applied as Longmore was left yards short going for a suicidal second run, and Marsden were all out for 164, with Matthew Clee left stranded on 26*. A good natured pitch invasion followed as Scholes celebrated their 6th Paddock Shield win in ten final appearances, and afterwards Roger France awarded Louis Sykes the man of the match award for his top score of the final on such a tricky wicket of 46.