BLYTH SPIRIT ON SHOW FROM NEWCOMERS

By Glen Sands


The North Lindsey League's most recent newcomers to the fold travelled from their Nottinghamshire base to rural Lincolnshire to take on Isle of Axholme side Luddington , a round trip of some seventy plus miles and for one of them it was to be a day to remember as Andy Toft picked up bowling figures of  7 for 46 when Luddington batted first on what was a damp track.
Home skipper Gareth Parkin chose to bat first and saw his team make a steady start as Darren Clark and Garthorpe youngster Joe Woolhouse batted watchfully in the conditions. They took the score to 38 before Woolhouse was trapped LBW by Toft for 12 and Martin Fletcher quickly followed , bowled by Toft for just a single with the total at 46. Clark was beginning to open his shoulders and vice captain Andy Lawson soon got into his stride but Clark then played a false shot and was bowled by visiting skipper Jack Tarr for 35. Danny Taylor was out to a spectacular diving catch to give Toft his third victim of the innings then captain Parkin joined his second in command to take the Luddington total past three figures only to drill a return catch to that man Toft having scored a quickfire nine. Arron Curry had an eventful stay at the crease being dropped from his first delivery and playing on his second into his stumps then Lawson went to his second successive half century with his fourth maximum as he threatened to cut loose. Sadly for him he was caught in the deep when he had reached 59 with the overall total on 129 and without a run being added Toft picked up his seventh wicket when bowling Rick Green. Jamie Arrowsmith continued to make quick runs along with Steve Proctor ( 3 ) and Matt Mellers ( 4 not out ) before he was the last man to go having reached 28 , caught off the bowling of Billy Garland but it was Andy Toft who took the plaudits as he left the field for his exceptional bowling display.
Blyth's response saw them lose wickets at regular intervals throughout their innings which never allowed them to set up a base from whichhey might make a successful chase. Opener Osborne was trapped LBW to Arron Curry for seven and the score had not moved from 15 before fellow opener McLaughlin was bowled by Matt Mellers for six. Garland was next to go , being run out when attempting a suicidal run that was never on the cards then bowling hero Andy Toft clipped a shot straight to Gareth Parkin off Curry for eight which left Blyth on 25 for 4. Ten further runs had been added when Luke Dawson was the fifth wicket to fall , trapped LBW by Rick Green for four then Mellers picked up his second of the innings when bowling Wass and another LBW decision saw Butler back in the pavilion this time off the bowling of Jamie Arrowsmith and the writing was on the wall. Danny Taylor got in on the act when catching number five batsman Cooper off Green for five and the match was brought to a conclusion when Joe Woolhouse bowled Jack Tarr for ten , leaving Blyth some 94 runs behind the Luddington total.
So it's two out of two wins for the Isle side now who travel to Everton on Sunday in the first round of the Cup whilst for Blyth they have a week off before heading to Upton cum Kexby in search of what would be a first victory should they manage to overcome their near neighbours.