LUDD v UPTON CUM KEXBY, NORTH LINDSEY DIV 3

By GLEN SANDS

Luddington maintained their unbeaten start to the season when beating Upton cum Kexby in what was a rain interupted game on the Isle.
Umpires Mick Walker and Paul Goodhand are to be congratulated for ensuring the game was played to a conclusion along with groundsman Dill Pullan who did well to get the pitch playable despite the inclement weather that saw them sensibly take an early tea break then finish the game as the rain began to tumble down once again , both making sure that the ground was safe enough to continue after a good half an hours doucing.
Home skipper Gareth Parkin won the toss and chose to bat first on what was a low and slow wicket and the Isle side made a decent start with Joe Woolhouse and Darren Clark batting well. The understanding of when to run is improving game by game and they looked solid as they took the score to 27 before Woolhouse was trapped LBW by John Mattioli for eleven. Danny Taylor was bowled by a beauty from Mark Green with just one further run on the board then Andy Lawson and Clark took the total to 73 , Lawson in particular hitting the ball to all parts with great power. He had made 40 when he was caught on the boundary by Mattioli off Martyn Snell and Clark soon followed for a patient sixteen , well held by Tom Wray  this time off Toby Roberts leaving Ludd stuttering on 75 for 4. Skipper Gareth Parkin guided the ball straight to Shaun Metcalfe at backward square to give Roberts a second wicket after which the threatening clouds opened to bring about an early tea. Once things had dried enough for them to restart Rick Green and Jamie Arrowsmith set about rebuilding the Luddington innings , taking the game to the visitors with some blistering shots. Arrowsmith had scored an impressive 38 when he was bowled by Roberts with the overall score on 140 then Green was bowled by Snell for 28 valuable runs and the visitors fought back to bowl Ludd out for 154 , Snell , Mark Green and Toby Roberts each picking up three wickets.
The Upton cum Kexby rep got off to a steady but reasonable start with Nick Ward-Lowery and Tom Wray batting well in the face of some tight bowling by Matthew Mellers and Arron Curry. They put together an opening stand of 44 then Curry tempted Wray into a rash shot , bowling him for 23 which brought Saun Metcalfe to the crease. Ward- Lowery was next to go , becoming frustrated by the miserly bowling and chipping a catch to Rick Green off Curry for 21 and that heralded the arrival of Haydn Green to the middle. Metcalfe was the third wicket to fall when being turned down for a quick single by Green to be run out with the total on 60 but John Mattioli then joined the visitors wicket keeper batsman to take the total past three figures. Danny Taylor had replaced Mellers by then but he was proving just as difficult to score off and as the overs ticked by Upton were having to take more and more risks. Jamie Arrowsmith took over from Curry and picked up the wicket of Mattioli , bowled for 24 with the total on 105 then Matthew Mellers returned to take the all important wicket of Green for 29 which effectively won the game for Ludd. Martyn Snell and Joe Birkett finished the innings with an unbeaten partnership of sixteen as the rain began to fall once more but it was not enough as Luddington gained the three points to maintain their place at the top of the Third Division table.
So once again Luddington produced an excellent team performance  with good contributions all round whilst Upton cum Kexby remain without a victory so far , although they too contributed in what was a well contested match in a very sporting mnner. Ludd will take on unbeaten Normanby Park on Sunday and Upton travel to Blyth in search of that elusive first win.