CAISTOR JUST MISS OUT IN HIGH SCORING GRIMSBY KNOCKOUT CLASH

Dom Rhodes receiving his man of the match award from Grimsby treasurer Pete Wood

PICTURE AND REPORT FROM ANN BOULTON

In the highest scoring Grimsby Town Knock Out match so far this year, just eight runs separated the two teams at the close.
Fenner and Caistor’s third attempt to play their first round match saw two half-centuries and two wicket partnerships of more than 100.
It was Fenner who finally triumphed to go through to Monday’s semi final against Lincolnshire Cavaliers but both sides produced some exciting batting with a number of lost balls as sixes sailed over the Augusta Street trees.
Caistor won the toss and invited their Hull opponents to bat, Sahan Wijerathne scoring the first success when Ross Davy was trapped lbw in the fifth over.  However, by now Fenner already had more than 50 on the board and Dominic Rhodes and Sam Fuller continued the onslaught, adding 102 for the next wicket and taking the game into the 14th of the 16 eight-ball overs.
Rhodes hit 88 off 51 balls with six sixes and four fours before falling to  catch by Kevin Parker off Jake Parker and Fuller was then stumped by Nick Dobbs off Wijerathne for 41.
A run out in the final over brought the innings to a close on 176 for four, Wijerathne finishing with an economical two for 19 off his four overs before going out to open with Harry Boulton.
The first four overs yielded 33 runs as Rhodes proved he was also an economical bowler but the next four brought 50 runs and by the time Ross Davy took the first wicket in the 11th over, Caistor had 104 on the board.
Davy bowled the Sri Lankan for 58 which came off 49 balls with six fours and in the next over Boulton was stumped by Mike Cooke off Phil Rusling for 39.
This slowed the run rate and when Davy bowled skipper Liam Wood in the 13th over, Caistor still needed 50 to win.  This became  37 off 16 balls, then 26 off the final over bowled by Rusling.  The first three balls brought only two runs but Dobbs hit the next three for two fours and a six, leaving 10 off the last two.  But the next went for only two and Dobbs was stumped off the final ball for 36 to leave Caistor on 168 for five.
Rhodes’ innings earned him the man of the match award and his team will return on Monday for their semi-final.

SCORECARD

FENNER
D Rhodes c K Parker b J Parker 88
R Davy lbw Wijerathne 5
S Fuller st Dobbs b Wijerathne 41
P Daniels run out 0
M Cooke not out 13
G Williamson not out 1
Extras 28
Total (4 wkts) 176
Bowling: S Wijerathne 4-0-19-2; T Brown 1-0-29-0; S Clark 4-0-35-0; J Parker 4-0-56-1; L Wood 3-0-32-0.

CAISTOR
H Boulton st Cooke b Rusling 39
S Wijerathne b Davy 58
L Wood b Davy 15
N Dobbs st Cooke b Rusling 36
J Parker run out 5
K Parker not out 2
Extras 13
Total (5 wkts) 168
Bowling: D Rhodes 4-0-38-0; M Arundell 4-0-43-0; R Davy 4-0-38-2; P Rusling 4-0-45-2.