GRIMSBY TOWN SEE OFF LOUTH IN KNOCKOUT AT AUGUSTA STREET

BY ANN BOULTON

Grimsby Town CC won through to the final of their own Knock Out competition for the second year in succession in a nail-biting semi-final that saw Louth fail by just two runs to overtake their opponent’s total.

Grimsby won the toss and elected to bat but lost Neal Snell with the score on 15, wicketkeeper Matt Crowther making the first of three dismissals in the innings with a catch off Mark Roberts.

This brought Harry Warwick out to join Richard Antcliffe, captain for the evening in the absence of Jim Morgan, and these two put on 119, taking the game into the penultimate over when Antcliffe was bowled by England international Arran Brindle for 68 which he hit off 60 balls with two sixes and six fours.

Warwick went on to make an unbeaten 53 off 49 balls with two sixes and three fours but, in the race for runs off the final over, lost two more partners, both stumped by Crowther off Andy Carrington.

Grimsby finished on 149 for four and Louth’s innings followed much the same pattern, Brindle falling to Matthew Cocks with 11 on the board.  Crowther and Rory Osmond then added 75 before a good throw from David White saw Crowther run out one short of his half century, his 49 coming off 38 balls with four fours.

Osmond and Laurence Scott kept the scoreboard moving until a good ball from Johannes Diseko bowled Osmond for 31 and Graham West then joined Scott who fell to Carl Taylor with the score on 106.

With 16 balls to go, Louth needed 30 runs and when West was run out by Antcliffe the target was down to 21 off 10.  Going into the final over, it was 14 off eight, with Matt Hamilton and Roberts at the crease and Cocks bowling.  This became 10 off four and Roberts then hit a four to set up a thrilling finish.

But Cocks kept his head, giving away only a single then bowling a dot ball which left Roberts with the unenviable task of trying to hit a four to tie or a six to win off the final ball.  The batsmen were only able to run two and Grimsby were through to the final. 

The umpires made a particular mention of Crowther’s performance but gave Man of the Match to Antcliffe who was presented with the award by Ian Boyd of Graypen Ltd who sponsored the match (above).