JUST ONE BALL POSSIBLE IN SECOND HALF OF OUTCASTS v SCOTHERN

BY GLEN SANDS

Outcasts and Scothern were thwarted by the rain on Saturday in Lincs League Division One, when the heavens opened after tea at Hirst Priory with the Lincoln outfit having set what was likely to be a testing target thanks to a blistering last fifteen overs.
Home skipper Russell Fletcher won the toss and invited Scothern to bat first in sultry conditions and it was the Isle sidewho took control of the early proceedings with some exellent bowling. Tom Sharpe and Graeme Fletcher troubled the Scothern top order and it was young Fletch who took the first wicket when he had Simon Harvey caught by Andy Torr for nine with the total on 21. He struck again when Peter Wright misjudged a delivery that struck his off stump making it 23 for 2 and Outcasts tails were well and truely up when Fletcher grabbed his third wicket , having Johnny Drabble caught by Graham Clark for just two runs. Richard Johnson , often the scurge of the Outcasts side was caught by wicket keeper Mark Fletcher off Jonathan Wroot having scored just a couple and he followed that bytrapping James Drabble first ball leaving Scothern on 38 for 5. That left Wroot on a hat trick and although he did'nt manage it he still bowled quite well as opener Mark Conyers and Jacob Smith set about steadying the innings. Conyers had worked hard for his 32 then offered a simple catch to Scott Buttrick off the bowling of the tireless Tom Sharpe who in truth probably deserved more than the one wicket he picked up but as has often been the case for Outcasts this season they allowed their opponents off the hook in the latter end of their allotted overs. To their credit Scothern showed great determination with Smith and skipper Ian Brown putting on a tremendous 80 run partnership for the seventh wicket , Brown in particular batting superbly. He transformed the game with some outanding shots before being caught behind by Mark Fletcher off the bowling of the returning Graeme but there was to be no rest for the home bowlers as Callum Pearse joined Smith in the middle to continue the onslaught. Smith had made 33 when he was the eighth wicket to fall , bowled by the wiley Andy Torr who opened with a wicket maiden. That saw Ian McGowan stride to the middle and like his captain before him he set about the Outcasts attack with gusto. He and Pearse took the total to 201 for 8 by the end of the 45 overs, the final few being played in ever increasingly gloomy skies and as often seems to happen it began to rain immediately after the tea break. 
Scothern managed just one delivery before umpires Brian Cross and Mick Stothard brought the players off and it did'nt take long for them to abandon the game as the rain clattered down and the thunder rumbled above the Hirst Priory ground.
So Outcasts picked up eight points from the match and Scothern ten - a points total that in truth did few favours for either side in their quests at either end of the Division One table. 
The Priorymen have just two games remaining now against Louth 2nds and Bracebridge Heath and it is fair to say they ow need to win them both to stand any hopes of avoiding finishing bottom of the table.