SCOTHERN v OUTCASTS - LINCS LEAGUE DIVISION ONE

BY GLEN SANDS

2012 was not a year to be remembered for Outcasts 1st eleven as they avoided relegation by the narrowest of margins but their first game under the captaincy of Richard Wroot brought a change of fortune as they gained a full 20 points when beating Scothern by 4 wickets in the bracing Lincolnshire air.Scothern batted first and quickly lost opener Mark Conyers , who had been something of a nemesis to the Isle side in the past , bowled by a terrific delivery from Matty Teal having made just two but that brought the in form Peter Wright to the crease fresh from an opening day half century and he looked in top form with an array of splendid shots. However just as he appeared set to put together a big score he attempted a pull to leg off the speedy Graeme Fletcher sending the ball spiralling into the air for skipper Wroot to take a difficult catch in the gusty wind, Wright having made 23 in no time at all. That left Scothern on 48 for 2 and in need of a calming period which they got from young opener Scott Nicholson and Joe Drabble who took the total to 93 before Drabble was caught by Tom Sharpe off the impressive Teal for 22. Nicholson had rode his luck at times when being dropped on a couple of occasions but just when he looked set for a half century he drove at Liam McAnaney and edged a sharp chance to Wroot who's glove work was impeccable throughout the innings and he was gone for a well constructed 42. Richard Johnson did'nt last long , making just a single before sending a catch back to the now spin bowler Tom Sharpe who has decided to revert back to his junior days when he bowled spin for the county then with the score on 123 Sam Naughton became Wroot's third victim when he edged McAnaney to the keeper having hit a brisk 22.Home captain Ian Brown lofted a catch to Graham Clark off Sharpe when he'd made a dozen , leaving Scothern on 139 for 7 in the 40th over but number eight Drabble and number nine Ian McGowan took the game to the visitors and progressed the score to 160 before Drabble was run out by a terrific piece of athletisism from Liam McAnaney who picked the ball up in his follow through , swivelled , then threw down the stumps with Drabble out of his crease. Simon nHarvey chopped a delivery from Sharpe onto his stumps in the 44th over and the innings came to a close when McGowan was caught in the deep by soldier Clark off McAnaney for 24 leaving Scothern all out for 178. Sharpe and McAnaney both took three wickets whilst Matty Teal was outstanding with figures of 15 overs 7 maidens 2 for 33 and Graeme Fletcher also played his part with his opening burst in what was reasonable fielding display apart from a couple missed catches.
Not content with his bowling stint Matty Teal then opened the innings with Scott Buttrick and it was Teal who set them on the way with some excellent shots. Runs were flowing and he had reached 25 when he pushed the ball to cover and set off, then inexplicably failed to run his bat in as Ian McGowan hit the stumps directly to send him back to the boundary edge. New recruit John Stokoe joined Buttrick in the middle and for a while they nudged the ball around as Scothern chose to take the pace off the ball when bringing on medium paced Mark Conyers. Buttrick couldn't find any rythme and having struggled to 13 he was caught by home skipper Ian Brown off Joe Drabble with the total on 66 and with just a couple of runs added it became 68 for 3 when Andy Lawson was bowed by Drabble as the Lincolnshire villagers fought back. Russell Fletcher hit one majestic boundary only to then hit a catch to Peter Wright of the wiley Ian McGowan who had entered the frey and at 78 for 4 Outcasts knew they needed a partnership of some quality if they were to have a chance of victory. Enter Spud Tait, fresh from a half century for the second eleven on opening day, and along with Stokoe who was proving his worth with a very confident first knock they took the total past three figures. McGowan was very economical but Scothern couldn't find a foil for him at the other end , particularly with skipper Brown being unable to bowl due to a problem with his back. The total had reached 109 when McGowan struck a blow for his team trapping Stoke LBW for 33 which saw Graham Clark join the ever impressive Tait at the crease. Richard Johnson , so often the scourge of the Isle side for once had an off day as both Tait and Clark took advantage with some splendid boundaries so Scothern brought on Jon Drabble and he picked up Clark in his first over , caught in the deep for 13 leaving Outcasts on 140 for 6 , some 39 runs short of their target. Skipper Richard Wroot had held himself back and his decision proved to be a very good one as he and Tait proceeded to guide their team home. Tait brought up a second successive half century with a six and Wroot also cleared the ropes before hitting the winning boundary in the penultimate over to earn Outcasts a well deserved victory , Tait ending on 55 and Wroot on 22. Ian McGowan was the pick of the Scothern bowling with figures for 2 for 45 from 14.4 overs.Credit should go to umpire Robyn Wilkinson who was standing on his own on a bitter spring afternoon. He showed great concentration throughout and generally umpired the game very well indeed.
So the season is underway for Outcasts 1st eleven and they couldn't have made a better start. There were several performances of note but it would be unfair to single anyone out for praise when as a team they produced a terrific display which they will look to take into their next game at Hirst Priory against Horncastle who have made a very good start themselves having won both games so far. Scothern on the other hand find themselves in a rare position of having lost their opening two games and will hope to improve that start when they travel to take on Messingham 2nds on Saturday , although with the talent they have at their disposal it is only a matter of time before they get back to winning ways.