LUDDINGTON v SCUNTHORPE SCORPIONS - BROUGHTON EVENING LEAGUE

Luddington and Scunthorpe Scorpions played out a thrilling tie on June 12th in the Broughton Evening League in a game that ebbed and flowed before the scores finished level on 117 apiece, writes Glen Sands.Luddington batted first and made a terrific start as Oliver Coulman , fresh from a year in Australia , and Peter Tait took the game to the Scorpions bowlers with an array of outstanding shots. Coulman hit two sixes and a four in his score of 32 before he was first out to a superb caught and bowled from Rory Franklin with the total on 60 then Tait was caught by Jake Snowden off Matt Pashley for 35 having helped take the overall score to 84. Andy Lawson was trapped LBW by Pashley for 13 then Scott Buttrick and Jamie Arrowsmith added 31 runs to close the innings on 117 for 4 , Arrowsmith being run out off the last delivery for 19 with Buttrick finishing 12 not out. The Scorpions fought back well to restrict Ludd to 117 after the Isle side had made such a good start , Pashley in particular bowling well , taking 2 for 27 from his four overs.
Matt Teal bowled Kane Brown for three and Arron Curry had Alan Pashley LBW when attempting a cheeky reverse sweep , leaving Scunthorpe 4 for 2 from just two overs but Ian Snowden and Jake Smith batted well to force the pace and put their team well in command even when Snowden was out for 26 , bowled by Scott Buttrick with the total on 63. Jack Snowden went cheaply , caught by Matt Teal off Buttrick which brought Rory Franklin and George Hanson together. The two youngsters ran superbly and pressured the Ludd fielders in conditions that were far from ideal as the clouds grew increasingly darker but just when all seemed lost in the final over Franklin was stumped by Mick Wills for eleven to give Buttrick his third wicket leaving the Scorpions on 110 for 5 , still in need of eight to win. Matt Pashley hit a boundary to put his team within one scoring shot of victory only for Buttrick to then bowl him. Incredibly Buttrick picked up a fifth wicket with the penultimate delivery which meant Scunthorpe needed two to win from the final ball of the game and in dramatic style Paul " Biscuit " Franklin was run out having completed one of those two runs which brought about a tied result in the gathering gloom out on the Isle.
The result leaves the Scorpions on six points in third place whilst Luddington climbed the table into fourth spot with five points from their opening four games. They travel to Barton on June 19th , a very long journey for an evening league game whilst Scunthorpe head to Normanby Park who are still looking for their first victory of the evening league campaign.