CAREER BEST FOR MACCA

From Glen Sands - Our Man In t' Isle

Outcasts 3rds gained revenge for their shock defeat at Luddington on July 5 when they beat their Isle of Axholme neighbours quite comprehensively at Hirsts Priory last Sunday.
They were invited to bat first by visiting skipper Graham Clark and having drafted in the clubs in form batsman Jamie Belton the Priorymen made a good start as he and Danny Taylor added 43 before the first wicket fell , Taylor being trapped LBW by Graham Clark for 16. Andy Lawson joined Belton in the middle and soon moved the score on to 63, only for Belton to then hoist a catch to Andy Singleton off Clark for 40. Lawson was always going to be the big wicket for Ludd to capture and they did just that from the first ball after the drinks break when he smashed a full toss from Clark straight to Matt Mellers at mid-off and was out for 21 then Outcasts suffered a mini-collapse when they lost four wickets for just five runs as Luddington hit back hard. Russell Fletcher was trapped LBW by Clark without troubling the scorers, then George Torr was bowled by Mellers having looked good for his 10 runs. Peter Tait had made just one when he was out to the most spectacular catch from Darren Clark, off the bowling of Mellers, but Matty Teal and Charlie Mason then settled things down for the home side and eased the score to 116 before Mason suffered a second successive run out in two weeks, this time hitting a catch to a fielder who subsequently dropped it only for young Mason to have given up the ghost and walked off anyway, leaving it a mere formality that he was run out for 11. Liam McAnaney and Teal then added 21 runs of which Macca had made 12 when he was bowled neck and crop by cousin Graham Clark, and Matty Teal was the second player to get run out, having made an excellent 26, Outcasts eventually making 154 for 9 with Graeme Fletcher finishing 8 not out and Alex Ingleton 2 not out, Graham Clark being the pick of the Luddington bowlers with figures of 5 for 43.

Luddington's reply got off to a very poor start when Liam McAnaney picked up two wickets in his first over, bowling Rick Smith and having Andy Singleton caught at slip by Andy Lawson both for nought. That brought the Clark brothers together and for Ludd to stand any chance of over coming the Outcasts total it was imperative that at least one of them stuck around. Graham had made six when he lifted a catch to Matty Teal, off Graeme Fletcher, bringing great celebrations from the home teamand with the score at 26 they suffered a second serious blow when Darren was caught by rookie wicketkeeper Alex Ingleton off McAnaney for 10.
Gareth Parkin and Arron Curry took the score to 35 before Fletcher bowled Parkin for 14 and Kristian Reed then failed to play a shot to a straight delivery from McAnaney and was trapped LBW without scoring. Curry and Oliver Saxon added 26 runs before Curry chipped a catch to Graeme Fletcher to earn McAnaney his fifth wicket of the innings, and his sixth wasn't long in coming when he bowled Saxon for 10. Steve Proctor was the target of some friendly banter when he went to the middle and for the second week running he was out to a tremendous catch, this time a diving effort by Peter tait off McAnaney when he had made 11 - and the final wicket went to Tait himself when he bowled Barry O'Brien to leave Luddington 83 all out, some 71 runs adrift of the Outcasts total, Liam McAnaney finishing the innings with career best figures of 7 for 25 off 15 overs.
So honours are even over the two games as Outcasts regained some pride following their earlier defeat which means that the weekend team-mates can continue the banter for at least another year! Luddington entertain Brigg on Sunday, while Outcasts have a big game against league leaders Haxey 3rds at Hirst Priory in what promises to be a battle royal.