ISLE DERBY

By Glen Sands

The eagerly awaited Isle of Axholme clash between Luddington and Outcasts 3rds produced a thrilling match which went right to the wire before home side Luddington secured a morale boosting first win of the season. The two clubs have very strong roots with players on both sides being team mates on Saturdays for the Outcasts Lincolnshire League teams and on Thursdays for Luddington's Snaith evening league team so there was always going to be that little extra spice to this encounter and so it proved as no quarter was asked or given on either side.

Luddington won the toss and chose to bat first but openers Darren Clark and Rich Smith were given little to feed off as Priorymen skipper Liam McAnaney and Graeme Fletcher bowled exremely tightly , conceeding less than a run an over in the first ten. Smith was caught by Matthew Teal off McAnaney with the score on seven , bringing Liam's cousin Graham to join his brother in the middle as the pressure intensified. Suddenly Darren slipped his shackles and began to play some terrific shots including a spledid cover drive off his cousin but just when he appeared to be going well he smacked a drive straight to his drinking pal Peter Tait in the covers and was caught off the bowling of youngster Charles Mason for 26.Andy Singleton then went to the creaseand along with his skipper added 28 runs before Liam enjoyed a magic moment of his own when bowling cousin Graham with a beauty , Clarky having made 21 at that stage. Celebrations were loud and proud from the visitors skipper who certainly enjoyed the moment but if the thought was that Ludd were on the slide they were certainly made to change their opinion as the middle order dug deep to bring the home side back into the match. Singleton was caught by Russell Fletcher off Matthew Teal for three then Kristian Reed and Steve Proctor put together a competent partnership of 23 before Reed was caught by Graeme Fletcher off Teal again for 16 , his best knock so far for Luddington. It was a similar situation for Oliver Saxon who along with Proctor helped take the total to three figures. Proctor was just beginning to open his shoulders and had reached 20 when he was superbly caught by George Torr on the deep mid wicket boundary , earning Graeme Fletcher his first wicket of the innings then Saxon himself went for 17 caught by Teal off Peter Tait with the score on 122 for 7. Fletcher picked up two further wickets , those of Rick Green ( LBW ) and Matt Mellers who was well caught and bowlede by the young starlet but that final wicket just would not come and Ludd finished the innings on a creditable 139 for 9 , Graeme Fletcher being the pick of the Outcasts bowlers with 3 for 24 aided by Liam McAnaney's 2 for 39 and Matt Teal's 2 for 25.

Even the tea break could'nt deflect from family rivalry as Graham and Darren's mother Lois provided food and drink for the two sides , evenly shared it must be said with no hint of home bias , then Outcasts set about chasing the Luddington total with openers Danny Taylor and Scott Buttrick facing Barry O'Brien and Graham Clark.

Barry was celebrating the news that he had just become a grandad for the first time at the ripe old age of 58 and he soon punched the air with delight when he bowled Buttrick for two with the total on five but things could have been even better were it not for a first ball dropped catch that let Taylor off the hook to go on and top score.The big hitting dangerman Andy Lawson joined Taylor in the middle and as ever he made batting appear much easier than it really was. He hit one huge six into the adjacent school field and then another searing four as Ludd apperaed set to rue an earlier dropped catch from him at mid wicket but the wiley old grandad then struck a major blow when he trapped him plum infront of the stumps to send him back to the hutch for 21 when the total stood at 33. George Torr then went to the crease and played some excellent shots to remind Ludd that Lawson's demise did not necessarily signal the end of the danger but home skipper Graham Clark then brought Matthew Mellers on at the Park Lane end and it proved to be a master stroke as he produced a terrific spell of bowling. Torr had made 14 valuable runs before Mellers produced a good delivery to bowl him with the score standing at 55 and that brought the experienced Russell Fletcher to the middle. He played three imperious cover drives off Arron Curry as he and Taylor took the score to 83 but that man Mellers was not to be thwarted and he produced another jaffa to bowl Fletcher through the gate for 13 bringing Ludd back into contention once more. Matthew Teal scored eight and helped take Outcasts to 102 before he edged Curry to wicket keeper Steve Proctor and without a further run added came the moment of controversy that may well have turned the game in Ludd's favour. Mellers induced an edge from stoic opener Danny Taylor which went low to Proctor who instantly claimed the catch and following a glance to square leg umpire George Armstrong who nodded his approval that the ball had carried Steve Bailey lifted his finger to send t he unhappy Taylor back to the pavilion for a hard earned 35.Peter Tait and skipper Liam McAnaney still represented Outcasts hopes in the middle but the Ludd bowling was tight and the overs were running out. Tait lofted a catch high in the air to Rick Green off Graham Clark having made six , the total standing at 119 by this stage then McAnaney succumbed to the experienced O'Brien who bowled him for seven leaving the youngsters exposed needing 19 runs to overcome the Luddington total. Charles Mason was disaterously run out when hitting the ball staright to Darren Clark who threw to brother Graham to lift off the bails and the victory was completed when Graeme Fletcher drilled a low catch straight to that same man Darren who took an excellent low catch to earn his brother a second wicket but more importantly give Ludd a famous victory.

The banter at the end of the game was hightened by Luddington's own Barmy Army who shouted loud and proud from the boundaries edge at the fall of each wicket and the Clark's brothers grins grew wider as each minute went by whilst Barry O'Brien double celebration continued long into the evening as Ludd savoured their victory against their neighbours but it might just be for one week only as the two sides meet again on Sunday at Hirsts Priory when Outcasts will be looking for an instant retribution. However for at least sven days Liam , Russell and the rest are going to have to take things on the chin from the Clarks who can enjoy themselves in their pals presence happy in the knowledge that for now they have the upper hand but will it last one has to ask !!