ACADEMY TRAVEL TO HAINTON

Cleethorpes 1st X1 faced the daunting problem of facing the top two sides in the Oxbridge Yorkshire ECB Premier league last weekend and although they came away defeated on both occasions, gave their opponents a mighty scare. Saturday saw James Osmond’s side face second-placed Yorkshire Academy. The Academy featured Azeem Rafiq who has featured for the County 1st X1 on a number of times this season and are captained by former Scotland paceman John Blain. On a damp wicket the skipper won the toss and promptly inserted Academy. This paid immediate dividends as fine opening spells from Andy Ellis and Jack Harrison made full use of the helpful conditions to knock over the Academy top order. Despite losing John Zielinski to a fielding injury in only the fifth over, they found an able deputy in thirteen year old Ryan Harrison who capped a fine fielding display with a superb one-handed catch to help reduce them to 71-6. With Ellis finally getting the reward for some excellent recent performances, Cleethorpes appeared well on top. A 46-run seventh wicket stand put the brakes on the Meggies before a stunning catch behind from keeper Ishan Mutaliph, deputizing for the weekend for the absent Neil Wheeler, provided the breakthrough as Jack Harrison picked up two quick wickets in his second spell. A gritty 28-run stand for the last wicket took the Academy to their final total of 166 all out when James Osmond removed Blain in the 55th over. Ellis had been the pick of the attack with 5/46 in a marathon 22-over stint while youngster Jack Harrison continues to improve with 3/40 in 11 overs. Alex and James Osmond picked up figures of 1/36 in 11 and 1/17 in 3.5 overs respectively. With the ball still zipping about on the seamer friendly surface, Cleethorpes were always in for a stiff chase and so it proves. Bill Kirby and Ishan Mutaliph knuckled down to add 18 runs in 13 overs before Kirby departed lbw for 5. Mutaliph (7) followed suit in the next over to put Cleethorpes on the back foot. Chris Wragg, Charlie Tomlinson and Alex Osmond all came and went in the blink of an eye and when Eddie Carlton departed they were floundering at 29-6. Only James Osmond (13) and Harry Clewett (15 not out) reached double figures as they were eventually bowled out for 74 in the 39th over to leave themselves 92 runs short. After such a good bowling and fielding display Cleethorpes can take great heart from pushing one of the top sides so close.

Sunday saw the first X1 make the coastal trip to Scarborough and again they came away empty handed despite bowling their opponents out for just 151. A remarkable game saw all twenty wickets fall to spin as the dry square proved ideal for the spinners. Scarborough had opted to set a target first and after reaching 35 in relative ease soon slipped to 93-8 as the introduction of Alex Osmond and Harry Clewitt reduced the innings to tatters. Osmond picked up 6/46 in a 19.1 over spell at his favourite ground while Clewett showed a return to form with 3/52 in 18 overs. Once again a damaging last wicket stand of 37 had pushed the total further away from the Meggies as they reached 151 all out in the 53rd over. With Bill Kirby on Lincs’ county duty, Eddie Carlton (17) and Ishan Mutaliph (15) set about the reply. With Alex Osmond chipping in with a brisk 38 and brother James adding 28, Cleethorpes appeared well on course for a comfortable win. They had reached 130-5 in reply when Cleethorpes were undone by another poor umpiring decision as George Carlton (12) was given out caught at first slip when the ball had clearly turned sharply of the bowlers rough. This brought about an amazing collapse as Cleethorpes slipped to 136 all out with the last five wickets adding just six runs to leave them 15 runs shy of Scarborough’s total. Being on the end of at least three poor decisions had not helped Cleethorpes cause but they can take great heart from bowling the top two sides in the league out for a combined total of 317. Their ability to chase a total has been brought sharply into focus and is certainly something the side needs to work on in the coming weeks as they slipped to seventh in the table with six games to go in the season.

Dan Tolson’s 2nd X1 remain top of the Lincs’ Premier Division by a point despite going down to a heavy six-wicket defeat at rivals Horncastle. After losing a vital toss on a very damp wicket, Cleethorpes were shot out for just 77 in 25 overs. Only Stuart Harvey (12) and Rob Brice (12) reached double-figures as Horncastle’s bowlers made full use of helpful conditions. Cleethorpes made a gallant effort to pick up important bonus points and had removed four Horncastle batsmen before they reached their target in the 18th over to provide an early finish.

Paul Hewstone’s 3rd X1 remain in second-place in the First division despite being without a fixture for the second successive weekend.

Cleethorpes 4ths suffered the agony of a two-run defeat at the hands of Hartsholme 2nds at the Stamford Club last Saturday. Having restricted Hartholme to 204-5 in their 45 overs, Cleethorpes came up just short at 202-9 in an exciting finish. Fred Lumby had been the pick of the Cleethorpes attack with 2/39 in 11 overs while Lewis Markham contributed 2/40 in nine overs. Jamie Withers (1/30 in 5 overs) was the other wicket taker. Cleethorpes slipped to 118-7 in reply despite Bob Leafe holding things together with 32 and Ben Marris (19) and Josh Latimer (17). Fred Lumby (9) added 45 with John Mansfield for the ninth wicket as Mansfield decided to go down with all guns blazing. When Lewis Marham (1) was run out 37 runs were still required but Matty Owen stuck around to leave Mansfield on strike. He took full advantage to peper the boundary to such as extent that come the final delivery six runs were required for the win. Another mighty blow fell agonizingly short of the boundary for four to leave them just two runs short. Mansfield finished a brilliant 68 not out to record his first senior half century for Cleethorpes with Owen 4 not out. Cleethorpes take seven points from the defeat to remain third in the Second Division having played more games than their rivals with just two games left.

Paul Hewstone led Cleethorpes North Lindsey X1 to the club’s first silverware of the season as they lifted the Division One cup with victory over a strong Scunthorpe side at neutral Hibaldstow in the final last Sunday. After being asked to bat first on a superb wicket, Cleethorpes set a mammoth 237-8 in their 40 overs. Paul Ridley led the way with a man of the match 72 that set the foundations but he real momentum to the innings was provided from Elliott Drinkell who hit an amazing 41 in only 15 balls. Four sixes and four boundaries blazed from his bat as he threatened to take the game away from Scunthorpe before falling to an excellent boundary catch. Hewtsone (26) and Graham Hackney (26 not out) provided late impetus to the innings and set a challenging target. Scunthorpe’s Ramesh Chand briefly threatened in reply after hitting two massive sixes before a stunning running catch from Rob Griffin proving to be a pivotal moment in the game. Stuart Harvey picked up four middle order wickets as Cleethorpes chipped away at Scunthorpe’s middle order before Mike Shelton wrapped up victory adding three more late wickets to finish 4/36 in eleven overs. Harvey had taken 4/63 in ten overs. Paul Ridley completed a fine match with 1/18 in three overs.

This weekend the 1st X1 aim to get back to winning ways as Barnsley provide the opposition at Chichester Road in the Yorkshire league (12 Noon Start). Dan Tolson’s 2nd face a vital clash at title-challenging Alkborough on Saturday while Paul Hewstone’s 3rds have a weekend double header that will shape their season. On Saturday they travel to local rivals Holton le Clay aiming to get their own title charge back in gear while on Sunday they defend the Bob Welton cup when they face Alkborough 2nds at Outcasts ground in the Bob Welton cup final, backed by a bus load of travelling supporters.

Cleethorpes 4ths are without a fixture this week. Sunday sees the North Lindsey side led by Alex Osmond face Messingham at Chichester Road (2pm start) with the Academy X1 travelling to Hainton in the East Lindsey league.


Pictured: Ishan takes a superb diving catch - another cracker from Graham Hackey. (The picture, that is, not the delivery!)

NF adds: I have a scorecard - courtesy of Paul Hewstone - from Sunday's cup final, plus some observations of my own, a team pic of the Cleethorpes line-up, one of the Meggies being presented with the winners' trophy, and one of Scunny's Ian Snowden receiving the runners-up award. JUST NEED A BIT OF TIME TO UPLOAD THEM. Another 12 hours in two East Yorkshire editorial departments (Hull and Howden) beckons tomorrow. Plus a full day working on Saturday, so sometime over the weekend...I promise!!