THEY BROKE THE (CLAY) MOULD WITH CHIPPY

The current Lincs League scoring system has been in place for a decent length of time now, meaning (on the whole) clubs are satisfied with it. However, I'm still not convinced it has helped bring spinners into the game.
Those of us who've been around for many years will remember when you could get 9pt/1pt and 7pt/3pt draws. Then you very often saw spinners operating at the end of the game, with many close fielders, as the side batting second could still get one, or three, match points by ensuring they were not all-out (rankings then being decided by percentage rather than total points).
Today there are no match points for the losing team. Quite right, many will say, as it's very boring cricket when one side stonewalls and blocks out overs just to get a token point.
Currently, however, if Team A gets a decent score and the other side finishes nine down the victors will take 19pts anyway (out of 20). In the old days it could have been 7pts playing 3pts - a lot narrower margin. Hence the incentive for the side batting second to ensure it was not out, resulting in many more slow bowlers being called in to try and end stubborn resistance.
Andy Clay (pictured with trophies at the latest Lincs League dinner), who skippers Alkborough 2nds in Lincs League div one, is - I hope he won't mind us saying - a bit of a throwback to a bygone age. He gives the ball a huge amount of air, puts fielders in the deep and buys his wickets in the old-fashioned way. Experienced batsmen will play forward gently and push him in the gaps for ones, twos and the odd four. However, the modern breed, particularly tail-enders, have probably never faced anyone using "Chippy's" approach - and are bemused how to play him.
Roll the clock back 20 or 30 years - to the days of the old Lincs League scoring system - and flighty spinners were quite common.
Today's typical club cricket tweaker tends to push the ball through more and show greater accuracy. Like Liam Redmond, of Scunthorpe Town, who bowled in the same divison one match as "Chippy" on Saturday. Coming on first change, off-spinner Liam gave little away and took three for 22 in 13 overs; left-armer "Chippy" later bamboozled the tail and claimed three for three in 3.4.
Different styles and different approaches - but both good to watch.
A slow bowler more in the Redmond than the Clay mould (pardon the pun!) who 'gives it a rip' is Ciaron Deegan, of Owmby, to whom we extend our congratulations on reaching the landmark of 50 wickets for his club in all competitions this season (from 189.1 overs at an average of 11.52). That includes some good spells in Lincs div two.
Ciaron, like me, shares the view that spinners 'seem to be dying in the game'.
Perhaps it helps if, like "Chippy", you are a slow bowler captaining the side. For many skippers seem reluctant to try spinners, thinking they will always prove more expensive than a medium-pacer.
Yet, to me, strike rate is something many cricket selectors and skippers fail to use as a benchmark on performance. They look at bowling averages and, particularly, runs per over conceded, when they should be considering the average number of overs a bowler takes to get each of his wickets.
Jon Jacklin (Scunthorpe Town 2nds) amused me a few weeks ago, at Heslam Park, when the visiting side for a division three match - chasing a 200-plus total from the home side - were struggling to make one an over but not losing wickets. Jon pointed out 'yours truly' and suggested my off-spin might be just the thing to come on and get a wicket or two.
We then took a trip down memory lane, remembering how, years ago, veteran Alan Wilson, of Scunthorpe Town, had so often wreaked havoc among the unwary with his loopy leg-spinners and googlies.
Keelby veteran Jim Cowie has also operated at times this season in the mode of left-arm wrist-spinner - the Chinaman being most unusual and little-employed spinning style of all.
You don't see bowling like Alan Wilson's anymore, although (with tail-enders in his headlights) "Chippy" does a fair impression from time to time.
To me, and some others the other side of 45, there's no finer sight in cricket than a spinner tossing the ball up, with fielders set well back, and an attacking strokemaker taking up the challenge, particularly by driving down the ground.
That's a battle of wits, and abilities, which makes a refreshing change from the usual medium-pacer operating to a ring of fielders on the edge of the square, plus maybe a slip.
Before some slow bowlers complain about not getting a mention here, I will just make it clear that we have been talking about those who turn the ball regularly - not purveyors of slow-medium seamers, or floaters, who some batsmen might play as tweakers but actually don't fall into the category of "proper spinner".