BACK-TO-BACK DEFEATS

Charlie Tomlinson lashes a boundary.


PICTURES/REPORT FROM GRAHAM HACKNEY

Cleethorpes 1st X1’s batting woes continues last weekend when they slipped to back-to-back defeats at Sheffield United and Doncaster in league and cup respectively. Saturday’s defeat at bottom club Sheffield came after they had posted an inadequate 147 all out in 44.1 overs against a side featuring on two players who featured last season and included nine teenagers. After losing the toss and being asked to bat in blustery conditions, Cleethorpes got off to a reasonable start with Overseas Peter Fulton and Bill Kirby adding 46 for the first wicket. Fulton (18) in particular looked in confident mood striking two boundaries and a towering six before becoming sixteen year old Zafron Ali’s first victim as the youngster trapped Fulton on the back leg to claim the New Zealander lbw with his first delivery. Kirby, who had been dropped at second slip in only the third over, soon saw both James and Alex Osmond depart in quick succession to Ali both for 4 to leave Meggies 66-3. With Ali having to come off after bowling seven overs, Cleethorpes took the opportunity to rebuild as Kirby and Tomlinson took the score to 89 before Kirby edged to gully having made a patient 39 in 86 balls including four boundaries. Tomlinson then took control in positive manner as he and James Windeatt added another 38 before the re-introduction of Ali swung the game dramatically. A devastating spell of 5/2 in only 2.1 overs including a triple-wicket maiden blew the Cleethorpes lower order away as they subsided to apaultry 147 all out. Tomlinson was ninth man out having made 39 in 67 balls with four 4s and a six.
Asked to chase such a lowly total for their first win of the season, Sheffield opted to take on the bowling before Jack Harrison made the first breakthrough at 27/1 trapping Rodgers lbw. Cleethorpes were having little joy with the ball as Skipper James Osmond revolved his bowlers. Alex Osmond was introduced and immediately claimed a pair of wickets in successive balls to give Cleethorpes hope. After Hettiarachchi was bowled by Osmond, Sheffield had slumped to 71-4 before a decisive fifth wicket stand of 54 took the game away. Osmond claimed two late wickets but Sheffield ran out comfortable winners with Shutt completing a half century in hitting the winning runs in the 35th over. Osmond finished with commendable figures of 5/41 in 12 overs with Harrison 1/30 in five overs.
Sunday saw Cleethorpes travel to Doncaster for the first round of the Yorkshire league cup. Without the services of Bill Kirby and Alex Osmond due to county commitments, they produced a fine bowling performance to restrict a strong Doncaster batting line-up to 248 all out in the 50th over, Cleethorpes batting again came up short as they were themselves bowled out for 128. At 154-2 Doncaster had threatened to pass 300 but a fine final twelve overs saw Clee peg Doncaster back with a flurry of wickets. Richard Griffin was the pick of the Cleethorpes attack with 3/45 in ten overs with Peter Fulton also bowling well to pick up 1/41 in his 10. Andy Ellis had earlier bowled unchanged and gone for only 26 in his ten overs despite the fielding restrictions in the first 15 overs. Jack Harrison came back to mop up the tail with figures of 4/57 in 9.3 overs.
In reply, Clee soon lost Neil Wheeler and Rob Griffin for ducks to the pace of Stuart. There faint hopes of victory all but faided when Fulton chipped to square leg after looking in good touch having made 11. Windeatt and James Osmond soon followed without scoring as the scoreboard read a sorry 35-5. Charlie Tomlinson again played a positive innings but was eighth man out having struck an excellent 55 in 88 balls featuring eight 4s. Stuart came back to remove the tail to finish a remarkable 7/5 in 9.1 overs with only Rob Brice with 20 not out and Harry Clewett 19 offering late resistance as Doncaster claimed the win by 120 runs to progress into the second round.
After seeing Saturday’s fixture at home to South Kelsey become a victim of the weather, Cleethorpes 2nd X1 missed the opportunity to gain ground on the Lincs’ Premier league’s leading sides with a disappointing five-wicket home defeat to table-topping Barton on Sunday. Having posted 160 all out in 42 overs, Barton knocked off the runs for the loss of five wickets in the 31st over. Cleethorpes had earlier got off to the worst possible start to their innings as they collapsed to 7/3 after the first over. Indy Hayre and Elliott Drinkell had both departed for ducks. Within 15 overs this had worsened to 60-7 before a late innings revival saw No.9 Fred Lumby hit a career best 45 ably supported by Stuart Harvey’s 32 as the pair added 64 valuable runs for the ninth wicket. Callum Robinson, Joe Farmery and Nathan Judah had all chipped in with 16. Given a total to defend, John Zielinski, who had taken six wickets against Barton last week soon made the early breakthrough to give Meggies hope. But confident stands of 44, 34 and 53 by the Barton batsman soon took the game away with Australian McInerney hitting a positive 80. Lumby, Sunley and Judah all picked up wickets for Cleethorpes with Zielinski again the pick with 2/61 in twelve overs. Cleethorpes take 5 points from the match to leave them in mid-table.
Cleethorpes 4ths' fixture at home to Grimsby Town 2nds was also cancelled at the Stamford Club because of heavy rain.
A very young Cleethorpes Academy side skippered by Ben Marris tarvelled to Frieston on Sunday but suffered a 129-run defeat after the home side posted 170-3 in their 40 overs. On a poor wicket the youngsters bowled well to restrict Frieston with Tom Latimer the pick with 1/20 in eight overs while Lewis Markham collected two late wickets in his 2/9 off 3 overs. The Academy were never in the hunt although Jack Gibson again showed a lot of promise before being run out for 15 as they were bowled out for just 41 in the 27th over.
This weekend sees Cleethorpes 1st X1 feature twice at home as they take on Barnsley (12 noon start) in the Yorkshire League before Sunday’s attractive National Knockout clash with the West Indian Cavaliers (1pm start) at Chichester Road. Cleethorpes defeated the Cavaliers in their own memorable Twenty20 cup final last September. Cleethorpes 2nds travel to Scunthorpe Town on Saturday, with the 4th X1 travelling to Market Rasen in a Second Division clash. With the Academy side without a game this week, the North Lindsey side face Barton away on Sunday.

James Osmond successfully appeals for leg-before against Sheffield.