FATHER AND SON OPENERS BOTH L.B.W.

By Glen Sands

Outcasts and Broughton went into their match locked in joint second place in the Lincs League Division One table on Saturday but it was Broughton who claimed the spot for themselves following a relatively comfortable 84-run victory over their Isle of Axholme rivals due in no small part to an impressive bowling display from all-rounder Paul Clark who captured 8 for 31 from his 16.2-over spell in the heat.
Broughton won the toss and chose to bat first but quickly found themselves two wickets down as Nick Crawford was bowled by Liam McAnaney for eight and Matt Hammond was well caught by a tumbling Mark Coulman off the bowling of Tom Sharpe for just five, leaving the total at 27 for 2. Paul Clark and Joe Wiley steadied the ship but just when it seemed that Clark was about to unleash on the home team he was bowled by McAnanaey for 26, the left-arm swing bowler proving to be a tough man to play for the visiting batsmen. He took a third wicket quickly when bowling Jake Parker for three when the total had reached 82 which brought Paul Reed to the crease to join Wiley and for a while runs began to flow more easily. Reed had made a quickfire 18 before he skied a catch to Mark Coulman at deep mid-off to give Jason Whiteley his first wicket of the day, and at 117 for 5 the game was in the balance. Shaun Clixby then headed to the middle adding 31 runs with the the giant Wiley who was in sight of his half-century only to fall six short when offering a third catch of the innings to Coulman with the total on 148. Two further runs had been added when Matthew Teal took the most incredible one-handed diving catch to send Nigel Dobbs back to the pavilion, the catch being greeted with a stunned silence such was its brilliance. But that saw Broughton's own youngster Rob Glentworth stride out to join Clixby and he soon produced some telling blows as he hit 18 to move the score along to 174 before he was deceived by old hand Whiteley who by then had taken four scalps. Liam McAnaney returned to pick up the last two wickets, those of Clixby for 17 and Tom Brock, stumped by Graham Oxley for three, which left the final total on 189 all-out from the 45 overs alloted, McAnaney finishing with an excellent 5 for 34 and Whiteley 4 for 41 for the Priorymen.
Outcasts reply saw father and son combination, Mark and Oliver Coulman, open their innings but both suffered a similar fate when being trapped LBW by Paul Clark when the score had reached firstly 13 then 18. A third LBW was to follow, again to Clark, as Simon Lewis was adjudged to be infront of his stumps having made just eight runs and at 33 for 3 the 190 target set by Broughton appeared a distance away. Andy Torr and Russell Fletcher set about turning things around and for a while appeared likely to do so, although some of the running between the wickets proved somewhat erratic. Then Shaun Clixby made the breakthrough, bowling Fletcher for 14 to leave Outcasts on 77 for 4. Darren Clark became namesake Paul's fourth LBW victim with the total on 82. Then the big wicket of Torr went to Clixby, caught behind by the evrgreen Nigel Dobbs for 30, and the writing was on the wall. Paul Clark continued to menace the batsmen and it was he who brought the game to a close as he went on to pick up a further four wickets, bowling Jason Whiteley for seven, having Tom Sharpe well caught at slip by Joe Wiley for six, then trapping Graham Oxley for a remarkable fifth LBW before closing out the innings when having Matthew Teal stunningly caught by Paul Reed at second slip. That left Outcasts all out for 105 and saw Clark finish with figures of 8 for 31 - a testament to his craft of bowling aggressively and straight on what was a terrific batting track at the Priory.
So Outcasts suffered their first defeat in four whilst Broughton stepped up their promotion quest.
But the afternoon was tinged with sadness for the Isle side who made a presentation to their stalwart wicketkeeper and former club captain, Graham Oxley, who will be heading for pastures new next month as his job takes him to Paris for the foreseeable future. His team mates and all at Outcasts CC wish both him and his family a fond farewell and hope that all goes well for them in the future.