MACCA'S 'JAFFA' FAILS TO PUT SQUEEZE ON

By Glen Sands

Goole Town's young guns produced a terrific performance last Thursday when beating 2009 champions Luddington by seven wickets in what proved to be a comfortable victory against an out-of-sorts Isle of Axholme side in Snaith and District Evening League Division One.
Luddington won the toss and chose to bat first but they never really got to grips with some tight Goole bowling, especially early on from Louie Moore and Scott Thorpe. Jamie Belton was first to go, comprehensively bowled by Thorpe when attempting an audacious reverse sweep. Then Andy Lawson was caught by Louis Sugden off Louie Moore for 15 with the total on 24. Russell Fletcher was undone by a slower delivery from Moore, gifting an easy catch to Jake Mahoney having made just three, and skipper Mark Coulman was fourth man out when he was caught by Moore off Ben Lamb for 22. Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals for the visitors with Louis Sugden coming on to pick up 4 for 9 and the innings drew to a close at 78 all-out, although the shot of the day came from Ludd's number 10 Graeme Fletcher who creamed his first delivery through the covers to the boundary.
With such a low total to defend it was imperative that Luddington kept it tight early on but sadly for them the Goole opening pair of Ben Earl and Mark Spetch produced some excellent batting, taking the total to 41 with an array of shots before Spetch was caught by Liam McAnaney off Matthew Teal for 19. McAnaney then bowled Grant Hooghemestra with a real "Jaffa" but Jake Mahoney joined the impressive Earl in the middle to guide Town to within seven runs of victory. Then Mahoney was caught by Anthony Fitzgerald off Graeme Fletcher for nine. Nick Holah stepped out to join Earl who brought the game to an end with 46 not out, earning Goole their first league victory of the season and at the same time putting a dent in the champions' hopes of retaining the title.