Fred Bacchus, in the background, admires the footwork of Richley. Saturday saw a typical Market Rasen 2nds Bank Holiday Cricket match:
• Rain? – check
• Players on holiday? – check
• Players working? – check
• Away from home? – check....
...as the Rase Park outfit travelled through the gloaming to Hibaldstow to play Scunthorpe 3rds. This was an encounter both young sides were keen for. Scunthorpe have not had any trouble racking up the runs this season but, to this point, had only notched one win. However, Rasen were yet to make their mark in the W column for 2010 and both sides were keen to make the most of this, potentially vital, re-election clash.
Out in the drizzle Alan Pashley won the toss and chose to make use of the damp, overcast conditions and put Market Rasen in to bat and Rasen’s rustic opener, Richard Limmer, set about the home attack with gusto as he attempted to make the decision look a tad questionable. Playing with more circumspection than normal, Limmer quickly worked into his stride, unfurling weighty shots all around the wicket and had moved swiftly to 29 by the 6th over when he eschewed one attacking stroke too many and popped up a high catch to gully, leaving Rasen on 34 for 1.
Scunthorpe took this as a chance to try and get things back under control and M. Carnell and As Rampal, a former Market Rasen junior, reined the run rate back in. With Limmer gone, the pitch started to help the bowlers a little as well, with some lift from just short of a length and some lateral movement and both batsmen found themselves beaten on a number of occasions.
With the opening bowling seen off, Rasen looked to cash in on the change bowlers and, rather shockingly for keen followers of the side, did so with aplomb. Dan Quinlan, opening for the first time for the 2nds, was playing a gutsy innings. Playing and missing on a fair number of occasions but, when connecting, giving the ball a good whack and, throughout, playing pretty straight. Andy Richley, trying to justify his place at 3 in the order, was playing a more typical knock, with nudges off his legs featuring heavily. Richley benefited from a mis-placed late cut bissecting the slip cordon causing only recrimination in the home ranks and played his share of false shots but, rarely looked completely uncomfortable.
Rasen reached drinks on 105 for 1 with Scunthorpe searching for answers. J. Coulbeck had found plenty of life and movement at a good pace, but hadn’t managed to make the breakthrough and Fred Bacchus had not been able to provide his usual level of control. However, the introduction of Josh Pashley dragged Scunthorpe back into the game, first luring Quinlan down the track to have him stumped for 33 and then getting the skipper to send a heave to mid-wicket straight up, and straight back, to the bowler to send him on his way for 47. With Rasen reduced to 114 for 3 the middle order had to stand up but, as with last week in the Cup, wickets continued to fall cheaply. With their tails now well and truly up and left-armer Jake Smith tearing in from the far end the next two batsmen fell without adding to the score and Rasen were 114 for 5.
This brought Rory Jackson to the crease to join Chris Higgins and, rather than folding under the pressure, the pair added 82 runs in quick time with Higgins taking the Scunthorpe attack to pieces as he racked up 65 in 12 overs with 14 fours and a six. Punishing on anything short and unfurling a number of trademark cover drives, Higgins’ innings swung the momentum away from the home team as the drizzle returned and the ball became harder to control for the bowlers. Even more surprisingly, once he’d fallen to become the persevering Carnell’s second victim, Graham Charman proceeded to send the ball all round the park as he and Jackson added 34 unbeaten runs for the seventh wicket to take Rasen up to 230 for 6 after 45 overs. Charman ending on 19 not out and Jackson on 24 not out. Scunthorpe’s wickets were shared out equally between Carnell (2 for 72), Pashley (2 for 33) and Smith (2 for 23).
With only nine men able to make the trek to Hibaldstow and the drizzle returning, Rasen had it all to do in the field, despite their competitive total. Limmer and Aaron Wells opened the bowling for Rasen and met contrasting fates. Wells bowled two well-directed overs at real pace, keeping the batsmen on their toes. Limmer found less success, with the damp ball and conditions not to his liking and Scunthorpe’s opener Jake Smith looking like a man on a mission. It took the introduction of Richley for Rasen to break through, Limmer taking a fine slip catch to dismiss A. Yeadon. However, with the drizzle not abating and the wide open spaces between Rasen’s chosen men, Scunthorpe cracked on. Joined by ‘keeper L. Blades, Smith punished anything loose from Rasen’s seamers. He was helped by his partner, Blades, who was giving the ball a good whack and the pair were taking the game away from Rasen until the rain came down. With conditions deteriorating, Blades holed out to long on for 27 and, with Scunthope 91 for 2 from 15.5 overs, the umpires brought the players off, with Smith on 51 not out.
With the rain seemingly bedding in for the evening the umpires called the game half an hour later to bring a premature end to what had promised to be an entertaining encounter.
Whilst disappointed not to get to finish the game, Rasen 2nds can take heart from their highest points tally so far this season, 10, and will be looking forward to their visit to Keelby next Saturday and the hope that, one day, they might get to play a league game at Rase Park again!
Higgins launches another through the covers.Keep watching: There's another match report to come from Andy Richley, with pictures. We plan to post it all tomorrow.
PICTURES KINDLY TAKEN BY ROB CHAMBERLIN.
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