N. LINCS U14s SECURE SECOND TITLE OF YEAR

By Patrick Tonks, Haxey CC

Having won the Lincolnshire County Cricket Board Districts U14 Festival at Boston CC at the start of June, North Lincolnshire went into the Sunday League programme confident that they could secure this Title also.
The quest got off to a damp start with their first match against North East Lincolnshire at Outcasts CC, which had to be abandoned due to rain. It rained through most of the play which was possible and the officials had to call a halt when the outfield became so wet that that the ball could not be dried.
Much better weather was enjoyed for the remaining three fixtures.
At Scothern CC, they bowled Lincoln District out for 114 in 27.4 overs, the Player of the Festival, Liam Hebblewhite of Alkborough, taking 5-18 in 6 overs. Sensible batting, in particular by Appleby Frodingham’s Zain Akter and Outcasts’ Josh Bramhil, secured a comfortable five-wicket victory.
The Festival match against East Lincolnshire did not take place due to rain, so the opposition was something of an unknown entity.
Having been put into bat at Messingham CC, North scored 227-3 in their 40 overs with Barton’s Dominic Bishop making an unbeaten 121, which included 18 fours and one six - off the final ball of the innings.
East were bowled out for 115 with the Outcasts’ spinners Josh Bramhill (3 wickets) and Ben Wicks (4 wickets) profiting from some loose shots (6 of the 7 wickets fell to catches) as batsmen tried to score runs off the slower bowlers having been pinned back by the pace attack, most notably captain Ethan Tonks of Haxey who returned figures of 6-4-4-1.
In the final match at Grantham CC against South Lincolnshire, North batted first and made 234-8, with five batsmen failing to capitalise on the good starts they made. Having made a patient 34 in the previous match, Messingham’s Jamie Bend made an excellent 68 not out having been at the crease for the first and last deliveries of the innings.
Having to play on an artificial pitch neutralised the effects of the two spinners and with the medium-pacers either unavailable or carrying injuries, Barton’s Liam Parker was asked to bowl for the first time this season with the score at 66-4 after 17 overs. After an erratic first over returned 1-12, he capitalised on some poor batting and finished with 5-25 from 5.4 overs.
Bramhill and Wicks were the only newcomers to the squad this year. The backbone of the side has played District cricket for three or four seasons. The spinners brought the missing pieces to the jigsaw and ensured that the side was able to outplay all of their opponents in every department and it was notable how the side’s self-belief grew following that first victory at the Festival. After holding their collective nerve in an unbelievably tense finish, [taking seven wickets for twenty five runs in twenty seven deliveries to win by four runs with ten deliveries remaining] no subsequent situation gave them cause for concern; they knew that within the team there was always someone who could turn the game in their favour.
The Under 12 District side matched their Festival record in the Sunday League – two wins and one defeat - and the LCCB’s recent announcement that the U14 competition is to be replaced next year by the creation of a County B squad has been met with disappointment by most players and parents alike. The District competitions are to be at U10 and U12 next year, with North Lincolnshire coaching for each age group to begin in mid-October.
This Friday, 23rd July, sees the U11s try to emulate the success of their elder counterparts in the Annual LCCB Hardball Festival at Lindum CC. North Lincolnshire has been the most successful District at this event since its inauguration in 2002 and this year’s squad will do well to match the achievements of several young players now making their mark in the Premier Division of the Lincolnshire County League.