COME ON, BARBIE, LET'S GO PARTY!

Jack Harrison celebrates an early wicket.


REPORT AND PICTURES FROM GRAHAM HACKNEY

Cleethorpes Cricket Club will be holding its Caribbean BBQ on Saturday evening (7.30pm start). As well as the BBQ , disco and raffle there will be a cocktail bar with prizes for the loudest and best dresses/shirt. Admission for adults is £6 with £4 for children.

Cleethorpes 1st X1 produced their most emphatic win of the season in winning by 75-runs away at Driffield on Sunday. After Saturday’s home fixture to Castleford had become a victim of the heavy rains that fell on Friday, Cleethorpes travelled to Driffield in desperate need of a morale boosting win after losing their two previous games against Barnsley and Appleby-Frodingham. They got off to the perfect start after skipper James Osmond opted to bat in excellent conditions with Bill Kirby and Yaniv Judah adding 108 for the first wicket. Judah especially was in commanding mood hitting 63 in 81 balls before being harshly judged stumped when he appeared to have regained his ground. With Kirby once again holding a Cleethorpes innings together, Kiwi Peter Fulton injected some urgency with a fluent 45 in even time before being surprisingly bowled with 10 overs remaining with Cleethorpes a healthy 201-2. It was at this point that Cleethorpes took the game away from Driffield as Osmond came in and immediately set about the attack. He raced to fifty in just 28 balls with some brutal hitting and at the close of the innings remained unbeaten on 71 as Meggies finished a daunting 304-3 in 55 overs. Kirby had reached three figures in 168 balls with a towering six in the final over before departing for 102 attempting to repeat the shot.
Cleethorpes had Driffield in deep trouble immediately as Jack Harrison picked up two early wickets with Andy Ellis and Harry Clewett also claiming scalps. At 33-4 Driffield looked dead in the water but some gritty defiance held up Cleethorpes. Ellis and Clewett added further wickets after drinks before an entertaining seventh wicket stand of 102 removed all hope of Cleethorpes claiming an outright win. Fulton and Ellis added wickets in the final two overs to see Driffield close at 229-8 some 75 runs adrift to claim a solitary point while Cleethorpes take six points. Ellis with 3/56 in 21 overs was the pick of the attack while Jack Harrison could not repeat his fiery opening spell and finished with 2/40 in eight overs. Clewett (2/45 in 13 overs) and Fulton (1/44 in seven) were the other successful bowlers.
Cleethorpes 2nd X1 were without a fixture last weekend so focus fell on the 3rd and 4th X1s who are currently in deep relegation trouble in their respective divisions in the Lincs League.

Bill Kirby hits a boundary.

James Osmond hits another massive six.

Unfortunately, Cleethorpes 3rds remain bottom of the first division after going down by 51 runs at Outcasts. Lead by Jeff Todd in Paul Hewstone’s absence, they restricted Outcasts to 208 all out in 44.5 overs to claim maximum bowling points. Spinners Stuart Harvey (3/49 in 9.5) and Lewis Markham (3/69 in 11) inflicted most of the damage while Simon Taylor (2/31 in 13) produced a good opening spell. Todd and Mike Shelton also added wickets to set a testing target. However not for the first time this season the batsmen were not up to it as they fell away from a promising 145-4 to collapse to a disappointing 157 all out in 36.3 overs. Once again players got starts without going onto the big score. Will Abe (36), Ryan Harrison (32) threatened to get away while Callum Robinson and Ben Marris both added 23. But Harrison’s run out proved pivotal as they fell away to defeat to leave themselves some 25 points from safety.
Cleethorpes 4ths had a great win away at picturesque Owmby last Saturday, running out winners by 28 points but failing by one wicket to clinch a maximum 20 points. Having posted 152-8 in their 45 overs, Cleethorpes had Owmby hanging on at 124-9 at the end of their innings. Bob Leafe’s 42 had been the base of Cleethorpes innings with no other player making twenty but seven players reaching double figures. They were able to defend what looked a below par score mainly due to a superb opening spell from Owen King, playing only his second league game for the club. A spell of 3/21 in 12 overs ripped through the top order. With John and Ian Mansfield picking up important middle order wickets it was Sam Would that threatened to take Cleethorpes to victory as his 3/24 in nine overs could not quite clinch an outright win. However the 16 points will provide evidence they can survive in the division.
Cleethorpes' North Lindsey X1 crashed to an exciting six runs home defeat to Caistor in theNorth Lindsey league on Sunday. After Caistor posted 193-9 in their 40 overs, Eddie Carlton (59) and Kris Richardson (36) added 97 for the seventh wicket but fell just short in their pursuit. Stuart Harvey produced a brilliant final over to pick up four wickets to finish with 6/65 in 16 overs when Cleethorpes bowled. Carlton (2/79 in 15) and Paul Sunley (1/24 in 4) had also added wickets. Chris Wragg (28) had got Cleethorpes off to a steady start until the late fireworks weren’t quite enough to keep Cleethorpes top of the table.
Cleethorpes' East Lindsey side's game at Hainton was conceded with Hainton unable to raise a side.

Peter Fulton launches a six against Driffield.