CLEETHORPES DEMOLISH 'DONNY'

FROM GRAHAM HACKNEY

Cleethorpes 1st X1 comfortably maintained their unbeaten start to the Yorkshire ECB Premier campaign with an easy nine-wicket demolition of Doncaster at Chichester Road on Saturday. After winning the toss, James Osmond had no hesitation in asking Doncaster to bat in damp conditions after the overnight rain. Once again Cleethorpes opening bowlers were to make early inroads into the Doncaster batting. Jack Harrison struck first in only the fourth over bowling Odell with a sharp delivery. After Rory Osmond spilled a sharp chance at square leg off Harrison, it was Ellis who was to follow this up with the wicket of Kundra courtesy of a superb diving catch by Yaniv Judah at mid-on with the score on 26. Stuart soon followed when he inexplicably left an Ellis delivery that promptly knocked over his off stump. At 34-3 in the 14th over, Doncaster looked in real trouble but they were indebted to 76-run fourth wicket stand as Cleethorpes change bowlers struggled with their line and length. Spinners Alex Osmond and Harry Clewett both looked out of touch as Doncaster’s batsman milked them for 50 runs over twelve overs. After Alex Gosney passed a bright and breezy 50 in just 61 balls he fell to Nathan Judah’s second over as the seamer induced a loose drive that Clewett snapped up at cover. Watson fell in exactly the same manner to Judah four overs later and Khan soon followed to Rory Osmond’s smart fielding that saw a direct hit leave the batsman well short. Opener Cox became the second Doncaster player to reach his half century that had taken a marathon 110 deliveries. He fell with the score on 144 to what turned out to be James Osmond’s last delivery trying to up the run rate but only skying to brother Alex at long on. Doncaster skipper Morley added 40 for the eighth wicket and had made 43 in 42 balls when the returning Harrison had him taken at midwicket by Tomlinson to a ball that was quickly onto him. Cleethorpes sensed the opportunity to bowl Doncaster out and when Sykes also skied to Kirby two balls later Doncaster had slipped to 185-9. The last pair however were able to negotiate the final ten deliveries to scramble to 194-9 and leave Cleethorpes what looked a testing target. Harrison had been the pick of the attack with 3/40 in ten overs while Judah had given good support to pick up 2/29 in eight overs. The reliable Ellis weighed in with 2/42 in 15 overs.
With a heavy shower delaying the players return, openers Bill Kirby and Rory Osmond soon set about compiling the runs. Excellent running between the pair meant the strike rotating and they soon began to flourish. With Doncaster’s attack hampered by the loss of Stuart to injury they brought up the 50 in the 15th over with little discomfort. Osmond became the first to reach his half century in 86 balls that had seen him stroke four 4’s and a massive six. With the hundred stand coming up in the 26th over, the pair were racing to victory. Doncaster’s spinners were proving little threat as Kirby reached his fifty in 69 balls that had featured five fours and a six. Both batsmen looked in confident mood against a dejected attack and the 150 came and went in the 32nd over. Having reached 83 then it came as a great surprise when Doncaster Skipper Morley bowled Osmond with a delivery that kept a little low. His 136 ball innings included 8 fours and a six for a stand of 178 for the opening wicket. Kirby reached his tenth Yorkshire league hundred for Cleethorpes with his thirteenth boundary in only 117 balls and two balls later he completed the victory for Meggies to hand them six points to consolidate second position in the Yorkshire league table.