FAN-TASTIC TON TO NO AVAIL

By Glen Sands

Nigel Fanthorpe scored an excellent 100 against Outcasts in the First Round of the George Marshall Cup but it was all to no avail as his Grimsby Town 2nds fell 22 runs short of the 202 runs posted earlier in the day in what was an entertaining fixture at Hirsts Priory.
Outcasts batted first and continued their recent good form with a batting performance that saw several players chip in with decent scores. Openers Richard Wroot and Oliver Coulman both made 28 with Wroot going first , caught by Dan Wood off Richard Evans then Coulman being caught by Nigel Fanthorpe off Wood and when Andy Torr was trapped LBW by Wood the Priorymen were teetering on 75 for 3. David Hobson and Andy Lawson took the total to 115 with Lawson in particular showing great intent before he was out for 39 , caught and bowled by youngster Peter Freeman then Hobson was caught by Wood off Freeman again for 24 with the score on 138 for 5. Skipper Russell Fletcher and Graham Clark both batted well to move the total along to 165 before Clark was smartly stumped by wicket keeper Lee Maddock for 25 and Fletcher was next to go having reached 13 , caught by Dan Wood off the bowling of David White. Scott Buttrick also made a baker's dozen before he too was stumped by Maddock who then took two excellent catches behind the stumps to bring the innings to a close on 202 , Liam McAnaney and Jonathan Wroot being his victims for four and nine respectively.
The Grimsby reply saw them race to 31 without loss off just seven overs but Outcasts opening bowlers then fought back to bowl some very tight overs to stem the flow. Graham Clark then produced a quite stunning piece of fielding to run out opener Maddock for 21 and Jonathan Wroot , who had gone for 10 runs in his first three overs incredibly bowled his next SIX without conceding another run , leaving him with superb figures of 9 overs 6 maidens 1 for 10 ! Grimsby had slumped to 36 for 3 as Whiteley and Wroot had picked up a wicket each then Brendan Volley and the impressive Nigel Fanthorpe put together a stand of 79 before Volley was caught by Andy Lawson off Liam McAnaney for a well constructed 29. Fanthorpe continued to bat superbly but wickets were falling at the other end as non of his team mates were able to stick around with him. Graham Clark picked up two whilst McAnaney ended the innings with 4 for 28 and it was he who effectively finished the game as a contest when he bowled Fanthorpe out for the ninth wicket , not before the Grimsby opener had reached a well deserved 100 though. Richard Evans was last man out with the total on 178 which means that Outcasts will make a rare appearance in the George Marshall Cup 2nd Round in mid June when they will entertain Premier sides Cherry Willingham or Alford.
Next up for the Priorymen in the league is a tough encounter at home to Appleby-Frodingham 2nds whilst the seconds will travel to in-form Washingborough in Division Three, looking to bring to an end a run of poor form.