OUTCASTS 59 FOR EIGHT, FLETCH 58 NOT OUT

Outcasts’ stalwart all-rounder, Ian Fletcher, celebrated his 58th birthday on Father’s Day (Sunday) and here he is with nothing stronger than a tea-time cuppa to hand.
Clearly the renowned decorator wasn’t exactly painting the town red at this point!
He spent a happy afternoon playing cricket alongside other members of a family which continues to put so much into the Isle of Axholme village club, based at Hirst Priory.
Fletch Snr came over to Broughton to help son Russ’s Sunday team inch home in a surprisingly low-scoring North Lindsey League game (55 all out playing 59 for eight).
He made a few runs, held a decent catch but didn’t get called upon to turn his arm over.
On Saturdays, Fletch continues to skipper Outcasts 2nds in Lincolnshire League division three.
His view of Sunday’s division two match at Broughton was the same as my own: It was just like a typical club game 30 years ago – low scoring but full of interest.
There was nothing wrong with the strip at Broughton – far from it. Most of the batsmen had an off day and the bowlers were on top throughout, particularly Paul Musselwhite for Broughton and Scott Buttrick and Liam McAnaney for the visitors.
A magnificent tea – in terms of quality and quantity - was again provided by Broughton CC for the teams and umpires to savour.
With the game reduced to 30 overs a side (from 40) because of the weather, the chips were still being cooked when the Broughton innings concluded, meaning the teams had to return to the middle to bowl a few overs to fill in time to 4pm.
Believe me, it was well worth the wait!
“We’ll have to go back out until tea’s ready” used to be a phrase you heard often in local cricket years ago, but today it’s a rarity, with average team scores that much higher and average over-rates (sadly) very much lower than when 20 an hour was the norm.
This “Fletch Birthday Feature” is just the sort of story which would have found its way into the dear old In A Spin column in the Scunthorpe and Grimsby Telegraphs.
I really miss penning In A Spin each week and some people are still kind enough to say that they miss it.
Hopefully those who followed In A Spin over many years think Lincs Cricket Latest fits the bill left by its sad demise.
Online, of course, we have no space constraints, meaning more cricket news can be posted.

SCORES ON THE DOORS
Broughton 55 all out - S Buttrick 4 for 2; Outcasts 59 for 8 - M Fletcher 15 not out.

TEAMS
Broughton: N Crawford (capt), Nick Dobbs (wkt), L McIntyre, P Musselwhite, R Musselwhite, R Glentworth, L Parker, R Ward, S Parkin, S Bousom, S Clark.
Outcasts: R Fletcher (capt), O Coulman (wkt), M Fletcher, A Fletcher, I Fletcher, L McAnaney, B Wicks, G Torr, Josh Bramhill, S Buttrick, G Fletcher.

YOU CAN NOW VIEW A GALLERY OF PICTURES FROM THE BROUGHTON AND OUTCASTS MATCH BY VISITING THE BRIGG PEOPLE WEBSITE THROUGH THIS LINK....
BRIGG PEOPLE