CLEETHORPES NOW FOURTH

Paul Sunley attempts to break the shackles.


By Graham Hackney

Any aspirations Cleethorpes had of challenging for this season’s Yorkshire league title were blown away with a heavy nine-wicket defeat at Yorkshire Academy on Sunday.
Having opted to bat first in excellent conditions, Cleethorpes laboured to just 103 all out in 47 overs before seeing the Yorkshire youngsters knock off the runs in the 22nd over. Deprived of three of their front line bowlers Cleethorpes had earlier elected to try and set a total but Cleethorpes openers Bill Kirby and Rory Osmond found things tough with Academy bowlers Wainman and Moxon offering little opportunity for the pair to play shots. Osmond hit Wainman for the first boundary of the innings with a push through cover off a rare loose ball as the bowlers kept a tight grip on the run rate. After patiently making 8 off 24 balls, Osmond was first to depart as left armer Wainman shaped a delivery back into the batsman who inside edge knocked the stumps over with the score on 11. Eddie Carlton (1) departed three overs later as his attempted pull off Moxon only found Ross at midwicket who collected a superb diving catch. Academy’s opening pair had bowled eight maidens in the first 14 overs before making way. Windeatt joined Kirby and the pair added 14 with Windeatt smashing Coad through midwicket before the bowler had his revenge as Windeatt’s tentative drive only found Blain at mid-off. Harry Clewett (3) had been promoted to five but soon departed as Coad found a gap between bat and pad to shatter the stumps. At 36-4 in the 24th over Cleethorpes were in deep trouble but this was to get worse as Kirby, who had progressed to 23 in 78 balls missed a long hop from Academy spinner Ross while Harrison (2) chipped Coad to midwicket. Paul Sunley adopted a patient attitude to the spinners but having weathered the storm perished with an ugly swing at Ross to be taken by Leaning at midwicket. At least Gary Cowlam and Peter Thompson got the scoreboard ticking with some good running between the wickets as they began to the spinners. Having added 21 for the eighth wicket Cowlam lost patience with leg spinner Tatterasall who beat him in the flight after inducing him down to be stumped for 18 having hit two boundaries. Fred Lumby departed first ball when trapped back on the crease first ball to Tattersall and it took last man Andy Ellis to deprive the leg spinner of a hat trick. In fact Ellis and Thompson looked in little difficulty in adding 22 in five overs as the pair took the total finally past the hundred. Having reached 103 though Thompson called Ellis through for a single and after both hesitated Ellis was run out to bring the innings to a painful halt.
Thompson and Lumby opened the bowling for Cleethorpes but both struggled with their lines as both conceded wides in the opening four overs. Academy opener Lees, fresh from a century on Saturday looked in confident mood twice driving Thompson for sumptuous boundaries down the ground. Having added a quickfire 33 inside six overs it was Lumby that made the breakthrough as a wide legside delivery saw Lees overbalance for Cowlam to take a superb stumping. This was to prove Cleethorpes’ only success as Tattersal and Leaning had little difficulty knocking off the remaining 71 runs for victory. Tattersall in particular looked a fine prospect constantly piecing the cover field with backfoot drives to the boundary in making 43 not out. Leaning finished 36 not out as Academy ran out easy winners in only 21.2 overs to further dent Cleethorpes hopes as they slip to fourth in the table with Scarborough jumping above them after victory at Hull.
With league double headers overs the next two weekend’s Cleethorpes’ batting must improve if they are to remain in the upper reaches of the Yorkshire league table.

Cowlam claims the stumping of Alex Lees for Cleethorpes' only wicket.