LINCS MINOR COUNTIES GAME AT CLEETHORPES

By Chris Keywood

Lincolnshire’s third Championship match of the season took them to March to play Cambridgeshire. With Vikram Atri and Conrad Louth unavailable due to work commitments and Carl Taylor still injured, Jim Morgan, Liam Andrews and Aaron Onyon took their place. On a warm sunny day Lincolnshire won the toss and elected to bat. Dan Birch and Jim Morgan opened the innings. Birch fell early and Morgan and Bansal took the score to 73 before Bansal was stumped for 23. Matt Dowman followed soon after and at 92 for 3 Lincolnshire needed to consolidate. After reaching lunch at 108 for 3 Morgan and Cook pressed ahead with Morgan reaching his maiden county century in the 66th over. By tea Lincolnshire were 275 for 3 and in a dominant position. After tea Lincolnshire suffered a disastrous collapse losing their last 7 wickets for only 31 runs, being all out for 307 in the 87th over, Morgan making 120 and Cook 100. Lincolnshire took 3 batting points and Cambridgeshire 4 bowling points. Cambridgeshire were soon in trouble being 5 for 2, 33 for 4 and closing on 50 for 7, Adam Shepherd taking 6 for 13, giving Lincolnshire 3 precious bowling points.
From their overnight 50 for 7 Cambridgeshire progressed steadily to 89 without further loss whereupon two further wickets fell. Still requiring 69 to save the follow-on, this looked beyond them. This was not to be as Lewis Bruce with 53 not out and James Smith with 39 added 101 thereby establishing a new tenth wicket record for Cambridgeshire. The hosts’ final total of 190 was however still 117 short of Lincolnshire’s first innings total.
Lincolnshire scored steadily in their second innings and reached 28 for 0 by lunch. Birch was dismissed immediately after lunch and thereupon wickets fell at regular intervals. Only first innings centurions Jim Morgan and Paul Cook mastered the bowling, making 68 and 48 respectively. The innings finally folded for 188 in the 62nd over. Cambridgeshire therefore needed 306 to win and by close had reached 58 for 0 in the 18 overs to close of play.
Cambridgeshire started day three needing a further 248 for victory with a minimum of 102 overs to play. Barring weather delays a clear result was a certainty. Cambridgeshire gradually built up their score whilst periodically Lincolnshire took a wicket. At lunch the game was finely balanced and at 212 for 6 Lincolnshire looked favourites. However a captain’s innings of 55 not out by Paul McMahon well supported by Nick Ferraby with 46 and with three other players making 30 or more Cambridgeshire reached their target shortly after tea for the loss of seven wickets. For Lincolnshire Alex Osmond and Liam Andrews both bowled lengthy spells each returning figures of three for 64
Lincolnshire took 7 points and Cambridgeshire 21. Lincolnshire were dominant at the end of day 1 and at that time it was inconceivable that they could lose. That they did so was a severe blow to their title aspirations.
Their next three-day match is at Cleethorpes against Hertfordshire starting on Sunday, 24 July, when they need to make a swift return to winning ways.

PRIOR TO THAT...
Reigning Minor Counties Eastern Division champions, Lincolnshire, visited Northumberland for their second Championship match of the season. The match was played at the picturesque ground of Swalwell Cricket Club near Newcastle, the first ever Minor Counties match to be played there.
Northumberland won the toss and asked Lincolnshire to bat first. Dan Birch and Vikram Atri made a steady start and just prior to lunch had advanced the score to 115 when Birch was adjudged LBW for 66. This prompted a minor collapse to 118 for 4 by the lunch break. Further wickets continued to fall after lunch once Atri had departed for 47 and Lincolnshire subsided to 160 all out in the fifty first over. Richard Waite with 5 for 38 was the home side’s most successful bowler.
Like Lincolnshire, Northumberland made a steady start and reached 88 before their first wicket fell. They continued to progress and passed the Lincolnshire total with only 4 wickets down. However on approaching 200 they suffered a similar collapse to Lincs and lost their last 5 wickets for 16 runs being all out for 215. Adam Shepherd with 4 for 45, including 3 wickets in 4 balls, was Lincolnshire’s most successful bowler.
Facing a first innings deficit of 55, Lincolnshire began their second innings on the back foot and at 57 for 4 were only two runs ahead. It was at this stage that captain Paul Cook played the innings of the match making 90 out of a final total of 209. Michael Craigs for Northumberland took 6 for 54 to be their most successful bowler.
Set 155 to win and plenty of time to do it in, Northumberland made a disastrous start as the Lincs bowlers tore into their upper order. By the close of play on day 2 they were 51 for 5, Adam Shepherd having taken 4 for 23.
The third day dawned with Northumberland requiring a further 104 runs to win with 5 wickets in hand. Once Brett Houston had made the initial breakthrough the game was over in less than an hour and half, Northumberland being bowled out for 122, leaving Lincolnshire winners by 32 runs. Adam Shepherd finished with 7 for 45 to give him match analysis of 11 for 90.
This was a fine bowling and fielding performance by Lincs and the 20 points they secured took them to top spot in the Eastern Division.