MEGGIES MAKE SOGGY CUP EXIT

By Graham Hackney

Cleethorpes 1st X1 failed in their attempt to reach their first Yorkshire League Cup final after losing in unfortunate circumstances at a soggy Scarborough on Sunday. They failed to capitalise on an explosive start as Scarborough ran out winners on run rate when the umpires finally brought proceedings to a close at the 7.15pm cut off. At this point Scarborough were 164-4 chasing a challenging Cleethorpes target of 206-8 with the game in the balance. However Scarborough had forged ahead of the run rate in the latter overs and go forward to face either York or Yorkshire Academy in the final.
With rain preventing any play until 2pm both captains agreed to a 35 over a side contest with Skipper Charlie Tomlinson losing an important toss and being asked to bat first. Tomlinson chose to open the batting with himself and Eddie Carlton and Cleethorpes got off to the perfect start as both players blitzed the boundary boards in the opening overs. Lyth and Scarborough Skipper Rinke opted to bowl length and both were severely punished as Carlton plundered four boundaries while Tomlinson also chipped in with a couple and cleared the ropes at mid-wicket with a massive six. The pair had raced to 34 in just 3.2 overs when Rinke bowled Carlton through the gate for a quickfire 20 in just 13 balls. Alex Osmond kept up the theme adding 11 with a maximum and a four but it was Tomlinson who would dominate a 42-run second wicket stand that saw Cleethorpes pass fifty in just 5.4 overs. Tomlinson continued to launch a one man assault at the bowling passing his own half century in just 32 balls. First change bowler Simpson however was get plenty of seam movement and brought one back to bowl Osmond in his first over. Bill Kirby joined Tomlinson and the introduction of Scarborough’s spinners brought some calm to a hectic opening to the game. Kirby was content to push the ball into the gaps as the pair rotated the strike to bring up the 100 in 11.3 overs. The fifty stand came in 51 deliveries and the pair moved this on to 73 before Kirby was next to depart with the score on 149. Attempting to clip Tennant through midwicket, he only succeeded in finding the safe hands of Harland who took a sharp catch. Cleethorpes were to a suffer another blow one run later as Tomlinson holed out to long on having blitzed a brutal 82 runs in just 64 balls. His innings included three sixes and eight fours to give Cleethorpes an excellent platform. With the spinners continuing to peg Cleethorpes back the lower order found runs much harder to come by. Rory Osmond edged the excellent Holt behind for 10 while James Windeatt (10) was trapped in front to a delivery that kept low to give Tennant his third wicket. Omesh Wijesiriwardana came and went for seven as the race for late runs stalled and it took a calm knock of 21 not out from Paul Sunley to guide Cleethorpes to their final total of 206-8.
With rain failing the umpires decided to begin Scarborough’s innings. Omesh and John Zielinski opened up for Cleethorpes and kept it reasonably tight during the first ten over powerplay in which Cleethorpes could only have two fielders outside the fielding circle. Despite Zielinski getting some slight movement but little carry, the wicket appeared to be playing better as neither of Scarborough’s openers looked in any real trouble. It took the introduction of chief-wicket taker Alex Osmond to break the pair with Harland slashing to Kirby with the score on 49 in the 11th over. Ashley Lyth, brother of Yorkshire opener Adam, came in and immediately got the run rate rising as he advanced to hit Osmond for a six over long on. With Clewett joining the attack the rate continued to hover at around six and a half runs an over for victory. Lyth continued his counter attack hitting another maximum off Clewett as well as three boundaries as the score reached 96. Cleethorpes introduced spinner Indy Hayre into the attack and he also struck in his first over as the impatient Lyth swept to the deep square boundary were Rory Osmond took a calm catch under pressure. Scarborough opener Simpson had continued to tick along and after the total had passed the hundred in the 19th over reached his own half century in 66 balls an over later. Joe Padmore picked up the mantle left by Lyth with both Cleethorpes spinners struggling to contain. The wet ball was doing little to assist Cleethorpes but Omesh managed to remove Simpson for 68 (81 balls) when he loosely drove to Clewett as cover. Scarborough skipper Rinke came and went in three balls as he blasted Clewett for a six over deep midwicket before falling attempting a repeat and only succeeding in top edging for keeper Windeatt to take a running catch. With the weather closing in Padmore ensured Scarborough remained comfortably ahead of the rate as he slashed Omesh for six over third man and remained 32 not out in 22 balls when the umpires finally took the players off the pitch after 26.2 overs. With time running out the umpires brought the game to an end finishing Cleethorpes hopes of cup glory as they bowed out of their second cup competition at the semi-fanal stage. Osmond finished with expensive figures of 1/34 in five overs while Omesh’s pace went for 1/37 in his 6.2 overs. Zielinski’s opening burst had been the pick of the Cleethorpes attack having gone 26 runs in a six over spell