LOUTH 2nds v OUTCASTS - LINCS LEAGUE DIV ONE

BY GLEN SANDS

Outcasts continued their impressive form on June 8th when they produced another dominant performance to beat Louth by 111 runs , maintaining their position of 3rd in the table.

As they had at Horncastle a week earlier the Isle side batted first and got off to a solid start with Darren Clark and John Stokoe looking at ease then the latter was somewhat harshly adjudged LBW off the bowling of Rob Dwyer having scored 22 with the total on 43. Another LBW decision went in favour of Louth with a further five runs added as Clark was trapped infront of his stumps by Tom Ryder for  21 which brought Scott Buttrick to the crease to join Andy Lawson and they took the score to 78 before Lawson was caught by wicket keeper Henry Tye off Dwyer for 21in the 15th over. Experienced batsman Andy Torr was next to head to the middle and along with Buttrick he went on to play a terrific innings. They added 76 runs with an array of delicate shots married with blistering shots only for Torr to fall four short of a half century when being caught by Phil Burrell off spinner Ed Brindle. Buttrick reached an impressive fifty and Russell Fletcher kept up the momentum with a quickfire 14 before being caught by Tom Ryder off spinner Zain Siddiqui then Outcasts ensured a full five batting points when breaking the 200 target for the second week in row. Buttrick had made 63 when he was caught behind off Siddiqui with the total on 214 and skipper Richard Wroot sacrifced his wicket in the chase for late runs when he was bowled by the spinner for eight , leaving Craig McAnaney ( 10 not out ) and Tom Sharpe ( 1 not out ) to guide them to 235 for 7 from the allotted 45 overs.

Louth's reply got off to a poor start when opener Steve Wright was bowled with a beauty by Graeme Fletcher then Zain SDiddiqui was adjudged LBW to Liam McAnaney for five with the overall total on just 14.. Fletcher produced another stunner to bowl danger man John Medler for six , making it 23 for 2 and when Henry Tye was pinned LBW to give McAnaney a second wicket Louth were floundering on 27 for 4. That became 27 for 5 with another jaffa from Fletcher when bowling Mike Searle and another 20 pointer was well within reach. Liam Taylor and number six batsman Limmer offered some resistance taking the score to 51 before Russell Fletcher caught the latter off McAnaney for seven and Fletcher picked up a fourth when Taylor was superbly caught by Buttrick for a brisk 26. Phil Burrell became Fletcher's fifth victim when he was bowled attempting a naughty reverse sweep for ten and McAnaney took his fourth of the innings when bowling Rob Dwyer for 18 with the total on 97. Tom Ryder and Ed Brindle took the total to 124 to earn Louth a batting point then Scott Buttrick wrapped things up by tempting Ryder into a loose drive which went straight to Russell Fletcher , clinching a maximum haul of 20 points for the Isle side.

It was a good day for Outcasts overall as the 2nd eleven won a thriller at Hirst Priory against Caistor Town 3rds by just two runs. Charlie Mason was the home team hero , hitting 66 in their total of 147 for 9 , Lee Gash scoring 15 with skipper Jason Whiteley and vice captain Ian Fletcher also chipping in with a dozen each then Whiteley picked up three wickets as Caistor were bowled out for 145 , Mark Fletcher taking a catch behind the stumps in the final over of the game to clinch a full 20 points that lifts them into a mid table position.

In a quirk of fate Outcasts meet Louth again on June 15th , this time at Hirst Priory whilst the 2nds travel to Nettleton Mines to take on South Kelsey whom they beat last month in what was a closely fought affair.