Dales Council 2nd Team
Match Reports 2008
Current League Position = 6th
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Pudsey Congs v Baildon
At Fulneck
Saturday May 17th, 2008
Match report by Dan Appleyard to follow
Crompark v Pudsey Congs
At High Royds Field
Saturday May 10th, 2008
Match report by Dan Appleyard
I sit here, on a lovely evening wondering how to write this report. Please excuse the change in style and formality this week, but I feel it’s the only way to write this one. Let me paint you a picture. It’s the third game into the season and we’re playing a side we CAN beat. It’s a lovely and summery, the sun is out, and despite the busy road on the other side of the trees, and building site around the back of the pavilion, it’s a generally pastoral scene. You look at the side we have, all talented, it’s full of the types of players we need, bowlers, batsmen, great fielders. Brilliant, we’ve got this in the bag. However, that wasn’t the case. After losing the toss and put in to bat, no one seemed to achieve any sort of score that could add up to a defendable target. The only resistance came from the likes of Abid (8), Kasim (14), Keegan (6) and Stuart (12). Congs ended up 49 all out.
After a quick team talk we agreed that if they could bowl us out for 49, we can, and should, inflict the same to them. However, as Stuart, and more painfully, Dan found out, it was clear that the opening batsmen were there to seal the game as quickly as possible. The first change saw Toby and Tom H came on to replace the opening pair. The only chance of the innings, a lofted ball to mid wicket was grounded. Both youngsters bowled well in their only overs, but seeing as Crompark only needed 2 to win, the skip handed the ball to Keegan, unluckily for him, the batsman wasted no time in sealing the victory. 50 for no loss.
Despite the crushing, and it was a hammering and a half, defeat, the season debut for Danny Cockin showed he is up and rearing to go to help his team to promotion, and that although they didn’t score so many runs today the younger batsmen got some experience of senior cricket and some necessary time in the middle. All was not lost though! Because the game ended so quickly, the opposing captain offered to play a friendly twenty20 to use up the afternoon. So, after about 30 seconds of discussion, Stuart agreed, with each player bowling 2 overs (except the wicket keeper).
Seeing as they were already padded up, Crompark batted first. With Wasim (standing in for Colin) and Tom Huffingly opening the bowling, things were looking good as they took a wicket a piece. Tom Brook and Keegan came on to replace the two, again taking one a piece. After reducing the home team to 23/4 inside 8 overs, vice-skip Apple was wondering whether or not playing this friendly was a good idea, for the skipper’s sanity! Abid came on with his slow-medium right arm to keep the rate down, and Kasim kept the rate consistent with quality line and length. Toby and Stuart had a good bowling partnership, with spin on one end and pace at the other, the batsmen couldn’t settle. It was Stu who struck twice in his allotment though. As the final bowling pair, Steven and Dan closed the game off with a bit of variation. Dan bowled an over of pace, then an over of off spin “earning” a wicket and a run out/stumping. Steven bowled well, but as both bowlers found, the batsmen were looking for a final push. They closed on 134/8 from their twenty overs.
After a quick break Wasim and Steven wandered out to the middle, in a reversed batting line up. However, Steven’s stay lasted one ball and Dan went in next. They shared a short partnership, but Apple succumbed to a straight ball and an awful choice of shot. Toby ventured in and faired no better as he departed for a duck. However, Tom showed that we had fight in us yet, and he and Wasim had a good start to a partnership. However, Wasim departed, and shortly after so did Kasim. The true resistance came when Danny Cockin went out to bat. He and Tom had a good partnership going, with Danny scoring 24 and Tom 12. But, all good things must come to an end as Danny departed, followed by Tom. Keegan and then Stuart went in to finish off the match. Keegan proving his mettle by scoring 11, again showed the fight that was in this young Congs side, and with Stuart scoring quickly, he could relax a little. Bowled by a good ball though, Tom came in for Keegan with 4 balls to go, and more than 40 runs required. Congs finished on 101/8.
It is quite frustrating, not only for the skipper, but for each member of the team that they couldn’t quite achieve as much as they know they should. I wish I was sitting here writing a report for a win, writing about earning 6 points. I know that with the side we had on this hot, humid day, we had the potential to come away victorious. But, you win some, and you lose some. And today our efforts were just not enough. Each player will be going into next week’s game against Baildon with fresh determination to be the best that can be, to earn their team a win and 6 points.
Pudsey Congs v Cookridge
At Fulneck
Saturday May 3rd, 2008
Match report by Dan Appleyard
The first victory of the season against Cookridge saw that, despite there are creases to iron out, there are good signs for the season ahead.
Winning the toss, for the second week in a row, Stuart stuck Cookridge into bat on a green wicket. Opening the bowling, Hardcastle and Appleyard removed Bindman, bowled, and Mahmood, caught by Keegan Moodley, respectively, in the first two overs. With a good line and length, Stuart had the batsmen in allsorts of trouble. However it was Dan who went on to oust Ali, trapped LBW, and Blackburn, bowled, during his stint. Steven Robinson replaced Stuart down the hill with a very tidy spell, which saw his first senior wicket, Bates, bowled, a reward he unquestionably deserved in his penultimate over. Toby Ward replaced Dan coming up the hill with his text book spin. He removed Lacy, caught by Stuart, to hand him his first senior wicket. Because of ECB regulations Robinson had to be taken off after four overs, being replaced by Kasim Mohammed who struck in his first over forcing McMillain to depart, bowled. Cookridge closed on 60/6 due to them having only 8 players, handing Congs their remaining 29 overs.
D. Appleyard 6-2-18-3, S. Hardcastle 4-0-11-1, S. Robinson 4-1-13-1, T. Ward 2.3-0-6-1, K. Mohammed 1-0-5-1
Chasing 61 from 74 overs, the young Congs side looked set to win. Keegan Moodley and Naeem Aheer opened the batting. After only a couple of overs, both batsmen looked comfortable and kept the board ticking over with well placed shots. However, Aheer fell on 3 to Bates, bowled; followed by Keegan, bowled by Mahmood, on 10. Both we’re unlucky dismissals. Abid Bashir and Matthew Humpleby, a junior making his first appearance for the 4th XI, continued ticking the scoreboard over with neat placement of the ball. However, the major highlight of this partnership was when something that is often rumoured in the back of dressing rooms and dreamt of by the captain, but never seen. Abid ran a two. And again. And again! His reverential knock came to a close when he was caught on 14. His time in the middle edged the Congs to a safe position. Humpleby played some brilliant shots. However, he fell for 4, bowled by McKenzie; but there were definitely some encouraging signs from this youngster. Mohammed, came in and pushed the ball around for 8, as did Stuart for 3 who fell to a deceptive swinging delivery. Wasim Bashir, however, stole the show. He played the batsmen all around the field, and was the only batsmen to score a boundary, a beautifully played hook shot behind square leg, but was caught on 9. Colin “Legend” Nelthorpe and Steve Robinson were the ones who guided the side home with well placed singles and two’s, with Steven hitting the winning run in the 26th over.
A. Bashir 15, K. Moodley 10, W. Bashir 9
On a warm day, with a pastoral setting at Fulneck, it may appear that the Congs limped to victory, but it was anything but. Brilliant performances from the entire team saw Pudsey attain all 6 points and a boost of confidence for the younger players of the team. Well done everyone, you deserve it!
Pudsey St Lawrence v Pudsey Congs
At Priesthorpe High School
Saturday April 26th, 2008
Match report by Dan Appleyard
The first match back and there were plenty of promising signs for the season ahead. On a wicket that did nothing to assist the bowlers, and a slow outfield that did not help the batsmen, the boys put maximum effort in.
After winning the toss, Captain Hardcastle stuck St. Lawrence into bat on a damp wicket, with the logic that it will be awful to bat on first. However, as the opening bowlers, Hardcastle and Appleyard found, the wicket was illusive and proved to be a bit fitter than first thought. Dapple found swing early on, much to his frustration, which gave him difficulties coming downhill. Stuart found a good line and length and removed the opener, D. Bartle, clean bowled for zero. Two overs later he was in the wickets again, removing their number three with a stunning catch by Nelthorpe. Good spells from the youngsters, Toby Ward and S teven Robinson, were an encouraging sign for the season ahead. Both without reward, but no doubt deserved it. As Pudsey St Lawrence increased the attack, Stuart decided to hand Abid Bashir the ball to take the pace off. A tight spell from Colin Nelthorpe later on helped keep the run rate down and the game back into our hands. The final spell of Stuart’s saw 3 wickets and a run out, one of which was another catch by Colin which earned him the fielding point.
D. Appleyard: 13-2-52-0, S. Hardcastle: 12-1-29-5, T. Ward: 8-0-37-0, S. Robinson: 6-0-20-0, A. Bashir: 4-1-24-0, C. Nelthorpe: 2-0-9-0
Chasing 176 to win the openers, Tom Brook and Abid Bashir, got off to a steady start. On a wicket that provided little in pace, they had to work hard to settle themselves. Tom’s hard fought 19 showed that on a different day and a different wicket he would be well on his way for a big score. Abid’s 27 came with its frustrations of balls slowing down in the outfield, not going to the boundary.
Abid succumbed to a run out, after believing he was caught which was dropped, and so didn’t make his ground in time. At number 3, Keegan Moodley came in all guns blazing, aiming to help the cause and earn us the 6 points. Unfortunately he fell for 3 after a bizarre delivery that on another day and another wicket he would have pulled to the boundary. After reaching 69 for 3 almost half way through the innings, Stuart stormed in to help the Congs on their way. A hard hitting, quick fire 33, which saw four 6’s and
a 4, helped thrust the score from 69/3 to 110/4. After the captain fell it was up to the youth to either guide the Congs to 132 not all out for 2 points or to stick around for the single point. Attempts by Huffingly,
S. Hardcastle 33, A Bashir 27, T. Brook 19
Opening their promotion chase with a hard earned point, the young and mostly inexperienced Congs side toiled away on a slow wicket and a slow outfield for little reward. They will be going into next week’s game with a fresh determination to ensure that they get the 6 points they deserved today. A hearty well done to the lads for their efforts.