Saturday
Saturday saw our two 3rd XIs in action as our 3rd XI B welcomed Ramsbottom to Evolve Document Solutions Cliffe Park whilst our 3rd XI A travelled to Clitheroe
3rd XI B vs Ramsbottom
With rain having fallen overnight, credit first and foremost to our ground staff for getting everything ready in time.
We lost the toss and were asked to bat first. Muhammad Shakeel strode out to the middle, joined today by Hamza Qayoom. The pair put on a steady 55 for the first wicket, with Hamza in particularly fine form.
Shakeel fell for 11, and Ben Rogers (7) followed him soon after. But this brought Asif Akhtar to the middle. Together, he and Hamza combined for another 85 runs, 30 of which came off the bowling of former GHCC player Saif, who learned the hard way that leaving GHCC opens up the possibility of getting plopped for three straight boundaries by your dad.
Asif was bowled for 30, and when Hamza followed in the next over for an excellent 78 (90 balls including 11 fours and 3 sixes), it prompted something of a collapse.
Darab Khan hit a quick-fire 32, including one six that was caught one-handed in the GHCC players section (more peak athleticism), but no other player reached double figures and we were all out in the last over for 197.
In response, Ramsbottom never really threatened to chase down the total, batting through 30 overs for 104. Pick of the bowlers was Asif Akhtar, who took 3-28 from his 8 overs. There were 2 wickets each for Muhammad Shakeel and Darab Khan, whilst Jason Kayley and Harry Cousins took one each.
A 93 run win against a side unbeaten coming into the game, taking us above them into 2nd place in the early division 2 table.
Trip to Rochdale next week. On to the next one.
3rd XI A at Clitheroe
Looking to kick on after an impressive home win last week, our 3rd XI A fell to a second away defeat of the season at Clitheroe.
Asked to bat, we posted a reasonable total of 142-8, Freddie Campbell top scoring with 36 opening the batting, aided by contributions throughout the order.
In response, following a solid start, two quick wickets from William Armer (2-23) looked to give us hope, but a third wicket partnership of 59 between Dawson and Dugdale, both of whom reached 50, took the game away from us. Rayyan Hussain (1-18) Picked up the wicket of Dawson, but we fell to a seven wicket defeat.
On to the next one.
Sunday
Haaaaaaaaas anyone seen… Rishton Cricket Club? Haaaaaas anyone seen the Lotus Garage? Unbeaten Run? St. Charles’ Church?
Can you hear me Daniel Briggs? Cut Wood Park? Achilles?… are you listening? Your boys took one Hell of a beating!!
Always been a fan of a Sunday me.
Today our 1st XI would be taking on Rishton at Evolve Document Solutions Cliffe Park, whilst our 2nd XI would make the short trip down Lee Lane to face their Rishton counterparts.
1st XI vs Rishton
So, the JW Lees Lancashire League moves into Game Week 4, and this brings the one we all look for on fixture release day. Rishton at home.
In Nigel’s weekend preview for the Lancashire League website, he pointed out that since our joining the Lancashire League in 2017, there have been seventeen previous league meetings, and of those Great Harwood have 11 wins, Rishton 4 with 2 no results. So it’s fair to say we’ve pretty much had this fixture locked down in recent times.
But Rishton, bolstered this season with additional signings, had got off to a flyer. Top of the table going in to today with maximum points from their three games, and a cup win thrown in there too, the form guide suggested it may not be as straightforward as in previous years.
Having picked up our first win of the season last week, we named an unchanged side.
Rishton won the toss and on a glorious day chose to bat. Thikshila de Silva, on the back of 8 wickets last week, got stuck into the openers, no doubt having seen Rishton’s recent poll of the pros and looking to prove that he’s more goat tier than top tier.
- Fox. Bowled for 4
- Hussain. LBW for 11
- Khan. Bowled for 6
All by de Silva. Here’s the bouncer setup and subsequent wicket of Khan.
But then Kaz Masood joined in. After he had Captain Sartaj trapped LBW, and the dangerous Boddie bowled round his legs two balls later, Rishton were 52-5 and struggling.
Sahan Senapathi (10), who saw the light and joined GHCC for about 4 minutes in the winter before deciding he didn’t like winning derby games, came in at 7 and dug in, adding 23 with professional Kieran Grimshaw before also being upended by de Silva.
Grimshaw by this point was looking set, but running out of partners, he added a further 23 with wicketkeeper Sanderson before a change to spin did the trick, Kasim Masood trapping him LBW in his first over.
The tail scrambled a little, but a run out, an obligatory Sunday wicket for captain Stuart Maher and a second wicket for Kasim, well caught at slip by Matt Oddie meant we took the bowling points. Rishton 117 all out.
So a pretty straightforward run chase right. Right… RIGHT???
We never make anything easy.
Rishton’s strength is in their bowling. The additions they have made in the last couple of years have transformed them from a team who you knew would have to find 15-20 overs from bowlers you can get at, to having a unit that is a a threat throughout, and in Ali Sartaj, they have a spinner that, at least on this day, looked able to take a wicket almost every ball.
Euan and Matt opened looking to put a dent in the total, but Euan fell early, bowled by professional Grimshaw for 4. Alex Kennedy (6) fell to Sartaj in his first over, Matt was also out LBW to the same bowler and when Kasim Masood, much to his incredulation, was adjudged LBW to Grimshaw we were reeling at 39-4.
Caleb Greenhalgh is still warming up after his winter trip to Baxenden (to be fair, it is the coldest place on earth), and he came and went for 5, but then Thikshila de Silva started to build a total, aided by Siraj Ahmed (17) and then Kasir Masood. He hit an uncharacteristically cautious 31 off 43 balls which looked to be edging us towards victory.
But then disaster, a legside wide, keeper goes up and so does the umpires finger. de Silva out, 7 down, still 17 short of the total.
The next six overs were some of the most gripping our YouTube live stream has ever seen. A fielding team smelling blood, two bowlers absolutely on top of their game. Kasir Masood and Nathan Sheridan defending like beavers and counterpunching whenever there was a hint of width or slight misjudgement of length.
We had edges, appeals, Chinese cuts, a drop, a number of IN THE AIR… AND SAFEs, as slowly, little by little, we nudged and nurdled our way towards the total.
What was likely about 20 minutes’ cricket felt like hours, but, a little flick off the legs from Kaz brought the two, sorry three we needed for victory.
GHCC win, 12 points. Never in doubt was it. Was it?
In all seriousness, what a great game. Two sides really going at it right to the end, and played for the most part in the right spirit.
Lee Lane remains in the hands of GHCC, and when we next play at the end of July Nigel will be able to list the overall record at 12-4
Anyway, here’s the winning moment.
2nd XI at Rishton
How do we follow that?
With another derby day victory of course!
Our 2nd XI headed down Lee Lane on the back of a solid start to the season. two wins, away at Colne and at home against Accrington, only tempered by last week’s narrow one-run defeat away at Bacup. Today would represent a chance to get back on track.
A late change to the lineup, as injury forced captain Miles Corish to stand aside. Atul Thakor came in to replace him, with Paul Houldsworth captaining the side.
We lost the toss and were asked to bat. Chris Oddie was joined this week by Freddie Campbell, who had been picked on the back of an impressive 54 for the 3rd XI A last week.
And they got us off to a great start, adding 69 for the first wicket. Freddie (26) was bowled by Irfan, but this brought William Armer to the crease, and he and Chris continued to build, adding 53 between them. William weas out for 31, but Chris went on to reach 50, eventually falling for 65 from 96 balls with 8 fours and a six.
Samuel Davies and Oliver Roscoe added 17 each as we posted 182-8.
In response, Joel Houldsworth took early wickets reducing Rishton to 16-2 before partnerships between wicketkeeper Nuttall and both Leathert and Hilton took the score to 93-3 and there looked to be a game in the balance.
But then William Armer took the wickets of Hilton and Greaves, and Leathert followed soon after caught by Jack Hancock off Samuel Davies.
Armer (4-36) took two more wickets, before a lower order fightback was ended when Joseph Cookson went full Paul Blart and cleaned up Mall for 9.
Victory was secured with a run out from Atul Thakor, making it 3 wins out of 4 and putting our 2nd XI right back in the mix at the top of the table.
A 24 point day. Doesn’t get much better. Told you I love a Sunday.
On to the next one. I’ll see you next week.