Rainton v Burton Leonard

Rainton 135 all out
Burton Leonard 141-3

With 5 games left in what is proving to be a very close season in Division 2, Burton Leonard 1st team travelled to Rainton. After a close high scoring game at home earlier in the season between the two sides a mou watering contest was in the making.

With the pitch looking green, but remaining hard and dry the toss was always going to be a good one to lose! For the first time captain Blaken was unhappy to have called correctly, leaving the big decision up to him. A gut feeling ensued and he chose to have a bowl at the Rainton batsmen. Taking the new ball, Rob Murray continued his quest of the 1st team bowling averages, once realizing that the wicket was offering some tennis ball like bounce, Muzz continued with some hostile short pitched bowling, resulting in Binns gloving to Parker at 1st slip. Continuing with the short stuff, Muzz must have thought it was Christmas, as he had a catching cordon consisting of 2 slips, gully and backward point, this proved a good double bluff as Muzz fired in a useful yorker to scatter C Hill’s stumps (his previous attempted yorker had just been pezelled to the boundary one ball previous mind!). This brought out M Box who Muzz wasted no time with, as more chin music resulted in a bouncer literally cannoning off the batsmen’s chin and rolling back onto the stumps

Rainton continued in aggressive batting manner, the dangerous A Addison – sporting a 4lb tree-with-a-grip bat – dispatching anything full of length, often over the boundary rope. He chanced his arm one too many times however and was out to a superb catch at long on from vice-skipper Mickey Wray. With Cooky Parker tying the batsmen up at one end with his leggies, Man Hands Burtwistle came at the other to replace Muzz with his newly found seam up bowling. He was rewarded with the wicket of the Aussie Weerdon who had just celebrated a hard earned 50, fancying hitting him out of the ground, he skied one straight up, which the skipper took with consummate ease at mid off – certainly one of the toughest catches you will see!

Burtwistle was rewarded by being taken off for a breather, Blaken greedily bringing himself on as he smelt some rabbits in the middle. His sense of smell did not prove him wrong, as he picked up 3-2 from his 3 overs much to the disgust of his faithful team mates. Cooky was finally rewarded for more excellent spin bowling picking up 2-35. Rainton 135 all out

Burton in reply were adamant a repeat of the Knaresborough Forest defeat chasing a small score to win would not happen again! Mickey Wray playing some characteristically beautiful drives and began in positive manner. Rangeley started in usual gritty manner but fell when bowled for 9 by the Aussie, playing back to a fuller delivery. This brought out Ravi Bop...I mean Mark Fox to the crease, promoted to number 3 following some ‘controlled’ hitting in previous matches, Fox did not disappoint providing some lusty, if not streaky, blows to register some quick fire runs. Before Wray was bowled for 35 to one that jagged back, Foxy played a pull shot! and the two of them ran a 4! Wray's marathon training paying off, Foxy's Friday night training, not however, as he was sucking in air like it was going out of fashion! Foxy continued before trying out cow corner one too many times and falling short, caught in the deep for 29.

Crawshaw had been occupying the crease in the mean time, keeping the score ticking over in usual elegant fashion. With Foxy going, this brought skipper Blakes out to the crease, with his side needing a tricky 27 to win the game. He and Crawsh began a steady partnership as they neared the required total, Crawsh bludgeoning a mighty straight 6 in the process. In an amongst all this, Crawsh found it necessary to dispatch the U13 bowler to the boundary on more than one occasion, Blakes on the other hand employed a more respectful approach, playing and missing a few times and just hitting singles. Scores tied and Crawsh attempts a ‘risky’ single off last ball, Blakes sensing the danger – and the chance to finish the game big – declines the offer. First ball of the next over, J Clark drops one in short, and Blakes, quicker than you can say, “why is Monty Panesar in the 5th test ashes squad??” pulls it for 6 to the midwicket boundary. Crawshaw finishing with 41 not out, Blaken 13 not out

Another 6 points picked up by Burton, and with Sharow in 3rd place losing to table toppers Helperby, Burton are keeping pressure on the 2nd and 3rd place sides as the fight for promotion remains very much alive!

This entry was posted on Tuesday August 18th, 2009 at 10:00 AM and is filed under Sport. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response.

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