AUGUST 2011

31^st The weather was almost unbearably unkind to Jim Ainscough as the rain poured incessantly on his excellently organised under 9s cricket and family fun day on Bank Holiday Monday. The under nines’ cricket went ahead (just try stopping ‘em!) but the family fun element was not in evidence as rain drenched spectators shivered and sneezed under their gazebos.

For the record, Littleborough won and, after a drink or two, Jim said it was all systems go for next year.

More to come including a picture montage of the day.

“MAGIC” BLUDGEONS ANOTHER MAXIMUM

HOLTY FEARS THE WORST AS HIS NICK BEHIND IS POUCHED

30^th - There was double success for the firsts but double disaster for the seconds at the weekend as Bully’s men gritted out two excellent wins but Ollie’s men’s batting woes continued.

There was some great entertainment on show at Walsden on Saturday as the game swung to and fro. The Walsden early order collapsed as Greg Jennings made inroads, but two half centuries pulled the score round to 165-8 with Greg collecting a remarkable 7-93 as he continued to plug away for 20 overs with the game being reduced to 40 per side by the rain. Lordy, Adam and Griff then scored freely but when they all disappeared into the pavilion, the middle order disintegrated and the scoring all but dried up. With eight wickets down and the asking rate at nine an over for the last five overs, Magic Mo answered the call and smashed 34 not out off 20 balls to win the game with a ball to spare.

On Sunday, Mo took over with the ball, capturing six Unsworth wickets for just 46 runs at Manchester Road as the visitors set a target of 161, recovering well from 116-7. Liam Dorsey then justified his advanced batting position with a match winning 65 and Clifton emerged victorious by three wickets.

The seconds game at home to Walsden was marred by the weather and a reduced total of 120 was achieved easily by the visitors for the loss of only two wickets. Geoff Griffiths top scored with 41 in a total of 134 in which the last seven wickets fell for 55 runs, before the weather intervened.

On Sunday the batting woes continued as the seconds could only manage 135 in response to Unsworth’s 187. The remarkable feature of the game though, was the bowling stats of the four Clifton bowlers. At one end Rob Meredith bowled 15 overs for 13 runs and Stephen Birch 10 overs for 28, but at the other end in the same number of overs, Ollie Dunn and Rob Reade conceded an astonishing 142 runs out of the 187 total. Jim Ainscough top scored with 24..

The thirds played almost a full game at Saddleworth, but the weather’s interventions eventually proved decisive as the sides ended up with two points each. However, the moral victory went to Unners’ very young side who scored 134 and then reduced the hosts to 98-8. Gareth Lloyd was the man of the match with 5-23 and 54 with the bat. The most amusing feature of the game was Mark Unwin giving a player out ‘runout’ from the dressing room after the sole umpire forgot to check that a square leg umpire had been allocated !

21^st - Middleton benefited from the weather’s intervention for the third time this season and although the earlier T20 would have been a cut and dried win for the opposition, Saturday’s first and second XI league games would have been closer affairs without the intervention of the English Summer. Batting first on both occasions, the firsts posted 182 and after two interruptions, Middleton were set just 128 to win from reduced overs. They did it comfortably for the loss of six with the excitement reserved for the last ten minutes when three Middleton wickets fell for no runs. It’s easy to say that, with six down, the hosts would have struggled to get to 183, but of course, they would have played differently had they had the full 50 overs.

In a stop/start batting display at Manchester Road, the seconds found themselves 7 for 2 before Geoff Griff (56) and holiday bound Ian Morris (40) pulled things round. However 89-2 quickly became 100-6 before Geoff and Mike Hay (29) took it to 137. Three wickets for three runs ensued but the last pair of Steve Birch and Rob Meredith again scored valuable tail end runs to finally post 164-9. However, there the meaningful cricket ended as the rain came and Middleton reached the revised total of 123 with some ease.

The Meredith and Birch partnership continued on Sunday, but this time with ball in hand as both took four Oldham wickets for less than twenty runs. Oldham managed only 70 and the game was done and dusted by 4-30pm with Jim Ainscough providing the recovery from a jittery 17-2 with a composed 51 not out.

The firsts mirrored the seconds in that they also dispatched Oldham cheaply with Hendro taking six and Greg four as the hosts were bundled out for 72. Earlier the batsmen had posted 216-7 with a good all round batting display in which the top score was 45.

13^th- Andy Griff takes the plaudits after his direct hit

13^th- The players celebrate, the bails are back on but still the run out batsman (background) doesn’t want to depart.

13^th- Hendro finishes the job

...and Birchy celebrates the end of Milnrow 2nds innings on 148.

13^th- Seconds game all but over as Ian Davidson nicks to slip.

14^th - The continuing “we win, you lose, you win we lose” scenario which has been a feature of first and second XI matches of late, remained in place as the firsts scored a notable double against Milnrow with some gritty cricket in difficult condition wheras the seconds capitulated in embarrassing style after restricting the visitors to 148. The real losers in the day of contrasts though, were the thirds who travelled to Rochdale Catholic Club to find an umpire and team who had no desire to attempt to mop up or play cricket and the game was called off.

The firsts posted a respectable 172 at Milnrow as the soggy Summer continued, with contributions coming once again from Liam Dorsey (31) after being promoted to bat 5, from Adam Holt (28) and from Hendro who patiently put together 55 before Bully scored a quick 22 in 19 balls just at the right time. Hendro and Greg Jennings then took quick wickets as the hosts were reduced to 14-2. The game then swung to and fro but each time a partnership developed, the players had an answer, including a boundary flung direct hit from Griff to remove the dangerous Fletcher and a bowling change which brought back Greg Jennings to take two quick wickets. A risky run then produced a second run-out which was contested vociferously by the home team before Hendro finished the game to register a 20 run win.

The seconds bowled and fielded well and were happy at tea having restricted Milnrow to 148, especially having scored well in excess of 200 in the early season fixture. However, having the base of a 45 run opening partnership, there followed an astonishing display of ill-considered shot making against a moving and swinging ball, in which only Ian Davidson and then, at the very death, Stephen Birch, seemed prepared, in the words of Geoff Boycott, to show the bowler “the maker’s name”. The result was an embarrassing procession of batsmen up and down the Clifton slope until the torture was ended with the score on 100.

On Sunday, the 3rds made up for Saturday’s soggy experience with a comprehensive win over bogey side Prestwich. The visitors won the toss and fancied a bat but Unner’s bowlers piled on the pressure from the first over as they performed perfectly as a unit to destroy the batting line up for 84 with Jack Barton being the pick of the bowlers, mopping up the tail to take 4 for 6. Sam Brown (46no) and Jack Unwin (30no) who had earlier grabbed four catches, then completed the job to complete a great 10 wicket win.

9^th - Roe Green have announced that they have re-signed Andy Hough as Professional for the 2012 Season. Having settled into life well off the pitch at RG, he has of late reaped the rewards on the pitch with several match winning performances with the ball, picking up 22 wickets in his last 4 matches.

9^th - Yet another bonus for the members has been introduced at the club as a free wi-fi service is now in place. It is available for all members to use.

8^th - Clifton CC is now on twitter. Follow @CliftonCC on Twitter for regular score updates and chat.

7^th – It was a disappointing start to August with all three teams losing. The accusing finger was definitely pointed at the batsmen at the weekend after posting modest totals. The firsts can also be critical of some of the bowling, but Werneth rode their luck at times to just pass the 200 mark. Liam Dorsey then top scored to rescue a point as the top order struggled to cope with the visitors’ attack and Werneth registered a double for the season. The seconds had a taste of their own medicine after picking up several one wicket wins this season. Werneth passed the visitors’ total to register their own last pair win. The thirds did a great job in restricting 2^nd placed Fothergill and Harvey’s big hitters to 131 all out, but then spluttered their way to just 100 all out leaving Mark Unwin in bits.