Shropshire D40 vs Lancashire Disability 2nd XI at Calverhall CC.
The picturesque Calverhall CC was the venue for Shropshire’s home game today. It’s a very traditional and old-fashioned ground with a large slope that runs from one end to the other. Lancashire won the toss and elected to bat on a grey, cold and windy afternoon. They are playing on a used surface that may show signs of uneven bounce as the match progresses. The stiff breeze and the overhead conditions should suit the seam bowling with the new ball.
Oli Harrison started well, and he found the edge of Alex O’Neill’s bat in the opening over, but the ball dropped short of Adam Marshall at first slip. After 3 overs of good, accurate bowling by Harrison and his opening partner Callum Rigby, O’Neill played a fantastic shot when he lifted a full-length delivery from Rigby over the mid-wicket boundary for six in the 4th over.
Harrison again found O’Neill’s edge in the next over, but Marshall was unable to hold onto a sharp catch, and the ball ran away to third man for a single. It was then Rigby’s turn to find the edge in the next over, but the ball flew high over Marshall’s head this time and away ran away for a boundary. Shropshire had bowled really well early on, but just hadn’t had any luck.
O’Neill played a superb drive down the ground in the 7th over as he began to make the most of the life that Shropshire had given him early on. Rigby then beat Tyler Preece’s outside edge on 5 consecutive occasions in the 8th over as he continued to be luckless. Another boundary down the ground followed for O’Neill in the next over, but he was put down at mid-off this time by Charlie Vickers, who couldn’t hold on to a firmly struck drive. O’Neill has been given two lives now, and with a further boundary in the next over, he took the score to 38/0 after 10 overs.
O’Neill continued his fine innings when he struck two boundaries through the leg side in the 12th over as the score made its way towards the 50 mark. He drove Marshall’s off-spin through the covers in the 15th over before Preece cut one through the covers for another boundary as 11 runs came from the over. Rigby bowled a terrific 8-over spell up the hill without any reward. He beat the bat on countless occasions and was unfortunate to finish wicketless.
A well-deserved half-century for O’Neill came up in the 17th over when he nudged a single into the leg-side. He was certainly making the most of the two lives that Shropshire had given him. He was brutal against anything short, and he scored well down the ground when he got the opportunity to drive. O’Neill then played an exquisite drive over mid-off in the 19th over that brought him his final boundary before he was bowled trying to slow-sweep Marshall for a well-made 58 to end a strong opening partnership of 93.
Adam James then bowled Tom Wilson with a ball that went on with the arm after the drinks break to leave Lancashire 96/2 in the 20th over. Preece continued to accumulate steadily. He’d batted well in the first half of the innings, showing great patience and running well between the wickets. He played a good-looking drive down the ground for another boundary in the 23rd over. Dan Graham struck two powerful boundaries in the next over as he began to target the leg side. The first came through mid-wicket, and the second was a powerful drive that flew past Evan Woodhouse at mid-on and away to the boundary before he could even move.
Graham then showed his power when he hit a towering six over mid-wicket in the 26th over off James. He really timed the shot well, and it sailed over the boundary. Preece brought up his 50 in the 27th over when he scored two runs into the leg side. Graham scored another boundary in the following over when he drove powerfully through the covers as he continued to play aggressively. Preece and Graham both scored further boundaries in the 29th over as the Lancashire 150 came up in good time.
Preece’s good knock came to an end when he chipped Vickers to James at mid-off, who took a smart low catch to end what had been a very good innings for 62, leaving the score 169/3. Vickers had bowled well up the hill and deserved this wicket. Two more boundaries for Graham followed in the 33rd over as he really was beginning to put his foot down. The first was powerfully driven down the ground, and the next was smashed through mid-wicket. He was then dropped at short third man by Damon Morris, who couldn’t hold onto a tricky catch. He then flicked the final ball to the square leg boundary to reach a very well-made 50.
Harrison was greeted back into the attack by another enormous blow from Graham over the leg side that went all the way for six. A further blow over mid on rounded out the over as 13 runs came from it, and Lancashire brought up their 200. A fine cut stroke from Graham off James took him to 71* before he launched him into the churchyard for a maximum to signal his retirement as he went past 75. He’d scored seven 4s and four 6s in his highly entertaining knock.
Harrison finally got some rewards for his efforts when he bowled Billy Hodge in the final over. He’d bowled well all day and really deserved a wicket. He went on to concede only a single from the rest of the over as Lancashire closed on 228/4 from their 40 overs. It had been a good batting effort by Lancashire on a wicket that was definitely two-paced throughout their innings. Harrison, Marshall, James and Vickers all claimed a wicket each as the Shropshire bowlers did well to keep the scoring down throughout the innings.
The first over of the Shropshire chase was one of the most remarkable overs I have ever seen in a game of cricket. Adam Marshall hit O’Neill’s first delivery, which was a full toss over the mid-wicket boundary and out of the ground for an enormous six to start proceedings. He then drove the next ball back past the bowler for four this time. He then hit a high full toss for four over square leg that was then called a no-ball for height. The free hit, which was another full toss, was smashed to the cover boundary before the next ball was helped over square leg for yet another boundary. Two more runs through the covers followed from the next ball, before the last ball was left alone outside the off stump as an impressive 25 runs came from the over. It was the perfect start for Shropshire and had set the tone for what was to come.
Marshall nicked one that flew past the keeper and the first slip fieldsman and away to the third man boundary. When four byes followed from the next ball, the score had raced to 42 in just the 3rd over. Marshall struck another boundary through the covers in the next over, before two more boundaries followed in the 5th over. A lofted extra cover drive brought him another boundary before he pulled a short ball to the square leg fence to race to his 50 from just 23 balls. Rigby, who had been watching all this carnage unfold from the over end, then got in on the boundary hit blitz when he drove one through the covers in the 7th over. Another one followed in the next over as Shropshire continued to rattle along.
Marshall scored back-to-back boundaries at the start of the 8th over when he punished two short balls by dispatching them both to the mid-wicket fence. He was lucky to survive later in the over when he skied one into the covers only for the catch not to be taken. The Shropshire 100 came up in the 9th over when Rigby swept to the square leg boundary. Two more boundaries for Marshall followed in the 10th over when he smashed a free hit through mid-wicket before helping a short ball over square leg. A nudge into the leg side took him to 75 from just 39 when he had to retire. He’d smashed 14 boundaries and one huge six to put his side in complete control of the chase.
Rigby then continued where Marshall left off when he struck a huge six over mid-wicket in the 12th over. He then pulled a long hop to the square leg boundary as 11 runs came from the over. He swept well again in the next over as the score moved to 133/0, as Lancashire struggled to stop the flow of boundaries. Rigby’s 50 came up when he drove powerfully over mid-off for another boundary in the 16th over. He pulled another one to the fence to end the 18th over as the rain began to fall.
James drove beautifully through mid-off for his first boundary in the next over. Another boundary for him followed in the 20th over when he beat the short cover fieldsman and mid-off with almost surgeon-like precision. Rigby smashed back-to-back sixes later in the over as he raced towards 75. The first was nailed over mid-wicket, and the second was a pull shot over square leg.
At the halfway stage of the innings, Shropshire had powered to 181/0 and only required another 48 for victory after their batting blitz. The hitting had been brutal, and every bad ball was being punished. Marshall and Rigby hadn’t missed out on a single scoring opportunity when they presented themselves. The scoreboard had rattled along, and the Lancashire bowlers hadn’t been able to do anything about it.
Rigby swept to the square leg boundary in the next over as he retired with 76* from just 56 balls with nine 4s and three 6s. It was a good innings in two ways. He supported Marshall well early on and then turned aggressor when Marshall later retired to make sure that the scoreboard kept moving. Between them, they’d taken their side to within touching distance of victory.
Woodhouse was bowled when he played back to a ball he should have been forward to from Jack Fisher as Lancashire finally took their first wicket of the match. James then soon followed when he was well caught by Preece off the bowling of Billy Gartside to leave Shropshire 193/2 in the 24th over. Lancashire had shown great character to fight back and claim two quick wickets after Shropshire’s onslaught in the first half of the innings.
Rab Cooper hit a full toss to the fine leg boundary as the 200 came up in the next over. He pulled another through square leg as Shropshire began to close in on victory. Morris hit a wonderful extra cover drive for four in the 27th over. Cooper struck back-to-back boundaries in the next over when he pulled through square leg and then smashed a head-high full toss through mid-wicket, almost baseball style. Morris secured the victory with a single into the leg side to spark celebrations from the home players. Cooper played a fine hand at the end, finishing with 24* as he added 36 with Morris for the 3rd wicket. Morris played his part too, finishing with 11*. Fisher and Gartside both took one wicket each for Lancashire, but it wasn’t to be their day; they couldn’t back up their fine batting, unfortunately.
The match was played in a good spirit throughout, and it was nice to see two evenly matched sides play out a good and entertaining match in front of a small crowd at a lovely village cricket club.
Leave a Reply