3rdTeam - Old Modernians - 28th April 2007
The Esholt 3 rd team bandwagon rolled into Cookridge on Sunday, hell bent to build on last weeks good start to the season against an Old Mods side that had also started the season with a victory. On the team news front, Dave Newbury and Matty Atkinson made way for Ben Bryan and Taff (M. Birkby).
Coops made it 2 out of 2 with the toss and decided to have a bat, a decision that looked to be a good one considering the good-looking track, sunny weather and a very short boundary that would surely have our bigger hitters licking their lips. However, the opening over did not according to plan. Ben Bryan knocked the ball behind on the leg side and called for a run that didn't look on and Rick Morton was ran out for the worst dismissal in cricket, a diamond duck (The first of three diamond ducks in the game).
It was now up to Dipper and Ben Bryan to steady the ship for a while which they did well, nurdling and getting ones and twos here and there until Ben Bryan was trapped LBW by their 89 year old steady Eddie medium/slow motion pacer. Bernie then came to the crease and hit a couple of big hits back over the Old Mod's YTS bowler. Bernie and then Dipper both fell cheaply and that brought Phil Buckroyd and Ben Holden to the crease.
Buckers played a real quality innings, taking full advantage of the short leg side boundary. Holden on the other hand was blocking like no tomorrow, ‘ackling' the odd single here and there to get the much more fluent and aggressive Buckroyd back on strike. A nice little partnership was building and the score had now been pushed onto around 110-4 until Buckroyd (57) was unluckily bowled by two bob Timmy off spinner's first delivery, which just skidded under the bat. Horace and Cooper joined the party but must not have received the correct invite and did not stay around too long. It was time for diamond duck no. 2 of the day, despite being advised to not take any more risky ones, Holden nudged one to the offside, and then followed this with shouts of yes!, no!, Yes, Shit…Sorry. Saddie was the unfortunate one on the receiving end of another running debacle.
The score was now around 144-8 and Ben Holden (31*) finally decided to play some attacking shots, pulling and driving a couple of nice boundaries. Andy Barker and then Taff to a suspect LBW decision came and went, to leave the hosts needing 161 to win with an extra 4 overs carried over to help them along. A tight bowling and fielding performance would be needed to stop Old Mod's reaching a relatively modest total on a good pitch.
A good tight opening spell from El Capitano Cooper and a little wayward yet enterprising spell from Taff put Old Mod's under pressure right from the off. This pressure then told as Cooper got a double breakthrough taking two top order wickets in the same over. The pick of them being a jaffa that their number 3 played all round. Taff then got in on the act also taking an early wicket. This left Old Mod's 3 down with only around 44 on the board.
Then the match started to sway slightly back into the host's favour as they put on around 40 for the 5 th wicket. However, this is when Esholt really started to dig deep and slowly they put Old Mod's under pressure bowling 14 overs for only 32 runs, mainly due to excellent fielding and on the spot bowling from Andy Barker and Adam Hodgson. This pressure then proved too much for the Old Mod's middle order to handle and with the required run rate creeping up over by over the wickets began to fall. Andy Barker and Saddie helped themselves to a couple each and the game now turned into being whether Old Mod's could hold on for a point.
This looked highly unlikely given the high level of effort and endeavour shown by the bowlers and fielders from the little village just down from Guiseley. Neil Cooper and Taff both took one rabbit each clean bowled and the game was won by 42 runs. A truly superb effort and the 100% record remains intact, surely Meanwood must be quaking in their boots!