SHEFFIELD WIN STEEL CITY DERBY THANKS TO AUSTRALIAN

HALLAM 198 ALL OUT SHEFFIELD COLLEGIATE 309 FOR 6
YORKSHIRE SOUTH PREMIER LEAGUE AT SANDYGATE
7 JULY 2018 --- 12 NOON

TOM ROWLEY 115 FOR COLLEGIATE MATCH WINNING PERFORMANCE

Its Yorkshire its the cricket season and the authorities made the clear decision that even with all the football distractions bat and ball would reign and thanks to Australian Tom Rowley with a century it was a successful afternoon for Collegiate in this city derby.

A CRISP OUTFIELD WITH HALLAM FC IN THE BACKGROUND

After all sorts of re arrangements in many leagues with games starting at 9am receiving a 2 hour tea interval, 30 over games etc. etc. the Yorkshire Premier League made the decision that basically said come on were cricketers its summer lets get on with it and both sides today put on a wonderful effort in the blisteringly hot conditions for any sport.

MORE LIGHT MACHINERY SETS THE SCENE

Having looked at all options I needed an option that as to run to normal time and having covered this same fixture last season the option of a short train journey to Sheffield before hopping a '51' to the ground appealed.
After a brief departure at the local 'T's' for a few pre match provisions it was off to the pretty Hallam CC ground that shares its outfield with Hallam FC, with The Plough still boarded up not too much had changed from last year needless to say I wont go through a full review of the set up again.  A welcoming chat with Robert Heyes mum was the start of the day with her son on duty for the firsts dad was away with the 4th team so some divided loyalties.  There was time to have a brief chat with Mr Hallam, Richard who was as ever busy with all things club wise so time was soon racing round to noon as the umpires were placing the bails the teams came out with second placed Collegiate opting to bat first.
Just a brief look at the game today follows but I did read about one of those amazing cricket stats the game is famous for on the way here Brian Langford of Somerset in the old 40 over John Player League the inly player in a first class game to return in their maximum allotment of overs to return figures of 8-8-0-0, I guess he may have been handy in todays modern game.

SOME DETERMINED EFFORT IN THE HEAT

The visitors slipped to 98 for 3 losing Daniel Priestley [10], Brian Sanders [21] and Simon Guy [3] but the consistent part was opener Tom Rowley who was still there and when Jamie Carrington [62] joined him at the crease the score moved on swiftly to 212 before the fourth wicket fell with Rowley [115] with the Australian lbw.  His innings from 114 balls included 13 fours and 2 maximums and at the end of the day would probably seen to have been the difference between the two sides.

MICHAEL SIMPSON LAUNCHES ANOTHER EFFORT

Big hitting Michael Simpson came in and bludgeoned 43 off of 22 balls a total which include 5 boundary clearing shots.
With 309 posted in their allotted overs Collegiate looked a good bet here after a tea interval that allowed brief footy watching for the players we were straight back out on time to witness Hallam's reply.

HALLAMS NICK DYMCOCK IS BOWLED BY HENRY ELDRED

With the sun belting down and the temperature rising this was always going to be a difficult ask and with a steady fall of wickets the lack of a decisive partnership saw Hallam constantly looking for stability in their reply.  From 105 for 5 they soon fell away to 198 all out the reason they got anywhere near a half decent score was thanks to Jack Unwin [61] and Roberts Basu [37] off of 38 balls but other than that Sheffield appeared to have left Hallam with just too much to do.  On the bowling front Henry Eldred returned 33 for 54 and Matthew Dixon 3 for 52.

ROBERT SHAW STEAMS IN FOR COLLEGIATE

Overall a comprehensive victory and there was no shock, like last season, with Collegiate maintaining their top of the table challenge.
England had won and progressed to the semi finals and Sheffield on return to the city centre was in a state of drunken stupor with many a visiting tourist looking quite daunted by the behaviour of the locals.  Train departure was at 7pm and with somebody deciding to sit on the line on the way back a 15 minute journey turned into just short of an hour with the added comfort of the heating being stuck on maximum on the warmest day of the year, there will be a clear need to eat more pastries to re gain some of the lost weight on this stifling return journey.
Enjoyable day at a well appointed ground and thanks to all for putting on a game at the normal times in the trying circumstances of the football world cup, its a sad statement on crickets decline that most leagues made major changes to a sporting calendar, a sport that in its bygone day challenged the superiority of football in everyway but is now resigned to a part player.