SWEET AS A BERRY FOR THORNCLIFFE

THORNCLIFFE CC 153 FOR 9 HOUGHTON MAIN CC 152 FOR 7
SOUTH YORKSHIRE SENIOR CRICKET LEGUE @ CRUCIBLE OVAL
1 JULY 2017 --- 1PM

THORNCLIFFE CC  THE CRUCIBLE OVAL

Some sporting encounters you just want to bottle them so that you can take the cap off and dip into them at a later stage and this was one of them with enough intrigue and late tension to keep a novel going.  Chasing 153 to win Thorncliffe lost their penultimate wicket still 28 runs short of their ultimate goal, enter Molly Whittaker to partner Richard Berry and just over 3 overs later the game was won.  As Whittaker protected that final wicket Berry decided the time was now as he bludgeoned 30 off 17 balls finishing with a 4 and the ultimate winner a mighty maximum to set off scenes of joy to release the previous ten minutes of nail biting.

BERRY AND WHITTAKER SEE THORNCLIFFE HOME

Once again the journey would take in the Penistone line train but this far only two stops out of Sheffield to Chapeltown, a town post wise linked to Sheffield but also influenced by nearby Rotherham and Barnsley.  As per last weeks trip to Denby Dale the station at Chapeltown has been a source of getting somewhere else other than departing and taking a look but it as always been a interest to view it from above with its station sitting above the town, or is it a village, below.

WELCOME TO CHAPELTOWN BY TRAIN

So to set foot in Chapeltown and departing from the station its a different welcome to last week greeted by graffiti sprayed walls before Loundside and back under the rail bridge that supports the station.  The immediate impression is of the amount of traffic that circumnavigates the towns two roundabouts which serve the roads to the aforementioned neighbouring towns.

BUSY STREETS OF CHAPELTOWN GREET YOU

There are a wide variety of shops all nestling around the station and with a large Spoons accompanied by a wide selection of national named fast food outlets its a hoppers delight, I may need to visit a few more times to sample them all!  Having arrived early enough there was ample time for a look around so a circular tour of the streets surrounding the ground took in the former cinema on Station Rd before taking a left into Arundel Rd and the fisheries that shares its name, a very Yorkshire thing to use the name fisheries it seems.  I saved this one for another day but strangely the weeds growing around the building and close by the entrance did not give me a comfortable feel for the potential servings.  Over the rail line and by the old station building and after crossing over Loundside the small pedestrian entrance from Westbrook Rd offered a first view of the ground, later to be discovered the secret garden entrance from the stone terraces of Belmont Avenue offered a superb entrance to The Oval also.

PRE MATCH MEAL

Coming out onto Burncross Rd there was a little time to read a few more noticeboards and visit the Library for any more local 'knowledge' before lunch time and a visit to Ocean Breeze was selected for a fair sampling.  The town was still busy with traffic and as for most of the day remained so in fact the only frustrating thing during the afternoon would be the sound of the races in car and bike format using the roads that surround the ground as the pacer units screeched their brakes pulling into the close by station to signal that life was going on outside the game of cricket.

EARLY ACTION HOUGHTON MAINS SIMON WARD

Thorncliffe cricket club seems to gain its name from the adjoining iron works the site of which now forms an industrial estate indeed the area once built tanks and even housed the Izal factory.  Those of a younger age may need to look this up but the company produced many cleaning products including a shiny toilet paper which was just wrong and of course slippery in the wrong place.  So Chapeltown's cricket club is trading under the name of Thorncliffe and since 1870 it has proudly done so with a big celebration due in a few years it will be interesting to see the history attached to the set up.

MORE CLEVER SIGHT SCREEN DESIGNS

Onto the ground then and the entrance via Loundside does not offer the most comforting of starts but enclosed away is a little gem within this maelstrom of activity in South Yorkshires surrounding streets.  First in view is the single storey pavilion and team room for the players this also features a neat scoreboard an scorers box combined.  There is a nice heightened viewing area before moving towards the clubhouse we pass a selection of bench seats which seems to be the 'kop' area of the ground for the aficionados.  The clubhouse is a very smart affair offering food and a smart bar area with function room with to its front a further terraced area to view proceedings from.

FROM THE SECRET GARDEN ENTRANCE OF BELMONT AVE

Walking round the boundary we pass the 'secret' Belmont Ave entrance before a further collection of seats offering a commanding view at the top of the outfield slope, this area very much slopes down to the square before flattening out towards the opposite boundary which offers a late crown green bowl type drift away.  Passing by the nets and now by Loundside the whole ground is encased in with concret panel fencing topped off by a smart metal meshed affair, hedges and club buildings but again we come across the sight screens which offer a roller rail this time that accounts for the slope. Towards the far boundary and this neighbours the shopping area but is very neatly separated by the previously mentioned fencing regime.

MAIN CAPTAIN MICHAEL BROWN DEFENDS

We are soon back to the business end and there was a moment to catch up with Jim, Thorncliffe's scorer, who kindly offered assistance and at the end further helped with a copy of the scorecard which would help my scribbled notes, many thanks for your help Jim.  During the early overs of the game and situated in the 'kop' Andy Simcox Club Chairman and Nick who welcomed the blog and managed to get into a variety of cricket related conversation but always coming back to Thorncliffe and discussing their community set up and work encouraging the local children to take up the game through all stars and junior teams.   They tell me proudly of England deaf international Andy Wood who would open the batting and turn his arm over today alongside their equal admiration for Molly Whittaker and her cricketing connections with Yorkshire Ladies and today she was to have a big influence in the final result.  Thanks for your welcome and time today guys much appreciated.

KHURRAM JAVED FOR HOUGHTON MAIN

Time for the cricket and with the home side losing the last 5 and without a win since May 20 they are in the relegation zone and in desperate need of a win before the gap gets to big and today against Houghton Main the team directly above them who have won 2 of their last 5 games would be a good place to start.

TAHIR NAWAS FENDS OFF FOR MAIN

Houghton Main found themselves batting on a wicket which appeared to have plenty of moisture from the boundary edge anyway and they made a reasonable start losing their first wicket for 35, the openers going onto contribute steadily with wicket keeper Simon Ward hitting 21 and captain Michael Brown stoically securing 39 from 119 balls and being the 5th wicket to fall you could see scoring would no be easy.

JACK HARDCASTLE SECURES 39 FOR THE VISITORS

With the scoring rate struggling to hit 3 an over and wickets falling steadily there was a nice cameo from Jake Hardcastle who hit 39 in the middle order.  The visitors though did bat out the overs and with a late rally posted 152 for 7 in their 50 allotted overs.  This looked a more than achievable target for Throncliffe but of course when you are struggling away at the wrong end of the table things are never easy and so it would prove.


JASON CLARK RACES IN FOR THORNCLIFFE

Tea time and which takeaway to sample for ease of location KFC was selected and by the time the boxes and bags were emptied the players were back out eager to re start in the continuing bright sunshine.

THORNCLIFFE IN REPLY LOOK TO KEEP THE RUNS COMING

A sharp start from the home side had them well up with the run rate and it was captain Oliver Whittaker who was the dominant opening partner scoring 28 before being given out leg before which having followed Wood [2] saw Thorncliffe on 53 for 2.  Michael Denton swiftly scored 29 and when he went its was 88 for 3 in the 23rd over and at 4 an over all things were looking good with over half the target had been achieved.

CLOSE CALL FOR THE HOME SIDE AS THE APPEALS GOES UP

It was during this period that change bowlers Michael Bates and Steve Honeyman got a tight grip on this game restricting the run rate with some superb economy bowling and the more of a struggle the scoring got the more they took the wickets.

THORNCLIFFE LOOKING TO KEEP THE SCORE ROLLING

Bates finished with 5 for 48 from his 15 overs a major influence on the close outcome of this game and Honeyman 2 for 25 off 11 more than assisting the formers wicket taking.  For Thorncliffe Jason Clark had a mid order flurry and looked to break the stranglehold until he holed out to Houghton Mains overseas player Jonty Wall and it was 123 for 8.

TIME FOR BIG HITTING

Shortly after Dale Weldon was out and the home side found themselves found themselves floundering at 125 for 9.  Now overs were not a problem with just shy of 10 left but the this game rested on one wicket or 28 runs.  In strode Molly Whittaker to join Berry they saw off the threat of Bates as he reached his allotted limit of overs and as Berry added the runs Whittaker defended her wicket.  As the boundaries flowed for Berry the target got nearer and by this stage the pavilion was awash with tension as all were anxiously on their feet cheering every run and urging on the final pair.

WHITTAKER FENDS OFF ANOTHER DELIVERY AS THORNCLIFFE GET NEAR

The change came from the Loundside end with Bates off Khurram Javed came back to bowl.  The challenge was set and Berry decided cometh the the hour cometh the man as he moved the score to 147 for 9 with a 4, cue more tension it just needed a big one now to get Thorncliffe the win they so desired.  The penultimate ball of the 44th over Javed raced in Berry swung and connected perfectly the ball sailed high over the boundary and was last seeing running away down Belmonnt Ave never to be recovered, ok the last bit is journalistic licence but make no mistake it took the score to 153 for 7 and Thorncliffe had one by 1 wicket.

RICHARD BERRY CONGRATULATED BY HIS TEAM MATES

A tremendous finish with great team spirit showed by all at the finale including the supporters who cheered on every run well done Thorncliffe on an excellent win but lets not forget Houghton Main who had made this such an excellent encounter with a quality finish.
Having collected the scorecard from Jim and departed to the station the delayed service to Sheffield soon had me changing and back at base station around 8pm still buzzing with the conclusion to this match.