THEY THINK ITS ALL OVER IT IS NOW

MORTON CCC 243 ALL OUT TUTBURY CC 114 ALL OUT
DCL 2 @ MORTON CCC
18 MAY 2019 --- 1PM

BRAD CLARKE ON HIS WAY TO A MATCH WINNING 80

Brad Clarke and David Greaves played the main roles in this 27 point victory that should give Morton a real boost to their slow start to the 2019 season.  Clarke and Greaves shared a partnership of 114 when the home side where struggling and then the former chipped in with three wickets to add to two from Greaves that got them over the line dismissing Tutbury for 114 by coincidence the exact total of their stand.

MORTON PIT MEMORIAL WITH NEW CENTRAL ADDITION

After the mad end of season chase for football games added to the additional bank holiday games over April and May a final Sunday league game on Wednesday, I know Wednesday[!], being called off just over an hour before kick off it felt like time to call time on the season.  Summer mode of cricket, rugby league and any other obscure sport will hopefully feature but today with the weather forecast for dry but cloudy there was only one place to be the home of cricket MCCC.
Morton Colliery Cricket Club for the first visit of the season has of course been featured plenty of times before so now is not the time to go into all the history of the area save to say its a former pit village which proudly takes the claim of being the centre of England proudly portrayed by a plaque at its tree bound spot on the west side of the village.  A further addition by the Parish Council to the striking pit wheels was an additional pit shovel and pick with a plaque to mark the memory of the 'men and boys who lost their lives'  in the pit during its 100 year life which ended in 1965.

LET SUMMER COMMENCE  EXTRA SEATING CAPACITY CLOSE TO THE BAR OF COURSE

The ground was looking resplendent and tidy all in all areas thanks to the many enthusiastic club officials here and the ever youthful grounds man Charlie Wright.  With additional new picnic tables the warmer days will provide plenty of accommodation for the visiting cricket lovers, alongside the re sighting of the electronic scoreboard for its first full season in its new place is a brand new score box for Chairman John.  Moved from its old style single storey 'shed' position to sit at a very wide mid off the brick built box is a smart effort with a heater for those colder days and has a nice stone marking its build date and the cricket clubs logo.

BLAIR MATHEWS AND A CAMEO ROLE FOR THE NEW SCORE BOX

As ever its good to come home and the welcome and friendly nature of this club its officials, players and spectators alike always make it an enjoyable visit.
With the clouds with us all day there was a hesitant feeling that we could be on and off a few times, thankfully this did not happen and we got underway on time with it must be said two of the smartest umpires I've seen for a while.

ASH CAUNT ON HIS WAY TO 26

Morton would bat first and made a comfortable start with two early fours and with Ash Caunt [26] and new captain Blair Mathews [50] chipping in the total was moving along steadily but a middle order wobble took them to 110 for 7.

BRAD CLARKE TAKES THE PLAUDITS FOR HIS 80

Enter Brad Clarke and David Greaves who both sensibly got their eye in saw off the troublesome Tutbury bowlers who were doing the damage and as things got more comfortable Clarke opened up with an impressive 80 including sending one over to all boundaries for 23, ably assisted by Greaves they put on 114 for the eighth wicket.  The final pickings saw Morton settle on 243 all out in the final over.

DAVID GREAVES STEAMING IN FOR HIS TWO WICKETS

The home side were desperate for a win to get their season out of the traps and they couldn't have wished for a better start with a sharp run out completed by Caunt in the first over and with Clarke dismissing two with the ball by the end of the second over Tutbury had lost three wickets without troubling the scorers.  The uphill struggle became an impossibility by the time they had fallen to 35 for 6 and at 114 all out just over half way through the visitors overs Clarke had added three wickets to his 80 runs, Greaves had notched a brace, David Vardy three and there was a debut senior wicket for Tom Keenan.

IT IS ALL OVER NOW A MORTON WIN BRINGS ON PITCH CELEBRATIONS

The pressure valve was relieved at the end and Morton had secured a much desired victory that was self evident in their celebrations at the fall of the final wicket.
They think its all over it is now or is it?  Next week sees a couple of football fixtures on what will be the last weekend of catch up games but after starting the cricket today who knows if there will be a one week revival or whether summer is here to stay.