WEEKEND OF TWO HALVES SUNDAY RESCUES DISAPPOINTING SATURDAY

JUNE 29/30 2019-ALL OVER THE PLACE LITERALLY

THE MORTON SCOREBOARD WAS LOOKING ENCOURAGING

Like the best sporting analogy this was a weekend of two halves with Saturday being a frustrating day that saw events come together to deny a blog entry of any sport and Sunday, after the half time break, a better performance came in and rescued the frustrations of the previous day.
This blog will be more of a commentary than a review so will have a different feel to it but all week with the weather set fine the chance to sample some cricket was on the cards and with a club in the Bradford League selected I foolishly, it turned out, changed my mind at the last minute and selected Thongsbridge in the Huddersfield League, no fault of theirs.
Base station to Sheffield went well until after incessant delay announcements at platform 4 for the 1135 to Huddersfield and my departure station Brockholes the train would finally be cancelled after a problem on the inbound leg of the journey.  Quick thinking came up with some rugby league at Oulton Raiders, a club previously visited, or Yorkshire South Premier League cricket at Treeton, a ground I had planned a visit this season, for their game against Hallam a side who I had previously enjoyed covering.
The X54 was soon departing and around twenty minutes later after touring Waverley, former Orgreave coking site and Catcliffe I was dropped off a short walk away from the ground.  It was a smart set up and I set off taking some pictures of the Treeton batsman with the pavilion and church in the background of the game as well as the massive wind turbines close by.  Around thirty minutes into play and having nearly completed a circuit the umpire stopped play and called over to me as we both approached I was told I needed written permission to photograph due to two U18's in the Hallam side.  Obviously I complied and have saved no pictures from my brief visit here which was a shame and it was unfortunate as the game looked very interesting, Hallam ultimately lost, and certainly received bemusement from a few Treeton supporters at the request.  While understanding the guidelines it was a shame because as a blog I try to cover cricket in the positive light it deserves and is crying out for at local level but sadly today I would not be able to do so.
With the decision made to leave as I think a few pictures are integral to the blog I walked back to Catcliffe to calm my mood following the train cancellation early you can well imagine my disappointment with the clock well advanced to get any other sporting fixture in now was a non starter.
Thankfully I was saved by my friends at Morton CCC who had a second eleven game underway and by the time I got back from Sheffield and transported back to mid Derbyshire the home side had set 138 as a target and a wonderful bowling effort saw Belper Amateurs bowled out for 104.  A mini rescue then allowed for about one and a half hours of cricket with a chat to friends and some usual hospitality and a partake in the 50/50 draw.

 EAGLES [GOLD/MAROON] AND LEIGH CHASE THE BALL DOWN

With an overnight rest to get over the disappointment it was strange how a couple of things conspired to come together to stop a blog post and the first time it had ever happened.
So Sunday another day and the second half followed a good team talk in the interval and it was off to see Sheffield Eagles v Leigh Centurions at The Olympic Legacy Park a ground I have covered before so I wont go into it all again I haven't blogged all my visits there this season to avoid repetition.  Its wonderful to see the Eagles doing better and their level of performance is fantastic compared to last season.  Ground wise its frustrating that there are now just 7 Portaloos for a crowd today of over 1,000 and half of the canvass stand has been taken away.  The club say plans are in place for improvements on all these fronts and it has to be something they are aware of but it does need rectifying soon.

REFEREE MANNIFIELD ITS ALL ABOUT COMMUNICATION

No big report from this weekend I still wasn't in the mood but it was score less for the opening 23 minutes as Eagles defended with their all,  Leigh finally took a maximum lead but at the interval the visitors only lead 10-6.  Last season Sheffield would have crumbled but their second half effort was phenomenal they put Leigh under tremendous pressure and closed in on the eighty minutes 22-18 down and as the hooter approached only a forward pass denied Eagles a possible score levelling try.  A wonderful game of rugby league a close hard fought affair that sums up all that this sport is about and ultimately Leigh would take the two points back home but Sheffield had showed so much determination in the second forty.
Oh yes and to top off the second half comeback on a personal note I picked up a nice winning ticket on the Eagles 50/50 draw to return a smile to my ugly mug, thanks Eagles!