PILSLEY WINNING DRAW AS WHIT HOLD ON BY ONE WICKET

PILSLEY AND CLAY CROSS 199 FOR 9 WHITTINGTON WANDERERS 122 FOR 9

DERBYSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION 7 NORTH AT RUPERT ST

11 JUNE 2022 --- 1.30PM

JAMES ALDIS AND STEVE WOOD SET OFF IN PILSLEY V WHITTINGTON

Pilsley and Clay Cross secured a convincing winning draw against fellow division 7 north title contenders Whittington Wanderers in this local derby at Rupert Street. 

Having posted 199/9 the home side set a challenging total that again featured the quality of James Aldis [71] and 2 for 16 with the ball but he was ably supported by a determined contribution from opener Pete Lacey [27].  Whittington came up well short but looked safe, that was before a late fall of wickets with Graham Turner starring with 4 for 9 pushing them to within a wicket of defeat.

PETE LACEY A DETERMINED OPENING

All set fair for a fast return to Pilsley and having failed to secure accommodation in my adopted village it was the forty minute walk that I could probably now do in my sleep.  Upon arrival at the ground play had just commenced and the visitors had asked the home side to have a bat.  The weather changed very much like the fortunes of this game you did not quite know what to expect, it started with a strong breeze in sunshine developing to dark clouds with a wind that got up to howling proportions with two short rain interruptions before ending in bright sunshine admittedly with the wind still very much to the fore.

HAYDEN EVANS STEAMS IN FOR WANDERERS

Pilsley had negotiated the opening five overs bowled in a restrictive fashion by the accuracy of Hayden Evans and Craig Redford-Eyre but in the next the first wicket fell that of Turner [8] lbw to the latter with the score on fourteen.  That brought Aldis to the crease to join fellow opener Lacey there was a persistence needed to survive and the latter showed this in abundance while Aldis could gradually move into his free flowing style with the big shots coming out towards the end of his innings.  It was Lacey [27] who fell first of the two in the eighteenth over bringing Steve Wood [22] to the middle.  After his cautious start he found a destructive streak were big hitting became his friend before being Adam Rhodes only victim as he removed the bails, leaving the home side on 130/3 in the 29th over.

JAMES ALDIS IN STRIKING FORM AGAIN

The push was on for 200 as a reasonable target but Aldis was lost to the cause when he was stumped by Daniel Weaver off David K Whiteley going for another big hit the score had only moved along by four more runs.  Captain Tristan Bowers would make a quick fire twenty four and there was some mighty hits from Shaun Fisher [27] to keep the total moving along, Bowers being particularly unlucky caught by an excellent low down catch by Redford-Eyre off Whiteley.  The closing stages would see the home side make it to 199 and a nice round target for Whittington was set.

For the visitors Redford-Eyre and Whiteley were the wicket taking stars with the former returning 4 for 38 and the latter 4 for 42 opening bowler Evans proved a little unfortunate to show no wickets but produced a good display going for just 19 off his nine overs.  

SHAUN FISHER IN LAUNCH MODE

By now regular readers will know the tea interval walk was via the old pit canteen and with a return just in time to see the Whittington openers take to the field.

It was a shaky start with runs being particular hard to come by as the opening overs from Bowers and Aldis again restricted the visitors but also proved a threat.  The threat came to fruition when Aldis bowled James Linacre for no score in the sixth over leaving Whittington on 3/1.  Stephen Barnett [4] was dismissed by Bowers and the visitors were now 16/2 and in need of a firm stand to push their challenge along and that's just what they got.  Alex Gough [34] joined opener and keeper Weaver [52] at the crease, the latter showed real determination and succeeded in a much deserved half century.  To the Wanderers cause though the pair put on 82 for the third wicket before the frugal Gareth Hatton bowled Gough.

DANIEL WEAVER HALF CENTURY FOR WHITTINGTON

With ten overs remaining the chase looked on with the reply at 101 for 3 but shortly afterwards Weaver was trapped lbw by Turner and the wind seemed to go out of the visitors sails.  There was then a steady flow of wickets with Garry Hill [7] , captain Adam Bird [5] and Adam Rhodes [3] dismissed the score had moved along to just 117 for 7 when the latter fell to Turner off the last ball of the 38th.  

ALDIS SENDS BACK JAMES LINACRE

With the run chase long given up by Whittington it looked unlikely that Pilsley would take the seven wickets required before Weaver fell but now there was an outside chance as the clock ticked past 7pm on a bright north east Derbyshire evening.  Aldis had returned for his second spell and bowled Dan Turner without scoring and it was 119/8.  Entering the last over Pilsley needed two wickets Turner came in off his minimalistic approach and the first four balls sailed by without too much risk.  But the fifth ball found a way past Whiteley [0] who heard the click of the disturbed bails.  As the sun shone and the wind brushed its way across the Rupert Street ground last man Redford Eyre came to the crease Turner ambled in and with close in fielders surrounding him and despite the howls of an appeal for lbw he survived the final ball to secure a losing draw for his side.

In the bowling stakes adding to Turners 4 and 2 for Aldis was 1 apiece for Lacey, Bowers and Hatton.  The tight bowling from the opening pair saw Aldis and Bowers concede just 16 each from their nine overs, with the award for economical returns going to Hatton 9-3-11-1.

GRAHAM TURNER SOME FASHIONABLE BOWLING

A game to equal the opening game of the season at Grassmoor which would probably have surpassed it if that final wicket could have been taken.  It was a superb performance from the home side against a challenging side and the 20 points take them to second in a very tight league table.

As ever an enjoyable visit to Pilsey somebody could have done with locating the 'OFF' switch for the wind machine but as ever on the ridge you know the weather will always be more extreme than elsewhere.

NOT OUT CALL AS PILSLEY APPEAL FOR A LAST BALL VICTORY