PILSLEY DENIED OUTRIGHT WIN BY FINAL PAIR

PILSLEY AND CLAY CROSS 199/9 DENBY 4'S 139/9

DERBYSHIRE COUNTY CRICKET LEAGUE DIVISION 7 NORTH AT RUPERT ST

9 JULY 20222 --- 1.30PM

CAPTAIN TRISTAN BOWERS STRIKES OUT IN PILSLEY AND CLAY CROSS V DENBY

Pilsley had to settle for the wholly unacceptable winning draw concept after having fellow title contenders Denby 4's down and out, while in fairness to the visitors their last wicket survived the final ten overs while continuing to play a few shots.  This would be the fourth time this season that the home side would not to take the last wicket to be denied an outright victory with the opposition well out of the game.

A STEADY OPENING FROM PETER LACEY

It was a blistering hot day and would certainly prove to be the nicest one I had probably experienced for watching cricket at Pilsley but along the way walking I could easily have been diverted for a pint of pop at The Shinnon, Blue Bell or The Star.  But time was pressing for the start and with a few minutes to spare the discovery that Pilsley had been put in to bat may have been a little bit of a surprise on such a warm afternoon.

JAMES ALDIS ANOTHER HALF CENTRUY FOR THE 2022 SEASON

It was a steady start with openers Peter Lacey [25] and Steve Wood [6] putting on 22 before the latter was dismissed caught by James Trafford off Josef Dilks, having been dropped off the previous ball.  This brought the in form James Aldis [56] to the crease and as the score reached 53 at the ten over stage the run rate was more than acceptable.  Opener Lacey was bowled by the first ball from James Trafford in a spell that went on to prove very containing for the visitors, at 62/2 all looked fairly steady.  However with just one run added Graham Turner was sent back for a duck caught by Joanna Amps off Josh Smyth.  Ian Worthy [33] joined Aldis at the crease and although the run rate slowed dramatically the latter secured his half century but as he looked to break out he danced down the wicket only to miss the ball and be stumped by Amps off Trafford [J].  At the thirty over stage the score had only just doubled from the ten over count reaching 128 for 4 but with wickets to spare their would be time to be more aggressive now.

Worthy was dismissed with the score on 143 caught by Trafford [J] to a superb diving catch, he was having a big influence on the game, off Ian Burgoyne.  It brought Shaun Fisher [6] to the crease to join captain and man of the match Tristan Bowers [53] Fisher would go caught by Smyth from the bowling of Joe Cherry but by now Bowers was getting into free flow mode and his innings was proving to be the vital decider that moved the scoreboard along to what was in the end a very acceptable 199.  Its always hard coming in low down to add runs at this stage but Gareth Hatton came in for the final ball and promptly despatched it for four, Cameron Lee [1] and Andrew Slinger [2] contributed with some good running between the wickets and Pilsley looked to have timed their innings perfectly to set a more than challenging 200 to win for the visitors.

Denby had Traffiord [J] starring with the ball 2 for 32 from his nine overs there was 2 for 42 from Burgoyne, 2 for Smyth and a wicket apiece for Dilks and Cherry.

BOWERS SETS OFF

Half time meander was around the usual Back Lane and former pit canteen although it was now that hot I'm not sure that was a such a good idea with little shade at the ground it was though probably the best option.  Back a few minutes before the restart Pilsley seemed fairly happy with the total although it would not be an easy task on a fast and ever drying outfield.

BOWERS IN A CLASSIC POSE

The start could not have been better for Pilsley Bowers sent back Julian Todd for a duck off the second ball and it got even better when Smyth [1] was bowled by Steve Gardener in his opening over with the score now at 1/2 .  Remarkably the visitors were further in trouble when Billy Barber [2] was run out and it was 3/3 in the fourth over.  It was dream time for the home side when after a couple of overs without a wicket Gardener bowled Mee for no score to reduce Denby to 7/4.  Opener Ian Glenn [12] who had put up sterling resistance saw half the visitors side gone with the score on seventeen when he was caught behind off Bowers.  When captain Bowers took his third wicket to dismiss George Trafford [4] the home side had the visitors in a more than difficult situation at 23/6.

KEEPER FISHER BALANCES THE FOOTWORK

It looked like game over but that was not to rule out the defensive qualities of keeper Amps [23] who helped move the score onto 57 before she fell the first ball after drinks caught by Gardener off Gareth Hatton.  The resilience continued with superb efforts from Josef Dilks [31] and captain Joe Cherry [27] with the former going with score on 100 caught behind by Fisher off Hatton and the latter caught by by Worthy off  Aldis with the score moved on by just four more runs in the thirtieth over.  Surely now with nearly ten overs to bowl the final pairing would not hang on but with massive credit to visitors man of the match Trafford [J] {28*} and Ian Burgoyne they defied the odds.  It wasn't without chances a very sharp possibility close in saw Wood pull off a superb stop if it had stuck then it would have been a wonder catch, a lofted shot which was just inches away from mid off Gardener's hand and then in the fourth ball of the last over and absolute top edge skier that had Gardener awaiting it at leg slip as it came down but the opening bowler could not hold on.  He looked crestfallen but their was a nice touch from motivator Hatton who gave him solace with 'we drop together and we catch together' and in these moments we should not forget his two wickets that helped get Pilsley into their strong position.

On the bowling front the openers were outstanding with Bowers 3 for 18 from 9 and Gardener 2 for 10, there was two wickets for Hatton and one for Aldis..

As a spectator I don't like these conclusions to games clearly Denby by normal standards of cricket lost this game by not reaching the target but I do have to accept it creates for an exciting finish.  With Denby absolutely gone and who knows if they reversed the order of their batting it is to their credit that the  latter batsman deserve the plaudits for securing their side a loosing draw

AN INTERESTING SCOREBOARD AS DENBY STRUGGLE