Cricket - Rafferty storms to nine wickets (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Cricket - Rafferty storms to nine wickets

1:28pm Saturday 1st August 2009 in Sport By Gazette Sports

JAMES Rafferty put in a super bowling effort in the Wesmtorland League at the weekend when he took 9-35 for Warton.

*Silverdale 197-9.

Kirby Lonsdale 138.

SILVERDALE maintained their good run of form with a 59-run win over a below-strength Kirby Lonsdale.

Home captain Rich won the toss and decided to bat first on a damp track. However, it was the travelling side that took the early advantage with both Dave McManus and Kieren Moffat back in the pavilion, bothremoved by the swing bowling of S Williams (2-38).

This brought Chris Williams (71) and Jon Mason (39) together and the pair put on a partnership of 72.

However, the Kirkby change bowlers, Jim Kettlewell (4-41) and Philip Pease (1-17) put the squeeze on the Silverdale batsmen, Pease accounting for Williams and Kettlewell having Mason caught at long-on to a good catch by Barton.

Jacob McManus (46 from 35 balls) then took the attack to the bowlers in the final overs, the final over going for 17 to help Silverdale to a good total of 197-9.

Silverdale started the better after tea with Chris Williams (4-25) and Liam Moffat (2-29) removing the Kirby top order.

S. Williams (41) and Giles Cooper (29) dug in on a wearing wicket and both batted superbly, seeing off the new ball and opening bowlers.

Once Williams was caught of the bowling of Paul Moffat (1-24), D. Barton came to the crease to hammer 45 from 26 balls. With 77 remaining from 14 overs, the match was in the balance but Silverdale held their nerve as the impressive Phil Mason (3-30) bowled Cooper.

Barton then holed out to Kieren Moffat at midwicket, leaving the target beyond reach and Silverdale in search of four more wickets for victory. Three balls later, Williams trapped A Johnson lbw and then Phil Mason did the same to Wilman two overs later. The final wicket came in the 41st over, ending a good contest.

Burneside 105.

*Milnthorpe 64 all out.

HEAVY rain left Milnthorpe's wicket quite soft and although most of the grass had been taken off, it was clear batting would be a struggle.

Milnthorpe elected to field on winning the toss and took the early wicket of Davies to a high full toss that found the top edge.

Cooper and Batty rebuilt and took the score to 22, but were finding runs hard to come by.

Cooper (12) was bowled off the back of his bat down the legside and Batty (15) caught at mid-off to leave Burneside at 28-3 which soon became 32-4 with Oates giving Baldwin an easy catch off his own bowling.

Wilson looked assured until he had a shooter from Illingworth and was gone for seven.

It left Burneside in trouble at 47-5, but Baker and Stewart came to the rescue with what proved to be the match- winning partnership of 30.

Another Illingworth daisy-cutter bowled Baker for 23, while Stewart went lbw to Baldwin for 18.

The lower order dragged them to three figures, but Burneside were shot out for 105.

Baldwin finished with 5-30 and Illingworth 4-60.

After tea Dixon immediately struck with two wickets in his first four overs for Burneside.

Lord, drafted in from the second team, was comprehensively bowled and Bowman was beaten by a slower off-cutter that found the top of middle stump.

Oates got in on the act to remove Dixon lbw, leaving Milnthorpe on the ropes at 13-3.

Wills and captain Pennington were the key partnership.

Despite a bright start, Dixon had listened to his captain’s request to bowl gun-barrel straight and took Wills lbw for 8. Pennington looked in decent touch but he too fell lbw to Dixon to leave the home side at 45-5.

Ex Burneside player Moorbykept the bowlers at bay for 11 overs, but with Dixon cleaning up it was left to Batty to take a one-handed catch off Moorby to seal the win and leave Milnthorpe all out for 64 - 41 runs adrift.

*Shireshead & Forton 211-6 dec.

Bare 167-6.

COLIN Twiname (32) and Tom Jacques (13) made the most of a easy paced pitch and hit 48 off 13 overs before Jacques fell Ibw to Adrian Osmotherly (2-58).

Former Shireshead player Graham Cheetham (1-68) bowled 18 overs off the reel and dispatched Twiname.

Paul Yates (31) and Mike Park (35) added 57 in 15 overs before Park was run out, which brought Phil Oliver to the wicket. Oliver was at his belligerent best knocking the ball to all parts.

He made 62 from 30 balls, having needed only 25 balls to reach his 50. Three fours and five sixes were hit before he was finally out, well caught by Steve Bransby from Barry Smith’s bowling (2-60).

A cameo of 17 not out from Ray Riley enabled Yates to declare at the end of the 44th over.

After Frank Smith (8) was lbw to P. Savage (1-42), Osmotherly (45) and John Moller (19) added 42 and Bare had reached 83/- from 24 overs before Mike Park (3-27) dismissed Osmotherly and O’ Donald (0) in his first over.

With Jacques (2-31) picking up Andrew Sharman (2), but John Sharman and Cheetham dug in.

Park dismissed Cheetham (12) lbw in the 37th over and Barry Smith (13) joined Sharman in pursuit of a bonus point. When it was achieved, Smith retired with a back injury, while Sharman finished on 43 not out from 78 balls, batting skilfully to give the visitors two points towards their relegation fight.

*Windermere 187.

Arnside 91.

Two sparkling individual efforts took Windermere to another 15 points against Arnside.

For once the sun shone brightly, but the Queen’s Park wicket still bore the traces of the rain and it was not a surprise when the home side were invited to bat on losing the toss.

At first the ploy seemed to work as there was early success for Matthew Brockbank (5-59), who exploited the humid conditions to extract considerable swing.

He took the first five wickets to fall, including danger men Jonathan Cooper (12) and James Crawford.

At the other end, however, Sam Fletcher (82) was unperturbed and proceeded to carry his bat in quite flawless style. His impressive performance was well supported by the tail with Steve Carruthers (20) and Andrew Darling (22) making notable contributions, resulting in a total of 187.

After tea the Arnside openers set about the task with resolve, but once Matt Park achieved the breakthrough by having skipper Lee caught behind in somewhat contentious circumstances, the rest of the batting had little answer to the pace and power of Cooper, who finished with an impressive 7-28.

Adam Richardson drove in the air to cover point without scoring and Rob Shepherd lost his off stump.

Oliver Hogg had earlier reached 22 before he misread Crawford's first ball and thereafter only Mike Shepherd (26) really looked the part as the seasiders slumped to 91 all out.

Westgate 184-5.

*Ibis 104-9.

IN-FORM Darren Troughton, fresh from his ten-wicket heroics of the previous weekend, had Westgate cautious early on, with good support from A. Blamire and S. Samson after the home side had invited them to bat.

P. Wilson (54)and D.Wilkinson (41no) were the main contributors for the visitors as Westgate finished on 184-5 declared after 41 overs.

Ibis struggled with the bat , slipping from 22-1 to 40-5. M. Wood(20) and M. Robinson(19) were the mainstay of the innings, but when they were dismissed Ibis were always in dire trouble at 98-9.

Once again P. Graveson and A. Blamire batted the remaining overs out for a point.

Main bowlers for Westgate were M.Lightfoot (3-18) and A.Hill (4-21).

Westgate 119-7.

*Ambleside 121-4.

AMBLESIDE asked the visitors to make first use of a decent batting track. Opener Tattersall made good progress and finished with 33, but the scoring rate was pegged back as Westgate closed on 119-7, with Barnaby Wileman taking 4-25.

The Ambleside openers got off to a great start, putting on 65 without loss after 15 overs.

Oli Wileman went next over for 28, while Rob Hunt finished unbeaten on 58 as the total was reached with four wickets down in the 34th over.