Cricket - Milnthorpe maintain title charge (From The Westmorland Gazette)

Cricket - Milnthorpe maintain title charge

3:50pm Saturday 21st August 2010 in Westmorland League

BALDWIN (84), who hit his half-century up out of 59 on the board, and Bowman (47) punished Sands decision to insert Milnthorpe on a soft wicket.

When both openers departed Pennington (28no) and Cooper (20no) picked up the pace, both batsmen hitting a couple of maximums on the way to the total of 196 declared in the 41st over.

For Sands, Rob Clarkson (61) was the mainstay of the innings. Baldwin accounted for the first two wickets before been replaced by Wills, who claimed four victims, helped later on by the dying sun from just above the sightscreen.

Illingworth returned and got the stagnant Milnthorpe going again removing the stubborn Williams.

With four overs remaining Clarkson was trying to protect the last man and when Cooper put down an easy chance, by his standards, all looked lost. However Cooper made amends when he had Clarkson trapped lbw in the 48th over to send Sands crashing in a tense finish.

Shireshead & Forton 154.

Trimpell 129.

SHIRESHEAD’S Colin Twiname and Tom Jacques gave a display of commanding hitting in an opening stand of 80 in 24 overs.

Jacques made 50 from 70 balls out, hitting six fours and three sixes.

The scoring rate slowed with the introduction of left-arm spinner Rob Cope (5-66) and Peter McDermid (4-42) to the extent that only 47 runs were added between the 18th and 38th overs.

Veteran left-hander Twiname has scored a first team 50 in five consecutive decades after completing his 50 here from 119 balls (six fours) and hit 13 from McDermid's next over before he fell in the next over.

However, the last six Shireshead wickets fell for 21 runs in the final five overs.

Trimpell looked in control at 62-5 even though Irfan Qayyum (2-30) removed both openers.

Andy Hill’s 34 from 29 balls threatened to press home the advantage but Tom Jacques (2-40) bowled him and added Steve Pemberton lbw in his next over.

When Paul Yates ran out Stuart Mayor (20) with a direct hit, Shireshead became favourites. Mark Storey (13) and Darren Hardman (20) played tip and run, but Rob Charles ran out Storey.

Phil Oliver removed Cope and McDermid in his sixth over as the scoring rate dried up.

After Benniston was also run out, the game ended wyen the umpire at the bowler's end was blinded by the low sun and swapped positions with his colelague, who gave Hardman out lbw. Oliver finished with 3-13 from 7.2 overs in a hostile spell.