Settle warm up for cup semi with win against Clitheroe
1:49pm Thursday 3rd July 2008
Settle continued their recent good form with a much-needed win over Clitheroe at the Marshfield last Saturday though the match did not get off to a promising start.
The hosts were put in to bat on a slow, damp wicket and were in immediate difficulties when Bret Silvey was dismissed with the second ball of the game. With the pro gone it was left to the amateurs to repair things.
Matthew Wildman (42) gave an excellent batting performance and looked well on his way to making a very high score when he got out trying to move things on.
Mark Verden (31) took up the challenge but fell just when he looked to be going well.
Then in the space of a couple of overs Settle went from 100 for three to 104 for six due to some injudicious hitting by the middle order. But Sean Airey came to the wicket and played some huge shots in his innings of 36, taking Settle to 161 all out.
This was a respectable score bearing in mind they disappointingly failed to use seven of their allotted overs.
Clitheroe were always in touch with the scoring rate, however once Settle had removed their pro, Paul Turner, the balance changed in their favour.
Laurence Read came on to break up a decent partnership and Settle took control with David Morrell (5-48) and Jeff Ellis (2-46) both bowling excellent long spells. Morrell also grabbed three catches to cap a great afternoon for him.
Settle chairman Malcolm Dodgson said: "A score of 161 without the pro contributing was a good effort and self belief is greatly increasing. We face an important weekend, the highlight being the Ramsbottom Cup semi-final against Padiham on Sunday.
"Confidence is high and with almost a full squad to pick from I can't see why we shouldn't make the final. We hope to welcome a lot of supporters and give them something to cheer about."
Barnoldswick remain in second place, one point ahead of Baxenden and Padiham, who beat them by 68 runs last Saturday.
In a cracker of a match at Padiham, the two teams scored a massive 530 runs.
Batting first, the Siddique trio, Padiham's first three batsmen, amassed 243 runs by themselves.
Their pro Kashif Siddique scored 48, fellow opener Abdul Siddique added 51 and No 3 Umar Siddique top scored with 144 off 118 balls, which included 11 sixes and 14 fours. Padiham closed their innings on 299 for five. Barlick skipper Michael Scothern and Sajid Akhtar took two wickets apiece and pro Clinton Peake conceded just 30 runs in his ten overs.
With a target of 300, Barlick had their work cut out for them but to their credit they batted fairly solidly throughout the order.
Opener Matthew Nutter had a decent spell at the crease scoring 40 runs. Luke Hodgson had a solid knock of 39 and No 9 Shoib Khan had a lower order partnership with David Scothern as Barlick finished on 231 all out.
Khan top scored with 44, David Scothern chipped in with 19 and Peake and Alamgir Anwar had knocks of 24 and 18 respectively.
Earby stay bottom after losing by five wickets at home to Read despite a good batting performance by two of their players.
Batting first the Applegarth side lost their professional, Ali Azmat, for just 12 runs.
Fellow opener young Chris Bowker toiled away at the crease scoring nine runs off 60 balls.
But Earby's third-wicket partnership blossomed with Stephen Pickles and Matthew Haines scoring 107 runs before the latter was caught with Earby on 142 for three. Pickles fell right after and Earby were on 142 for four.
Pickles top scored with 61 off 79 balls. He hit four sixes and six fours. Haines scored 53 off 64 balls including four sixes and three fours.
Jonathan Martin, batting at No 7 chipped in with 16 runs as Earby finished on 184 for nine.
In reply Read got a captain's innings from skipper Jon Harvey who scored 83 runs off 109 balls before being bowled out by Nigel Hodge late on. The visitors finished on 189 for five.
Adam Yates and Martin took two wickets apiece for Earby.
In league action on Saturday Earby travel to Oswaldtwistle Immanuel, Barnoldswick host Baxenden at Victory Park and Settle are away to Edenfield before their Ramsbottom Cup tie at home to Padiham on Sunday.