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Skipton start season in style with win at Ilkley
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| Skipton wicketkeeper Rob Walker (left) congratulates leaping bowler Ajay Rajput on taking a wicket in their opening game against Ilkley on Saturday. |
On a bitterly cold opening day on Saturday Skipton's first team started the season in style, beating Ilkley by six wickets.
When the coin hit the turf in favour of Skipton, Damian Smith, in his second term of office as captain, asked the opposition to don their pads and bat.
With an abundance of vests, shirts and sweaters Skipton took their positions in the field and Simon Ashmore commenced the season, in the salubrious surroundings of Middleton, bowling from the Tennis Court End.
Opening partner Gary Owens took the Denton Road End and in his sixth over Tas Malik, from Gargrave, trudged back to the pavilion having been caught by Ricky Martin with the score on 22.
The next wicket to fall was in the 17th over when the returning Ajay Rajput enticed Lee Saddique into a lofted drive straight into the hands of Chris Walker at mid-off.
There then followed a flurry of wickets as Ilkley slumped to 52-6. Left arm bowler Chris Walker had a dramatic start to the season, taking wickets with his first two balls, leaving wicketkeeper Nick McMahon to successfully prevent his hat-trick.
A period of slight resistance then ensued with the Ilkley captain, Nick Cockroft, digging in before the seventh wicket fell on 72 followed by another collapse with the last three wickets adding only another three runs and the final score reaching 75.
The spinning maestros once again proved successful - Andrew Fergie finishing with 3-6 and Rajput with 4-11. The captain, who rotated his bowlers well, could not have asked more from his team who fielded in difficult weather conditions.
In reply the Owens brothers strode out to the crease only for younger brother, Gary, to return in the second over, having been caught off the bowling of experienced Richard Harrison with the score on six.
Azhar Mahmood, in his second season with Skipton, joined Kevin Owens and between them they took the score to 52 before Mahmood was caught at gully. He looked in fine form and the club is hoping that he will show his full potential this year after a decent first season in the league last year.
Stephen Carling, uncharacteristically, came and went without bothering the scorers and was followed by Ricky Martin, who stroked the ball around well in his 15 not out, before partner Kevin Owens was caught out with the score tied on 75, having scored a solid 28.
Wicketkeeper and vice-captain Rob Walker came to the wicket and creamed his first ball through extra cover and the winning score was achieved in the 26th over.
It was an excellent start to the season for Skipton with maximum points gained. One would expect stronger opposition to be put in front of Skipton this year - possibly starting with relegated club Hall Park at Sandylands on Saturday.
Matters did not go quite so well for the 2nd XI, once again captained by Graham Summersgill. Put in to bat by opponents Olicanian they were all out for 94 in the 35th over, with new recruit Mohammad Qadeer from Keighley top scoring with 23.
In reply Olicanian knocked off the runs in just 27 overs for the loss of two wickets - leaving Skipton a little shell shocked and with plenty of work to do over the next weeks.
It was a disappointing start for Upper Wharfedale's first team in their opening game of the season, a 5-1 losing draw at home to Follifoot.
In weather conditions more suited for winter sports, Wharfedale started the better of the two teams after new skipper James Freebury won the toss and decided to field. The breakthrough came in the second over, with a wicket for recently signed all rounder Stephen Pearson, who shortly followed his first wicket with his second for the club in the fifth over with a brilliant high catch by fielder Casper Bean which left the opponents Follifoot, 12-2.
New overseas player Ben Way came into the attack and also took his first wicket for the club in his second over, which left the visitors struggling on 33-3. But with opening batter Mike Stanford still at the crease and battling hard in conditions which more suited bowling than batting, he took his time and built a nice innings.
The Wharfedale bowlers tried their hardest to get him out but with only one hard half chance going down off the bowling of Way to Freebury at short cover, he went on to make 118 They finished their innings on 183-8 with new bowler Pearson, chipping in with an excellent debut with figures of 5-28 of his 14 overs, which included four maidens.
Wharfedale's batting started well with new opening Oliver Uffindall and Andrew Foulds cementing a good base for Wharfedale to win the game.
But when Uffindall went for 17 and the score at 41-0 the collapse started, with Way batting at three never picking the pace of the wet and slow wicket up. After coming off a good season in Melbourne the Aussie only made one.
Freebury at four ran himself out without scoring, which was shortly followed by opening Foulds getting run out when looking in good nick for 36.
So they were soon at 81-5 with debutant Pearson at the crease. Pearson hit 30 not out as Wharfedale looked to score two points.
He secured the first point with ten overs to go. The projected score for the second point was 138, and Wharfedale needed 15 off nine balls. But Capser Bean's six narrowed it down to eight off the last over. However Wharfedale fell one point short and finished on 137-8.
Upper Wharfedale will travel to Steeton for a derby match this Saturday.
Steeton achieved a 4-2 winning draw in their first ever match against New Rover on the opening day of the season on Saturday.
Batting first, Steeton scored 139 all out, thanks to a fine half-century by John Akrigg. Akrigg scored 51 off 96 deliveries with six boundaries.
In the New Rover reply Steeton bowled tightly with Gary Boulton the pick of the bowlers.
He bowled all 25 overs from one end and took 5-38. New Rover seemed content to achieve the score and finished on 124-8.
Silsden, however, could not play their home match against Bardsey due to a waterlogged pitch and each team were awarded a point.
This Saturday Silsden travel to Calverley.
2:55pm Thursday 24th April 2008
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