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Skipton continue with early season success
Skipton continued their good start to the season taking four points in a winning draw against Thackley.
On winning the toss Skipton decided to bat but found the going difficult especially against opening bowler Mahir Ali whose first ten overs yielded just 15 runs and included seven maidens.
After 22 overs Skipton looked to be in dire straights with only 64 on the board and six men back in the pavilion.
Except for Damian Smith, most batsmen would be disappointed with their own downfalls.
Stephen Carling, opening in the absence of Kevin Owens, took the attack to Thackley scoring 34 of the 35 runs total before he was eventually bowled.
He looked in good form hitting opening bowler Paul Stothart for two straight sixes in consecutive overs.
Rob Walker held the innings together, and with overseas player Ajay Rajput moved the score along steadily until he also was bowled. Rajput, along with Chris Walker and then with Simon Ashmore, moved the score on to 139. Rajput scored three boundaries in spinner Martin Hanson's first over at a vital time.
Number ten Ashmore was batting with authority and together with Andrew Fergie added a further 17 for the last wicket with Ashmore scoring an excellent 34 not out.
This was a battling performance from Skipton with the lower order showing plenty of character and skill to put a competitive score on board, especially on a soft and difficult wicket.
Thackley started well with the opening pair putting on 48 before Ashmore bowled captain Leon Harber in the 16th over. The spin twins, Rajput and Fergie, then took over and forced the run rate to a crawl.
Rajput bowled Raza in his second over and fear seemed to spread through the Thackley middle order. Rajput proceeded to bowl his first 16 overs with just 18 runs and with half of his overs being maidens.
It appeared as though Thackley were prepared to block out Rajput and to score runs at the other end. With ten overs to go Thackley were on 109-4 and needed a further 48 runs to win.
The five overs that Skipton had given Thackley looked as though they may prove costly. This was a time to dig deep and more character was required.
Rajput continued to hold Thackley under his spell and left arm bowler Chris Walker came into the attack for the first time. Right from the start, he bowled tightly and Thackley added just 31 runs finishing on 140 for eight.
Rajput finished with four wickets for 29 runs from his unchanged 20 over stint and Ricky Martin showed the way in the field picking up his third fielding point in a row.
This was an exciting and hard fought match and the kind of fighting spirit shown by Skipton will have given skipper Smith and the travelling supporters much heart. The next match sees Skipton back at Sandylands to take on Menston in the last of the earlier 1pm starts.
In the Second XI game, Thackley batted first and made 229-6 in their 50 overs. With several late call-offs from players, Skipton fielded one U-17 and four U-15 junior players - along with new player for the club, Aaron Gandhi.
This gave the youngsters a chance to shine and fast bowler Patrick Martin, opening the bowling, took four for 23 in his two five overs spells.
In reply Skipton were never up with the run rate on the damp pitch and finished on 137-8 to earn themselves a point. Opening bowlers Shah and Hall bowled tightly taking three wickets each.
Over one third of the overs were maidens, with only captain Graham Summersgill came to grips with the conditions. He showed the way with a fine innings of 65. Youngsters Sam Baldwin and Keir Nelson both got into double figures and spent valuable time at the crease.
Upper Wharfedale's season finally got under way on Saturday at New Rover.
On a nice day and a good-looking pitch for batting, Wharfedale batted first and for the third week in a row fielded different opening partnership.
This time debutant Dan Russell and Dave Eggelton got Wharfedale off to a solid start with a partnership of 47. When Eggleton and Russell were dismissed in quick succession, overseas player Ben Way and Andrew Foulds put together a 67-run partnership setting a good foundation for the bigger hitters to come in.
When Way was dismissed for 38, caught on the boundary, captain James Freebury stepped in to increase the tempo in the final overs of the innings.
Foulds cruised to his first half-century of the season and stood and admired Freebury's hitting, as he smashed an unbeaten 69 off just 33 balls including four fours and four sixes.
The pair doubled Wharfedale's score to 240. Foulds was out for 53 and Freebury finished with an unbeaten 69.
The Dale bowlers did just as good a job as the batsmen. On a wicket more suited for batting, they worked hard to restrict New Rover to 165. All of them bowled well especially Jago Bean (2-24) and Jimmy Yeadon (2-55).
Wharfedale hope this will boost them into a good run of form as they entertain Tong Park this Saturday at Grassington.
Upper Wharfedale's 2nd XI beat New Rover seconds by ten wickets. New Rover scored just 55-9 as Wharfedale bowler T Baines took 5-6 in nine overs. In reply Wharfedale took 16.2 overs to surpass the New Rovers total. C Nattress had a knock of 38 not out.
Steeton continued their early season form with an impressive victory against Tong Park at Low Springs on Saturday.
Batting first, Steeton scored a commanding 261-7. After opener Richard Atkins had scored a steady 11, the major feature of Steeton's innings was a great second-wicket stand of 140 between Andrew Luxton and South African Ian Page.
Luxton top scored with 78 from 120 deliveries including two sixes and eight fours. His partner Page faced 77 balls and smashed 75 runs with two sixes and 11 fours.
When this partnership was broken wickets tumbled in the search for quick runs, until a seventh-wicket stand of 41 between Neil Spragg and skipper Jon Best. Spragg scored 42 while Best hit an unbeaten 26.
The Tong Park reply began well enough with an opening partnership of 51 runs, with Druce top scoring with 30 before being dismissed by Alex Gledhill.
So far in the 2008 season Gary Boulton has been unstoppable and he collected another four wickets for just 20 runs from 18 overs.
Spragg was also impressive as he mopped up the tail with 3-25 runs from 12.4 overs. Tong Park were skittled out for 118.
Steeton won by 143 runs and collect six points, giving them a tally of 16 points as they aim to bounce straight back into the top flight. Steeton host Olicanian on Saturday.
Steeton 2nd XI demolished Otley on Saturday. Batting first Otley struggled to cope with the pace of opening bowler Paul Hardwick, who took 6-15 as Otley were all out for 127.
Steeton reached that target with seven overs to spare behind the excellent batting of Chris Meehan, who had an unbeaten 65.
After another showery week Silsden's returning skipper Hugh Sugden won the toss and asked newly promoted Colton to bat first.
While Colton's openers had a reasonable start, once Silsden bowler Yasser Ali had found his line he settled in bowling accurately from one end with the ever dangerous Zeeshan Qasim operating from the other.
Ali made the first breakthrough when N Thackray was caught behind. He was soon followed by his partner.
Wickets fell at regular intervals and when James Hall replaced Qasim he took two quick wickets, both well caught by Craig Thornton, to expose the tail.
When Qasim came back in he was too much for Colton's lower order. He mopped up the last four wickets including a superb "all bowled" hat-trick to skittle the visitors for just 117.
Qasim finished with six for 46 from 16.1 overs although credit should also go to Ali who bowled a miserly one for 41from 22 overs.
In Silsden's reply, after an early flurry by Masood Ahmed (12), Ali came in and set about the Colton attack hitting them to all parts, ably supported by Tim Sugden.
Ali scored 54 before Craig Thornton came to the wicket. Thornton (19 not out) calmly guided Silsden to a comfortable victory with four overs to spare.
Silsden travel to one of last season's relegated teams, Follifoot, on Saturday.
Silsden's 2nd XI took all six points in a 40-run victory at Woodhouse. Stuart Tillotson's unbeaten 76 and a brilliant knock of 89 by new recruit Richard Porter gave Silsden a total 213-5. In reply Woodhouse were all out for 173.
2:49pm Thursday 8th May 2008
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