Match Report
ST ANNES COMMIT HARI-KARI AND
LANCASTER TAKE ADVANTAGE
Lancaster 193-5, St Annes 193 all out
Gerry Wolstenholme
As an advertisement for Northern Premier League cricket, the game at Vernon Road on Saturday was just what the doctor ordered. Two splendid centuries were scored and the game that at one time looked won and lost teetered to a terrific climax that ended in a tie.
Lancaster had been put in to bat and, with the aid of 102 not out from professional Renier Munnik, they had reached a total of 193-5 in their 57 overs. But on a track that looked made for runs and on a day that was warm, sunny and conducive to quick scoring, it looked as though it would not be enough to survive. And when St Annes were cruising at 131-2 with plenty of overs remaining and professional Jimmy Adams still at the crease, it looked as good as won for St Annes. However a magnificent performance by the Lancaster bowlers, who up to that point had been unable to maintain a good enough line and length to quell the scoring, saw them remove Adams and then take the remaining eight wickets for the addition of only 62 runs that left the game dramatically tied.
When Lancaster opened, Stephen Twist and Joe Davies kept Steve Johnstone and skipper Ian Parkinson on a tight rein and then both were back in the pavilion with the total on just 11. Parkinson, four, was the first to go when he edged Twist to former Lancaster player Danny Hagen behind the stumps. Johnstone, who failed to get off the mark, quickly followed him when Adam Cotton in the gully took a smart catch off Davies and that was 11-2.
The ever-reliable David Heywood and Munnik began to rebuild the innings and they looked in little trouble as they put on 52 runs before the former tried a tentative push outside the off-stump to Michael Baer and Hagen, standing up, took the resultant edge. Heywood had made 19 and Lancaster had moved on to 63-3. Luke Phillips joined Munnik and he too looked as though he was in for a long stay and he drove Baer straight for six to the sightscreen during his innings of 20. When he had reached that score a Jimmy Adams full toss hit him on the boot and he was out leg before wicket and Lancaster had lost their fourth wicket at 106.
Joined by Colin Abraham, Munnik passed his half-century but, with the total on 128, he lost his partner as Adams secured another leg before wicket decision when the batsman had made five. Young wicketkeeper Lee Sparks joined Munnik who began to accelerate as he drove Baer for two consecutive straight sixes. Sparks played what was arguably the best shot of the afternoon, certainly the cheekiest, when he essayed a reverse sweep to Adams and the ball raced away to the boundary. Munnik reached a well-deserved century in the final over and when the innings closed he had made 102 not out from 167 balls with three sixes and eight fours while Sparks' little cameo had raised 24 off just 18 balls with the one boundary. The pair had added 65 runs in 32 minutes as Lancaster closed on 193-5.
Adams with 2-45 off 19 overs had the best bowling figures for St Annes while Twist had 1-27, Davies 1-35 and Baer 1-53.
After tea St Annes started off as though the victory was a formality as Adrian Darlington and Gareth Evans set about the bowling with gusto and with a minimum 57 overs to play with it looked as though they had every chance of victory. Munnik was seen off after just three overs and Graham Barnes was, at the start at least, not his usual economic self. The St Annes openers had 55 runs on the board in no time and it came as something of a surprise when the first wicket fell. Darlington drove Ben Simm upishly towards long-off and Munnik, at one time looking as though he was going to misjudge the catch, took a tumbling one and Darlington was out for 18.
Evans, who by then had hit two glorious straight driven fours, was in full stride and he and Adams continued the good work. Adams looked untroubled and seemed to be playing well within himself although he did play one superb square cut to the boundary as he advanced to 25. But at that score, and with St Annes on 131, he followed a ball from 15-year-old Liam Moffat down the leg side and Sparks took a good catch.
Twist joined Evans who was marching inexorably towards his century but he had only made eight when he edged left arm spinner Chris Glover to Sparks and St Annes were 149-3. Davies arrived at the crease but he failed to trouble the scorers as he played an unorthodox shot at Simm and Barnes at third man took the simplest of chances and St Annes had lost their fourth wicket at 154. Evans reached his century but having added only one he lofted Barnes, who had returned for a second and much more productive spell, to Glover at mid-off and he was gone at 173-5. Evans' 101 came from 156 balls and contained 13 fours.
With a strong batting line-up Danny Hagen and Russ Bradley were at the crease and with the former driving three beautiful boundaries the total mounted to 174 when Bradley, who had failed to get off the mark, played a somewhat loose shot and Barnes snapped up the catch off Simm. It was 182-7 when Hagen, 15, edged Barnes to Sparks but with the powerful Adam Cotton and last year's record breaking second team batsman Charlie Boucher at the crease it still looked odds-on a St Annes victory.
But Lancaster stuck at it and very nearly claimed a wicket when Munnik, in the gathering gloom, took what seemed to be a superb tumbling catch in the deep at which point all the other Lancaster players celebrated. But in true sportsmanlike fashion Munnik picked himself up and signalled that the ball had been taken on the half-volley. Cotton, who had made three, decided to strike out for what would have been a winning six, but he did not carry Glover at a very deep mid-wicket and St Annes had lost their eighth wicket at 188. One run later and off the final ball of the same over Dave Taylor played on to Simm and Baer came to the wicket with five runs needed for victory and two overs remaining.
Boucher and Baer scrambled four singles and the final over from Simm began with Baer on strike. Simm bowled a perfect line and length and Baer could only play back the first three balls. He did the same to the next two so that a single was required from the final ball. As Simm prepared to bowl, Boucher got on the starting blocks knowing that he was going to run come what may. Simm again sent down the perfect ball and although Baer swung the bat he could only drive it back down the pitch. He set off for the run but Simm was quick, fielded the ball and threw down the stumps. Baer run out one, Boucher not out five, St Annes all out 193 and the game was tied!
Lancaster's players celebrated, the St Annes batsmen walked off dejected and the spectators had seen a tremendous battle that ended with honours even. Simm bowled 22 overs and earned his 5-71 while Barnes had 2-36 from 17 overs, Glover 1-30 and Moffatt, who will long remember his first team debut and his initial wicket at senior level, 1-29.
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