1st XI
Matches
Sat 18 Jun 2011  ·  Division 2
Whixley
117
118/5
South Milford Cricket Club
1st XI
White's Fiver Too Much For Whixley

White's Fiver Too Much For Whixley

John Richardson19 Jun 2011 - 15:04
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Dan White's first 5 wicket haul of the season sees Milford back to winning ways against Whixley

Not the highest scoring match you will ever see but a more nail butting one would be hard to find.

After two weeks of poor performances Milford's first team put on a fine gritty performance to get back to winning ways away at Whixley.

Weather forecasts earlier in the week had put into doubt this fixture but the afternoon was fine and dry with a blustery west wind. Nice and clear at Whixley with both the White Horse of Kilburn and York Minster clearly visible in the distance. The ground looked well though damp from Friday nights rain.

Jimmy Liddle again won the toss and with much urging from his team put Whixley in. An excellent decision as opening bowler Dan White picked up a wicket with his first ball. Things got even better when in his second over he had kiwi Stephen Venville caught behind. Venville had been going great guns this season already amassing over 500 league runs. Dan and fellow opener Andrew Clark bowled tight opening spells, Andy unlucky not to get a wicket which his bowling deserved.

Another sigh of relieve could be heard when Gary Smeaton found the edge of the always dangerous Pat Greenwood's bat for a regulation catch to keeper Paul Hebden. Milford looked a different side in the field this week after two very lack lustre performances. Even Andy Jarvis was seen diving around.

Tight bowling from Gary and John Cain held Whixley in check and then Adam Gee came into the attack. This season Adam is gaining a reputation for rolling up batting orders. He has picked up the wickets of so many low order batsmen that he should change his name to Elmer Phudd.

Dan White came back in the attack to help Adam and claimed his first five wicket haul of the season (5 for 35), Adam picking up a sneaky 3 for 24 to be the first Milford bowler to qualify for the first team averages. Whixley all out for 117 inside 41 overs.

Excellent teas were provided by Whixley certainly the best we have had on our travels this year so far. The weather was improving all the time with a lot more blue sky around for the second innings. The wind still blustery so finding a sheltered spot was a priority.

At the moment Stuart Morley seems in competition with himself to find even more bizarre ways of getting himself out. After last weeks wrong line marking disaster this week it was the most mistimed pull shot you could possibly imagine. The ball should have been well on it's way to the distant Hambleton Hills rather than spooning up to mid on.

Even the loss of Gary Smeaton two balls later didn't ring any alarm bells. Jimmy was going on nicely and looking like picking up another 50ish not out to win the match. Then all of a sudden he mistimed a shot and we looked at bit nervous. Dan White and Paul Hebden though would see us home comfortably wouldn't they. Err well Dan was struggling but showing great patience and poise keeping out the Whixley attack, Paul though seemed to have everything in control at the other end pushing the score onto 87. Then with the finishing line almost in sight the arrival of Darren Fearn into the bowling attack changed the game. With his first ball he did for Paul then had Jonathan Mills trapped LBW the very next delivery.

Surely we were not going to fail so close to the win. Andy Jarvis came in at no.7 to face the hat trick ball and slowly but surely he and Dan took the sting out of the Whixley revival. Slowly they edged the score towards 100, then a couple of boundaries from Andy powered us over the line. Excellent effort from both Dan & Andy under great pressure.

Fantastic to see a return to winning ways, but perhaps next time lads can you make it a bit less nail bitting ?

Match details

Match date

Sat 18 Jun 2011

Kickoff

13:00

Competition

Division 2
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