Best Ever Individual All Round Milford Performance ?

We played our first ever 1st team WCL league match at Ledsham this week and after missing out last Saturday due to the weather we were keen to catch up with the 2nds who had already claimed their first win of the year.

Slightly different 11 from that which lost heavily to Church Fenton on the opening day with Gareth Dodson and veteran John Cain in from the 2nds to replace Chris Plater and Adam 'Elmer' Gee (Hope your daughter is soon feeling better). Also contra to my medical bulletin in the last match report Loz White was playing and on two legs, replacing his elder son Dan who was back at university.

I have never been to Ledsham cricket ground and for those of you like me who haven't it is roughly behind the Chequers Inn further up the hill. A very nice little ground though an odd shape, bordered on 3 sides by houses and a farm open to fields at the end opposite the wooden pavilion and score hut. For once the pavilion and score hut look southwards so get the benefit of the sun all day, makes a nice change,

Milford skipper Paul Hebden had obviously not been practising his tossing in the week off as once again he lost and Ledsham put us in. Not a great surprise as though the day was sunny, mild and clear with a light west wind overnight rain had left the wicket nice and green and juicy. A seamers paradise perhaps.

Stuart Morley and Peter Batty opened the batting and found conditions certainly favoured the bowlers. The ball moving around a fair bit and keeping pretty low. The only help they received was a pretty wild opening ball from U15 Ollie Baron which gifted us 5 wides. Neither batsmen looked settled and Peter in particularly seemed to struggled. He was finally put out of his misery when he played down completely the wrong line to a ball from Jonny Smales which demolished his wickets. Just 4 from 30 balls for Pete.

Junior Joe Plater replaced Peter but was possible a bit too aggressive. Trying to score off most of his deliveries he edged one to wicket keeper Chris Hogg for just a single. Milford were now in a bit of trouble at 24 for 2 and the Ledsham fielders were certainly chirpy. In at number 4 was Rob Peregrine, coming off a duck from the first week.

The experience of Rob & Stuart paid dividends today as they held firm through the next half dozen overs picking odd run here and there. Gradually conditions improved as the sun dried out the pitch, never becoming bouncy or quick the wicket stopped moving all over and we made it to the drinks interval without loosing another wicket.

Drinks were taken with the score on 66 for 2 and perhaps we would settle for something around the 150 mark. Progress was slow but bit by bit Stuart & Rob got on top. By the 28th over we in against the Ledsham 3rd & 4th string bowling and Stuart was starting to find the far cornfield. After just under 2 hours at the crease Stuart reached his second 50 of the season and found replacement bowler Dave Palmer very much to his liking. Soon him and Rob had the run rate into double figuars each over. 150 was passed in the 38th over and then the pair really stepped on it. In the next the 9 overs from the 35th Stuart & Rob added 103 to the Milford Total.

With one over left both batsmen were in the nervous nineties, Stuart 99 and Rob a bit further back on 96 but not on strike. 4 byes on the first ball kept Stuart facing the bowling and the next ball he reached his century with a single. Just Rob to get there now. Third ball was just a dot and then Rob managed to get 2 off the 4th ball, good Ledsham fielding stopping it been the required boundary. Penultimate ball of the innings and Rob managed to get bat on it for an easy single but Stuart called, selflessly, for the 2nd to get Rob back the strike. Rob made his ground but Stuart was run out for a magnificent 100.

Steve Winspear was the 'lucky' bloke to go in to help Rob get that run off the last ball. Once again Rob managed to get bat on ball and the single was completed. Steve, obviously over emotional by the turn of events, tried for a lap of honour and was run out going for the 2nd. A very rare diamond duck.

So Milford closed the innings on 239 for 4 with both Stuart & Rob scoring 100. Two very different style of hundreds, Stuarts a bit more BFI (Brute Force & Ignorance) were as Rob played some lovely glances and sweeps to all corners of the ground.

I would like to give you my usual tea report at this stage but alas I am unable to as by the time I made by way to the tea room it had all but gone, a forlorn open ham sandwich and a couple of pieces of quiche was all that remained. Probably my fault as I haven't had such big scores to add up for quiet a while.

So a very chipper Milford side took to the field for the 2nd innings and with the weather still holding fair we looked set for a nice evening of cricket. Loz White, 'I'm only going to bat or just come off a short run if I bowl', opened the attack. He charged in with his usual vigour and produced a number of lovely deliveries which just proved too good to find the edge. More than a couple found the middle of the Ledsham openers bats too but his spell of 9 overs for 35 was very creditable.

Gareth Dodson opened at the pavilion end and fresh from a great start with the 2nds in the opening games took a wicket in his 1st over. Opener young Ollier Baron pushing an easy catch to Stuart at mid on. It looked like our day but Ledsham's number three Johnny Smales had other ideas. Together with Andy Baron they started the fight back and started to push the score along at well above the required rate. Gareth had to be taken out of the attack as he became more and more expensive. Rob Peregrine replaced him and when his first over went for 21 it looked like that was the end of his day too. In fact his first ball, a full toss no-ball, was dispatched over the fence to the neighbouring house causing the breakage of the PVC guttering. This didn't impress the house owner who made her feelings known to all.

Despite this shocking over Rob was kept on, maybe Milford skipper Paul Hebden knew Rob just needed to find his line and length or perhaps he didn't like the look of any of the alternatives. Only he knows that answer. Anyway Rob was soon in the grove and back to his usual tidy bowling.

Sam Thomas replaced Loz at the far end but by the 20th over Ledsham were looking well set at 106 for 1. Both batsmen going through the gears and seemingly scoring at will. Then just as it seemed the match had swung away from Milford Rob Peregrine produced a spell over bowling which won us the match. A smart bit of wicket keeping from Paul saw Andy Baron stumped for 48 and then in his next over Rob ripped the heart of the Ledsham middle order with 3 wickets in 5 balls.

Just what Jonny Smales at the other end thought I have no idea but all of a sudden Ledsham from looking well set were 114 for 5. Smales battled on and seemed to have decided to win the game on his own, his fifty coming off just 45 balls and he accelerated in to the nineties. All the time he was loosing partners at the other end as now Sam Thomas had joined the party with a couple of wickets. To be fair they were pretty poor balls, in fact his 1st was more the case of the Ledsham batsmen almost tripping himself up with his own bat trying to get back into his ground. Sam will tell you that was the trap he had baited.......

Still with Smales at the crease Ledsham still clung on to the hope of victory, he finally succumbed when trying to put one of Sam's deliveries once again onto a certain bit of PVC guttering. Steve Winspear taking a fine catch at deep cover point. Smales finishing a fine 93.

Fittingly Rob picked up the last wicket to finish with 7 for 56 to go with his 100 not out. I certainly cannot remember anyone producing a similar all round performance for Milford. There have been many better batting or bowling performances but together they must be pretty unique.

So the 1st team have their first win of the new season and take a bit of confidence as we hopefully open our home campaign next week against league leader Kirk Hammerton.