[themaclad]

Injuries

Stiff back
Ball onto foot
Coup de Grace
The rules at the moment mean you are not allowed to field the ball for someone else, the red missle was propelled at me at breakneck speed it was a bit like Stuart Broad batting trying desperately to get out of the way but fate decided I should meet the red thing somewhere low down.
Luckily it didn't as I dropped the ball I was carrying tripped over it headbutted the ground, both elbow's hit the ground, pines and needles in both arms and did my shoulder in.
And that is just practice.

Before my back seized up didn't bat to badly on a track which was similar to the one the abandoned test was played at Sabina Park.
However was good to be back and do something called exercise which has been sadly lacking for the last four months, also had the joys of trying to put the nets up, Baden Powell finest would have trouble with that however we start next week home game against Wrea Green.

[themaclad]

At the remainder of practice we lost another player with a dislocated and broken finger

[themaclad]

Game day first of the season dawns wet

[themaclad]

Lost by 8 wickets will blog it when scorecaard on league website

[themaclad]

https://palaceshield.play-cricket.com/we...ts/4428849

Finally after a 3 month delay the local cricket season got under way although delayed even further by rain however those of us north of the River Ribble did at least get some play in whilst those south of the river were wiped out.
Rules slightly changed in these Covid times, go to the game in full kit, take your own teas and pay match fees either by BACS transfer or by card machine which we have.
Still had the routine of setting the game up, clearing the crap from the Under 12's all night rave apparently a couple of the little scamps were under the cover smoking their new brand of mind bending ciggies.
Pegs, sightscreens, wicket rolled and wickets pitched although we managed to put the wickets in wrong at one end but it has been a long time.
Lose the toss and are put into bat.
One noticeable difference between us and Wrea Green was they had young players who seemed to be every so energetic.
Messers Duffield and Gregson opened and gave us a steady start bufore Duffield was bowled for 14. Richards and Gregson took the score towards 40 before Richards was caught.
Gregson soon went for a well made 18, then the venerable Tony Horsfall in his 54th season on the bounce was also castled for 1 he actually got a duck but was accidentally given a leg bye as a run.
Warburon hit one lusty 4 before being bowled, however we were now struggling to post a decent score and were quickly running out of overs. Enter Stuart Walters on his debut in partnership with Jon Minshull took us to what we considered to be a reasomnable score of 105-6 Minshull ended with 18 not out and Walters out from the last ball of the innings for an excellent 25.
Frank Chatfield with 2-15 was the pick of the visitors bowlers
The restart was delayed as the Secretary was still having his tea which was a bit awakward as he had teh match ball as well. 3 overs in and Wrea Green were 30-0 for none, pitching the ball short was rewarded by having too retrieve the ball from the boundary although Stephen Cassidy was slightly lucky twice edging through the slips.
The first wicket fell at 46 when Cassidy(33) missed a full pitcher from Walters who then had Thistlethwaite (15) caught by Richards at mid on, 51-2, back in with a chance well er no, Henderson and Todd took the visitors home with 18 overs to spare dispatching the bowlers mainly over the leg side to ease Wrea Green to victory.
Yours truly only contribution was 1 over for 14 near the end.
Was good to get some action in, we liked Wrea Green so much we play them again next week at the Green with teh duck pond.

[themaclad]

Tomorrow's venue

[themaclad]

https://palaceshield.play-cricket.com/we...ts/4428846






A quick return fixture with Wrea Green at their picturesque ground on the village green, as with last week Wrea Green won the toss and this time decided to bat first which in the end proved to be the right decision. Their team was more akin to what I suspect would be their second team compared to last week.
Their total of 88 was more than a match for us but credit the home side they knew the wicket and bowled better on it than we did although we didn't bowl badly.
Out of the total of 88 Green must have scored 99.9% on the leg side, anything short was sent to the boundary. We got two early wickets Cassidy who got a far few last week was bowled by a full toss, Jamie Todd whacked his first ball for four his second bowled him, both wickets to Steve Richards. Kieron Todd was run out by Dave Lever, Myers went quickly and we were in the box seat however we were struggling to get rid of Thistlethwaite and Aswar.
We had chances to break the partnership the best went to Tom Gregson and down it went.
Even skipper Duffield bowled Thistlethwaite and then Aswar decided with little batting to come was the time too send everything skywards it worked until he was bowled by Ian Amos for 33 was a match winning innings.
Richards 3-22 the best figures of some non to bad bowling figures.
With 45 overs to get the runs Gregson played on in the first over to Aswar who would end up with 4-11 from his 8 overs, Richards and Abbot put on a useful partnership before both fell to Aswar then it was a regular pocessionof batsman to and from the wicket, the wicket now had completely died we managed 1 boundary only.
Jefferson ended with 4-5 and Green won by 51 runs, me a scratchy 6 could have been out numerous times but got some luck to say the least before being stumped last man out.
First visit to a pub in 4 months

[themaclad]

WYRE 60 INGOL 72-2

[themaclad]

https://palaceshield.play-cricket.com/we...ts/4428847

Another game another defeat another toss lostbut more importantly yours truly was robbed of three runs. One of the joys of league cricket is the vagaries of the scorer, so comes as no surprise when you cream one through the off sde in the style of Wally Hammond and the scorer promptly logs it as one run, would not mind as I get so few runs anyway.
As for the game we get put in athough we habe a stronger team than usual with three first teamers in, the usual sad collapse of wickets takes place. Got to 10 before Messers Duffield and Gregson were out in successive deliveries, the latter being run out, his call.
Score t 26 when young Master Rawcliffe skied one to mid off for 2, to be fair to Joe has batting has improved and give it time he will score plenty of runs.
First teamers Pollard and Bernstein put on 13 before Polly was given out caught behind he was less than impressed with the decision although his fellow batsman who also umpires thought it was correct. A tumble of wickets and we are 50-6, myself and Stuart Walters put on 17(says 14 in the book, the three missing runs). Obviously annoyed them as got the only bouncer bowled all day. Walters soon skied one and we were soon all out with me being last out for 7(4 in the book)
Extras made 29 and the pick of the bowlers was Peter Rawlings 4-9
The two Ingol oeners put on 42 with a bit of playing and issing but when they got a bad ball it was put away with relish Si Pollard got them both one with a wicked leg break before I came on to bowl some socially distancing off spin, poor first over, decent second one as the for the third effort the winning hit landed on teh railway lines with Josh Healy putting it there
Play Kirkham next week from one league above us last time we played them we were all out for 50 ish they knocked it off in five overs.

[themaclad]

Pictured Wyre batsman Tony Horsfall in his 59th consecutive season.

https://palaceshield.play-cricket.com/we...ts/4428848

My 100% record against Kirkham continues 3 defeats and three ducks, this was a slightly better result than last time we played them when theyknocked the 50 they required in five overs.
On a warm day we got to bat first with skipper Duffield losing the toss and surprisingly being put in to bat. When we were 10-3 it seemed the correct decision as Messers Gregson, Horsfall and Abbott were all back in the hutch. Walters went and it was 15-4.
A partnership by Amos and Duffield steadied the ship slowly before Duffield rather sportingly walked after being given not out glancing one down the leg side. When yours truly missed a slow one which didn't bounce to be LBW 35-7 things looked bleak the 8th wicket fell at the same score.
A stand of 14 between sprightly 74 year old keeper Neil Willetts and the youngest member of the team took us to 47-9 two more runs were added and 49 was the paltry fina score.
All Kirkham bowlers hd success with Olivia Coleman having figures of 3-2 at the end.
The two openers blitzed their way to 31 before three wickets fell for 1 run and suddenly they were 32-3, a run out and two wickets for Steve Richards suddenly changed the course of the game, at the time we felt that maybe they did not have a lot of batting left, we were wrong. We were also oon the wrong end of three decision two run outs and a stumping that were not given but a comenack was not on the cards as Oliver Butterworth ensured Kirkham had won just after the second sanitation break.
Four losses out of four, lat group game next week before they re arrange the groups again and we will no doubt end up in the Group of the Inept