16 August 2008, Lindow CC 1st XI vs. Old Parkonians (a)
Smithy Smithy Bang Bang!
Old Parkonians 87 all out, Lindow 88 for 3
Lindow (20pts) beat Old Parkonians (2) by 7 wickets
Lindow travelled to Birkenhead expecting the weather to cause a swift return down the M56 with only abandonment points to show for the mileage. But it stayed dry and Parkonians’ pitch looked a good one, though the outfield was long and soft as the rain had prevented cutting.
Stand-in skipper Andy Hume won the toss and elected to field first with one eye on the weather. Initially Longmore (0 for 12) and Masud were off-target with the new ball, though, and only the slow outfield prevented Parkonians from getting a flying start. Even so the home openers reached 39 in just 9 overs before Masud (2 for 50) had T. Hitchell (14) caught behind chasing a very wide one and then an early bowling change swung the game Lindow’s way. James Sutton immediately found his range and struck twice in his first over, bowling M. Hitchell (21) and Blackwell for 0. When Masud then trapped N. Hitchell LBW for 0, Lindow had taken four wickets for 1 run and Parkonians were struggling at 40 for 4. A tense period of attempted recovery by Parkonians followed, with the naturally aggressive Lindop and cautious youngster Hawthorne (1) adding 20 in 10 tense overs, the stalemate broken only when Lindop despatched a misplaced Masud slower ball out of the ground. It was Sutton who made the breakthrough again, though, bowling Hawthorne with a slower ball that produced results repeatedly as the home batsmen seemed to freeze under the pressure. From 60 for 5 Lindow reduced Parkonians to 71 for 7 as Sutton continued his productive day before Hume (2 for 4) timed his entry into the attack well to account for the stubborn Lindop for 24 and home skipper M. Beckett for a duck. Fittingly, it was Sutton who claimed the last wicket, bowling C. Beckett for 12 to finish with a return of 6 for 18 from his 10.1 overs.
Still with no sign of the rain and with 60 overs available to overhaul the home side’s 87, Lindow set off cautiously with openers Ed Farmer (19) and Rob Fernyhough (14) putting on 29 in 14 overs before both fell to the energetic Fletcher to leave Lindow 40 for 2 with rain suddenly in the air and threatening skies overhead. Dave Smith was joined by Jonny Baltrop (9) and the two added 26 with increasing urgency as the rain became more insistent. Baltrop was out chancing his arm, caught at square leg off an adventurous pull, but Dave Smith had the bit between his teeth and thwacked a glorious straight 6 as Lindow knocked off the remaining runs in 5 overs. Smith finished with a season’s best 40 not out and Paul Slinn came off with 4 singles to his name. Fletcher bowled throughout to take 3 for 39 from 18.1 overs and went past 50 wickets for the season along the way.
So it was with great relief that Lindow set off homeward into increasingly torrential rain with a valuable win under their belts. Credit must go to Parkonians, however, for sportingly playing on without complaint in the rain which, though never very heavy, was at times borderline.
