13 September 2008, Lindow CC 1st XI vs. Pott Shrigley (a)
A Close Shave
Pott Shrigley 125 for 9 dec, Lindow 123 for 8
Lindow (8pts) drew with Pott Shrigley (10)
In real relegation danger, Lindow travelled to Pott Shrigley knowing that only a maximum 25 points would guarantee safety.
It was really very wet, but some effort and the sun got it just about dry enough to make a start after 2 hours delay, making for a 28 overs a side game. James Bracewell again won the toss for Lindow, though he might have preferred to lose it, and elected to bowl. Homi Masud (3 for 48) made two early breakthroughs – one to a fantastic diving catch by Fernyhough – but Powell (34) and Bull (17) moved the score along well for a while until Andy Hume took three quick wickets and Jonny Barratt (1 for 25) one to reduce Pott to 77 for 6 with 8 overs to go. The home tail wagged, though, with Baker-Brian (19) and Matt Jackson (22) smiting the ball to good effect until Masud returned to bowl Jackson and Hume took two more in the last over to finish with 5 for 35 from his 9 overs. With a total of 125 for 9, the home side had ended up with a few more than was comfortable for a Lindow side under pressure to secure a win.
Lindow did not have the best of starts once Ed Farmer was brilliantly, if improbably, caught and bowled by Mattock for 6. Baltrop was then swiftly despatched run out and Bracewell was bowled by A. Jackson, both for ducks, to leave Lindow in some difficulty at 21 for 3. But Andy Hume, promoted to open, was scoring freely and began to put a partnership together with Paul Slinn. The field swiftly became very defensive and, with boundaries at a premium, the two proceeded by means of accumulation. Things got tougher when the awkward Davies and canny spinner Matt Jackson entered the attack, though, and Davies made the breakthrough by having Hume caught behind from an extravagant drive for 39, ending a partnership of 52 with Slinn (21), who was out in the next over when he skied a pull to be caught and bowled by Jackson. Foreman (9) briefly looked good but became Jackson’s second victim with the score 87 for 6 and 39 needed from the last 7 overs. Dave Farmer (15) hit a defiant six before skying Jackson to be caught, and Fernyhough (4) was run out responding to an improbable call from James Sutton, who also hit a straight 6 to set up target of 10 to win from the last over. Sutton (14*) and Barratt (4*) managed 7, but couldn’t find a last ball boundary and Lindow came up 2 runs short, taking 8 points to move them 13 ahead of Wistaston and 5 ahead of Chelford.
News soon came through that Wistaston had taken 25 points from their game, and for a while it seemed that relegation was inevitable as the Chelford score was awaited. But then the news came that Chelford had taken only 2 points in a defeat at Bunbury, and Lindow were safe by slim margin of just 3 points.
