10 May 2008 - Lindow 2nd XI vs Barrow (a)
LINDOW TAKE WALK ON THE WILD SIDE AS BARROW ARE BATTERED
Lindow 2nd XI 223 for 7 dec (39 overs) - 25pts, Barrow 2nd XI 84 all out - 4pts
With the recent glorious weather politely holding steady for a Saturday, Lindow 2nds made the trip to Barrow on the back of the previous week’s comfortable home victory of Cheadle Hulme Ladybridge. The relative strengths and experiences of the sides ensured that, whoever won the toss, Lindow would bat first, and so it transpired – the visitors being asked to bat on a firm surface.
It was first blood to Barrow, however, Rob Fernyhough being sent back to the pavilion for a third-ball duck, bottom edging an ill-advised cut shot onto his stumps. That feeling of having missed out was amplified as James Wild and Steve Peel scored with ease, Peel falling top edging a sweep for 28. Lindow’s mainstays with the bat were Wild and Captain Dave Kendrick. Wild made an excellent 86, falling to a tired cut shot (and a good catch) and Kendrick a typically brutal 72, clearing the boundary by some distance on four occasions. Wickets came and went towards the end, as a suitable total and time for a declaration was sought – this came after the 39th over with the score on 226-7. Only opener Pashley (6-1-22-1) escaped punishment; the rest going in excess of five an over – in some cases twice that amount.
The less said about what happened after the tea interval, the better. Both the batsmen and bowlers involved will certainly see better days on the cricket field. The home side were bundled out for 84 runs, but Lindow’s bowlers really struggled to land the ball on one side of the wicket. Only byes and wides really contributed, the next top scorer being the obdurate opener’s 12 off 35 overs. Such was the paucity of strokeplay on offer, there were, to this writer’s recollection, only three boundaries off the bat during the whole innings. Good spells (mainly on one side of the wicket) were sent down by Kendrick (9-5-5-2) and Lawrie McClymont (8-0-15-1), but the star with the ball was Chris Wickenden, who sent down 9.4 overs and snared six wickets for sixteen runs.
An utterly comprehensive then for Lindow, though they must realise that sterner tests will come later in the season, when the batting will be more sorely tested, and the bowling will need to be better disciplined.
