Settle Cricket Club v Cherry Tree Cricket Club (Ribblesdale Cricket League)
Having narrowly lost last weekends top of the table clash against Ribblesdale Wanderers by just nine runs, Settle Cricket Club returned to Marshfield this weekend to face Cherry Tree Cricket Club in the Ribblesdale Senior Cricket League. Club captain Will Davidson know that his side must win their final two games of the season to stand any chance of retaining the Ribblesdale Cricket League Championship.
Cherry Tree Cricket Club won the toss and elected to bat with captain Jack Woolridge and Louis Strand coming to the crease for the opening partnership. Settle started with their main strike bowler Eddy Read, who has battled a painful ankle injury all season. Despite the injury, Read delivered some excellent balls in his opening spell which fully deserved a wicket. Unfortunately the ball went passed the edge of the bat on a number of occiasions as the batsmen played and missed Eddy Read’s deliveries.
Harry Snowden, opened the bowling from the other end of the ground and kept the visitors under pressure, this lead to the first wicket of the match when Snowden forced Louis Strand into a mistake and bowled him for just four runs. Snowden, has taken his chance in team well this season coming into the side and taking over bowling duties from the club professional Ashen Silva who remains overseas’s due to the worldwide pandemic.
Next into bat for the visitors was Danny Chester who made just five runs before being caught by Harry Snowden off the bowling of Tom Davidson. This brough Mark Hadfield to the crease, but just as he started to build a partnership Tom Davidson struck again clean bowling Jack Woolridge for thirteen runs leaving the visitors on 22-3.
Charlie Elwood was next into bat for the visitors, but he was dismissed quickly bowled by John Tarbox for a duck. Mark Hadfield then started to put together another partnership alongside new batsman Craig Kennedy as the duo went on to make fifty two runs between them before Mark Hadfield was caught by Eddy Read off the bowling of Will Davidson for twenty runs.
Nas Iqbal then arrived at the crease and alongside Craig Kennedy he tried to rebuild the innings for the visitors. Both batsman had the measure of the bowlers and were playing some good shots to the boundaey picking off the poor balls to score quickly. A change of bowler then caused the batsmen a new challenge and Ben Hulse took the wicket of Craig Kennedy who was caught on the boundary by Will Tom Davidson for eleven runs.
As the visitors bowlers started to join Nas Iqbal at the crease, Iqbal started to take a few more risks with his shots over the Settle fielders to the boundary. Tom Davidson then returned to the attack and caught Iqbal off his own bowling, as Iqbal tried to hit the ball back over Tom Davidson head.
The final three wickets fell for just twenty runs with Owen Elwood making sixteen runs before being caught by Will Davidson just in front of the side screen off the bowling of John Davidson. Joseph Ince managed a single run before being bowled by Ben Hulse whilst Robert Ince was run out by Will Davidson leaving the visitors 138 all out.
As the players took some refreshments between innings the ground staff came onto the wicket to make some running repairs. Its fair to say that the wicket and pitch have been in excellent condition all season thanks to the players, management & volunteers working hard behind the scenes.
John Davidson & Alex Gould opened the batting for the home side and immediately went onto the attack as the opening partnership went well beyond fifty runs, before Alex Gould was caught by Mark Hadfield off the bowling of Charlie Elwood for twenty six runs.
Tom Davidson was next into bat for the home side, but he was dismissed early by Owen Elwood who clean bowled him for just four runs. Shortly afterwards John Davidson went on to reach his fifty as Settle Cricket Club made short work of the visitors total.
John Davidson was eventually dismissed when he was caught by Mark Hadfield off the bowling of Owen Elwood for fifty-four runs. Ben Hulse made a quick twenty-five runs batting alongside Eddy Read how made six as Settle Cricket Club went onto to win the match by seven wickets.
Having won the Ribblesdales Cricket League T20 competition at the start of the month, Settle Cricket Club will go into the final match of the season knowing that victory over Oswaldtwistle Cricket Club, combined with defeat for Ribblesdale Wanderers at Read Cricket Club would result in Settle Cricket Club retaining the league championship.
Match Details
Settle Cricket Club – W.Davidson, R.Davidson, J.Davidson, T.Davidson, Read, H.Snowden, J.Snowden, Handy, Hulse, Tarbox, Gould
Cherry Tree Cricket Club – Woolridge, Strand, Iqbal, R.Ince, Hadfield, Kennedy, C.Ince, Chester, J.Ince, O.Elwood, C.Elwood, Hall
Umpires – Kevin Boyle, Arshad Hussain
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