Match Report versus Accrington (Home) 2015
Following on from the win at Ramsbottom, Lowerhouse welcomed Accrington to the new look Neville Gee (Recruitment) Ground. Accrington were the lucky first eleven to make use of the refurbished changing rooms at Liverpool Road and it is safe to say they couldn’t be happier with the experience.
A slightly new look Accrington side arrived at Lowerhouse for the first home game of 2015. David Ormerod returned from last years injury and Kieren Grimshaw made his first Lancashire league outing against the current champions. Accrington were without opener Simon Hanson who has followed in Heap and Hawke’s footsteps and joined the paid ranks in a different league but Ockert Erasmus returned as pro once again for the Thorneyholme Road side.
Once again Matthew Walker led the Lowerhouse side and it was a debut for newly signed youngster Dom Stuart who replaced the injured Jonny Whitehead. Cobus Pienaar also picked up a niggle in Saturdays win over Ramsbottom meaning that he wouldn’t be able to bowl putting extra pressure on the Lowerhouse amateurs to really step up to the plate.
Lowerhouse won the toss and chose to bat on what looked to be a decent batting track on what was set to be a sunny day. Declan Bailey opened the batting with Joe Martin and found the boundary early dispatching David Ormerod over mid on for four, this prompted an early field change with a man being put on the boundary straight away. The going seemed to be okay until Bailey played one shot too many and lost his leg stump to the bowling of Hayhurst for just 9. With the score on 35 the Accrington professional joined the attack and quickly showed that the pitch had some life in it, turning a delivery sharply between Martins bat and pad to dismiss him for 12. A small partnership then followed between the other Bailey brother and Cobus but with the score on 54 Fergus (16) was brilliantly held at long on by Sneddon from what looked sure to be 6. This brought Matthew Walker to the crease on the back of his half century at Ramsbottom and he was looking for more of the same today. It wasn’t to be however as the first ball after drinks saw him caught low down at slip for just 1 to give Erasmus his 3rd wicket. Once again Lowerhouse struggled to put a partnership together when Cobus was given out LBW just 9 runs later to leave Lowerhouse in a sticky situation at 69-5. It was down to the youngsters as Lewis Marsden joined Paddy Martin at the crease. With the Accrington bowlers displaying good patience and exceptional fielding runs were difficult to come by. Marsden stroked his way to 16 including two magnificent cover drives for four before being undone by the experience David Ormerod who picked up his only wicket with the score on 91. Chris Bleazard did what he does best at this point in his career and provided good support to the tail in helping Martin add 39 for the 7th wicket before being bowled by Clarke for 17. Josh Lavin entered in the last over and was out bowled trying to hit the ball into the Lane Ends, Halstead then followed in similar fashion but with a slightly more reserved shot selection and debutant Dom Stuart added 1 to the score. Lowerhouse finished on 135-9 with Paddy Martin top scoring with 28 not out to help the champions cause.
With such a low score on the board the game rested on the start to the second half and Lowerhouse came out of the blocks the quicker. Some good bowling and interesting shot selection accounted for a number of the Accrington wickets. Andy Greenwood (4) was the first to go, following a finely struck four through the offside he was then caught behind by Martin off the bowling of Walker to get Lowerhouse on the board with the score on 7. Fergus Bailey, opening from the park end, then had Clarke caught following a well struck four hit over mid-on and then attempting to replicate the shot but finding the ever safe hands of Blez at mid-on. Bailey obviously then smelt weakness in his opposition and removed Hussain for 12 with the score on 29 when he snuck one past his defences to clean bowl the opener. New man Grimshaw then joined his professional as the pair put on 17 for the 4th wicket before that man Bailey registered his third scalp of the day bowling Erasmus for 19. Accrington captain Stuart Crabtree didn’t trouble the scorers as he became Baileys 4th wicket after finding the hands of Walker at gully. What followed was a gift for Lowerhouse as Accrington were masters of their own downfall. Grimshaw was run out coming back for a second thanks to cool heads from first Joe Halstead with the throw and then Joe Martin who rolled the ball to the bowlers end with the 2 batters stood side by side at the other. Graeme Sneddon then raced to 7 before also being run out attempting a quick single only to be left stranded by Hasham in the middle of the track. This left Accrington at 7-60 and it was up to Hasham to try and make amends for the two mishaps. Dom Stuart bowled his first over in Lancashire League cricket and it proved to be a good one. Blez, never one to stay out of the action, registered his 2nd catch of the game when Accrington CC wicketkeeper Matt Wilson hit one straight to him at cover to be the 8th man out for just 12. Hasham then decided that the best way to finish the game would be to do it quickly and targeted the returning Walker only to loop one straight up in the air for Blez to take a simple chance at mid on to dismiss Ali for 14. With the score at 83-9 you may have forgiven Lowerhouse for thinking that the game was over, Jimmy Hayhurst did his best to delay the win and added a further 15 runs with last man David Ormerod. Accrington were finally all out for 98 following a good catch at slip from Cobus off the bowling of Paddy Martin to remove Ormerod without scoring. Hayhurst finished unbeaten on 16 and, if you have access to facebook, may have seen him handing out batting tips to the rest of the order.
A rollercoaster game that could have seen the champions first defeat of 2015 had it not been for the will to win that is instilled throughout the clubs senior section. Although the players may admit that they could have performed a little bit better on the day it is nevertheless a maximum point win against a good side and has left Lowerhouse and Burnley at the top of the Lancashire League ladder following the opening three games of the campaign.
The tough tests keep on coming next week with a trip to Haslingden on Saturday, where new captain Alex Coleman will be looking to keep up his own form and that of his sides following their 24 point weekend, and on Sunday we welcome a Nelson team who have had an up and down start to the season but are never a team to be taken lightly.
