Match Report versus Colne (Home) 2015
Career bests for Jonny and Paddy are the highlights of a return to winning ways for the House
After the disappointment of the previous week which saw an end to Lowerhouse’s unbeaten run at the hands of leaders Burnley, a young looking side featuring two more youngsters making their debuts, Will Norcross and Declan Stansfield, welcomed a struggling Colne side to the Neville Gee (Recruitment) Ground.
In a first for the Lancashire League, the two captains shared the same name due to the absence of House skipper Charlie Cottam, vice captain Matt Walker leading Lowerhouse against his namesake from the Horsfield.
“Colne Matt” won the toss and decided to field, the familiar pairing of Joe Martin and Jonny Whitehead taking to the crease. A cautious start from the openers with the new ball doing a bit in the air and off the pitch saw Martin fall, bowled by Wallbank for just a single with the score on 11 in the fifth over. With Cottam out of the side, Fergus Bailey came in at number 3 and joined Whitehead.
A positive approach started to build the foundations of a useful total, the partnership playing some impressive shots all around the wicket without looking in too much trouble, amassing 93-1 at the halfway drinks interval. This was soon followed by Whitehead reaching his half century at 112-1, then Bailey at 132-1 with 18 overs still left to bat. The score was ticking along nicely until Bailey became the Colne pro’s first victim for a very good 55, 150-2 on the board.
The House professional Pienaar made his way to the middle in his last innings before his brief visit home to be present at the birth of his first child. His presence at the crease enabled the run rate to keep ticking over, both he and Whitehead, who was edging closer to the magical three figures, looking dangerous against the Colne attack. With the score on 201-2, Whitehead was unlucky to pick out the cover fielder, Kaber, the paid man, whilst on 95, passing his previous highest first team score of 88. A fantastic innings came to an end in front of an appreciative home crowd who had been willing Jonny to get to his maiden first team century, but on this showing, it won’t be too long before it arrives.
Stand-in skipper Walker joined Pienaar with only six overs remaining and immediately went on the attack to try and post an imposing total. The pro was caught behind for 37, soon followed by Walker, run out for a brisk 16. Dec Bailey and Lewis Marsden saw the innings to a close, with House posting 237-5.
With a decent total behind them, Pienaar and Walker went on the search for wickets from the off, but the radars were slightly on the blink as a number of extras were conceded in the early exchanges, enabling the Colne opening pair of Tillotson and Lambert to make 35-0 off the first 10 overs. With 43 on the board, Pienaar beat the defences of Tillotson, clean bowling him for 16. Bradshaw was next to go for 10, courtesy of a smart slip catch by Walker off Paddy Martin. Martin then accounted for Kaber, bowling him round his legs for 4 to end a day to forget for the pro after he had conceded 81 off his 17 overs during the Lowerhouse innings, leaving Colne 61-3.
Walker claimed the wicket of Holt, LBW for 4 at 68, Martin bowled Clark for 0 and followed up with the scalp of the Colne captain for a rapid 17, leaving Colne 90-6. Opener Lambert eventually fell for the seventh wicket after a battling 33, caught and bowled by Walker, 108-7. Rhodes was caught by Whitehead off Pienaar for 7 and Hakin’s lively knock of 19 was ended when he skied Martin to debutant Norcross, who held onto a good catch to leave the House needing one wicket to wrap the game up. The end came when Kegg was stumped, thanks to the combination of the Martin brothers, the innings ending on 134, the House victorious by 103 runs.
Twelve points and a great team response to last weeks defeat enabled second spot in the league to be regained, Paddy Martin returning a career best 6-30, with both Pienaar and Walker claiming 2-37. A cricket filled weekend awaits with three away games at Haslingden on Friday in the T20, a tough trip to Enfield on Saturday in the league and the eagerly awaited trip to the seaside on Sunday to Blackpool CC in the LCB knockout. Sub pro’s will be in place for Friday and Saturday in Cobus’ absence, but not Sunday, as it is not allowed under the rules of the competition.
