Match Report vs Church (Home Twenty20) 2015
Moorhouses T20 cricket returned to the biggest beer garden in town on Friday night as the House welcomed their conquerors from last year’s final, Church to The Neville Gee (Recruitment ) Ground
Church won the toss and elected to bat first on a cold, chilly night at Liverpool Road. They were soon regretting that decision when the House pro Pienaar had the dangerous Wolfenden caught behind for just 1. Abbas followed soon after, clean bowled by young Joe Halstead who had an impressive night with the ball. Sam Holt and the Church pro Usman Tariq started to rebuild the innings, but were kept in check by some good, tight bowling from the House pacemen.
Holt became Paddy Martin’s first victim of the night caught for 26 with the score 42-3. Fergusson carried on where Holt left off, assisting the pro to the highest partnership of the night, before he too fell to Martin for 16. Tucker came and went for 0, the second of Halstead’s victims who finished with 2-18 off his four overs. Joel Gaskill (3) became Walker’s only scalp of the night, courtesy of a catch in the deep from Martin. Pienaar came back into the attack and took a further three victims, Sartaj (2), Jack Gaskill (0) and Basharat (2) around Whitehead running out Tariq for 39, meaning Church struggled to 106 all out in the last over. Pienaar finished with 4-10 from 3.2 to earn a collection with Joe Martin assisting in three of the dismissals.
Lowerhouse started with real intent, looking positive from the off. Pienaar was stumped off the bowling of Jack Gaskill for 12 and then a promising partnership of 20 was halted when Whitehead was run out for 13. From what looked to be a fairly confident run chase, House lost wickets cheaply, skipper Cottam (5), Paddy Martin (0) and Dec Bailey (7) whilst Walker dropped anchor at the other end. Veteran Chris Bleazard, making a rare T20 appearance began to restore some calm, building a partnership of 26 with Walker, who became the second of 3 stumpings for Gaskill and Tucker for a hard earned 37, the score on 84-6. Church used their impressive spin trio to good effect as Bleazard departed to the Gaskill/Tucker combo for 9, quickly followed by Joe Martin, adjudged LBW for 0, leaving the House tottering at 96-8.
Fergus Bailey and Lewis Marsden took the game to the last over needing 11 to win, but nerves of steel saw Marsden face the last ball of the innings from Wolfenden needing 2 to win. Marsden smashed the ball through backward point for 4 to send the cold crowd home after a nail-biting finish in a see-saw game that was a lot tighter than expected, thanks to Gaskill’s 4-25, Sartaj 2-6 and Tariq 1-12. Marsden finished 10 not out, with Fergus Bailey 9 not out.
Next T20 is away at Haslingden on 12th June.
