1st X1 v Ludlow 3rd July 2010 - John Fawcett Reports
IN FORM MADELEY CRUISE TO VICTORY
As joint leaders of the Shropshire Premier League, Madeley approached Saturdays game in confident mood hoping to gain the maximum 20 points. Having viewed the visitors recent scorecards it seemed as though they were having problems taking all 10 wickets to finish opponents off. However, there is no doubt they had many batsmen who on their day were capable of passing the 50 mark.
Madeley lost the toss and were asked to bowl. Opening the bowling for MCC were Shropshire league veteran Richie ‘Shoaib’ Firmstone and Jonathon Prince. Princey was playing his first game after a two week sabbatical that included a day out at the Shifnal Carnival! Princeys hair was looking much blonder than usual. This was either down to being in the sun all day adjacent to the ice cream van on the Shifnal High Street or because he used too much of his Just for Men ‘Sandy Blonde’ the night before. In all seriousness it was good to see Preecy back – any team would miss one of the leagues leading wicket takers and big hitting batsmen.
The Ludlow openers of Parker and Edwards got off to a sedate start. After surviving 3 or 4 great shouts for LBW, caught (leg slip) and a run out they put on an opening stand of 58. Edwards probably hit the two shots of the day as he launched Princey miles over the deep mid wicket boundary on two occasions. From short mid wicket I had to suggest to Edwards that the first attempt had been a fluke but upon hitting the second 6 over my head by 15 yards as I stood on the mid wicket boundary I had to quieten down somewhat!
Chris Hodson was the first bowler to strike for the home side. He took the wicket of Parker LBW for 31. Madeley legend Hodson had yet another day to remember with the ball. His variety of slow straight left armers with the occasional one that turns secured him figures of 15 overs 5-26. Chris can complain about playing first team cricket as much as he likes but with performances like this he won’t be seeing 2nd team cricket for quite some time.
Parkers demise brought big hitting Will Sparrow to the crease. If there is a scalp to single out for importance in the Ludlow side it’ll be that of Sparrow. Sparrow edged one through first slip to get off the mark. Some Madeley fielders were growing in concern as Sparrow approached double figures, particularly when he told one of the umpires he was ‘…in the form of his life’. Sadly those words were to haunt the Ludlow youngster as he was out less than an over later spooning a leading edge to short mid wicket.
A combination of good fielding and miserly bowling finished Ludlow off in the 45th over. Madeley had kept the opposition to a below par 154.
Madeley opened the batting with Madeley legend Steve Pugh and the silent but deadly Andrew ‘Verbal’ Laycock. But unfortunately the home team were to be 13-2 in no time. Verbal posed more danger to the oppositions keeper than the scoreboard in the fact that he was stuffed for a duck by Sparrow and the flying bail could have had young Parkers eye out! Utility batsmen and professional fielder Fawcett once again went cheaply batting at a lofty number 3. Like many others previously this has been a woeful season for the Scotsmen as once again he was caught waving a bat at thin air as young Louis Watkins (probably the pick of the Ludlow bowlers) sent him packing for just the one.
This left two Madeley big guns at the crease – Pugh and particularly Dangarembizi took the Madeley score to 133 until the third wicket fell. When Cambridge graduate Dangarembizi went for 76 from 75 balls the game was virtually done and dusted. All that was left was for John Prince to come in crash a couple of boundaries and throw his wicket away ‘Verbal’ style for 12. The stone wall that was Steve Pugh hit the winning runs as his brother ‘Max Branning’ watched from the other end. Another fine win for the MCC boys.
Ludlow were undoubtedly missing at least a couple of their leading performers. Inform batsmen Richard Moolman and international hockey sensation and opening bowler Ali Raza were two of these. They were big misses. There is no doubt about it that if Ludlow had retained the same squad as last season with the edition of a few extra runs they would be contenders at the top of the Shropshire Premier League. Having such a youthful side and with the majority of batsman playing in the correct fashion bodes well for the future of cricket in the South Shropshire town. Perhaps this season will be too soon for them to mount a championship challenge.
Madeley march on. Bomere Heath away next week.