This weekend’s cricket for BACC saw the 1XI travel to the seaside town of Whitby, to the Turnbull Ground, on a stunning summers day, a day the 2XI were without a fixture.
Winning only his second toss of the season, skipper Nathan Rimmington elected to field first on a pitch that had been used a couple of times and a ground remembered as being quite difficult to bowl a side out on. Needless to say, there were good arguments to be made for whatever decision he chose. Second team skipper Paul Barrow and club legend David ‘Shaky’ Taylor were added to the team during the week as cover for a couple of unavailable regulars.
The home side started well and quickly, indeed the second ball of the innings was clipped beautifully over mid-wicket for 6 by the returning Theo Clarke (20). Left-handed opener Lewis Brearley (93) was joined by Kai Morris (70) after spinner Steve Chapman (2/54) bagged a couple of wickets in his first 3 overs, to form a third wicket partnership of 131 for the home side. Both players had been dropped early in their innings and the pair combined well to take the score through to 181/3 before Morris fell, bowled by the returning Rimmington (1/49). Some lusty blows from Alf Jacobs (30no) took the home side through to an impressive and hard fought 245/4 at the end of their 50 overs, a total which could have been much more but for the outstanding death bowling skill of Nathan Rimmington.
Despite the largest total of the season against Bishops, the visitors were confident of chasing the total. By now there was much respect for the flat batting surface, the ground, small on one side, was lightning fast. What happened during the next 33.2 overs was simply outstanding. Openers Scott Oldfield (110) and Steve Chapman (69) set about the Whitby total with care initially. Early wickets would not be helpful chasing such a large total. Whilst Chapman was steady and watchful, Oldfield found both the pitch and the bowling attack to his liking smashing 18 x 4’s and 4 x 6’s during his blistering 88 ball knock which saw the opening partnership add 180 in quick time. Oldfield eventually fell caught and bowled to a brilliant one-handed catch to left arm seamer Alf Jacobs. His dismissal brought about a few laughs from the home side, as the moment was as amusing as it was brilliant. There’s no doubt the game was played in good spirit. After Chapman fell shortly after, Craig George (9no) and Matthew Cowling (31) saw the Kingsway men home, but not before Cowling smoked 3 x 4’s and 3 x 6’s in a brutal final onslaught to see a spectacular run chase complete.
Scorecard https://bishopauckland.play-cricket.com/website/results/5134751
