Lightcliffe – 4th June 2012 (Match Report)
Posted - June 18, 2012
A couple of weeks ago the Halifax-based side came to Red Lane in this season’s second round Priestley cup competition and snatched an unlikely victory after making only a very modest 142, the Rams failing to beat that sort of total by being all out for 122 in their own laboured reply. It would have been a brave man to have again backed the visitors on this latest occasion when they were again sent packing, this time for a tea time 150 all out, but the Rams again snatched defeat from the jaws of victory after completely collapsing from a 121-4 scoreline (30 runs needed for victory with 6 wickets in hand and 20 overs still to play) to once again throw away an excellent opportunity of climbing off the bottom of the first division league table with a victory they really should have produced in a canter.
To put things bluntly the team should be frankly ashamed of this sort of display against another struggling side who were even short of one of their regular batsmen and their star bowler, and the Farsley batsmen in particular ought to have gone home and asked themselves what sort of Saturday afternoon pleasure can they take from a succession of failures, almost to a man, which is occurring match after match after match. In n what looks like being a very long and unsuccessful season, unless some dramatic improvement is made, scores of 54, 149, 120, 122, 130 and now 144 tell their own story and the players owe it to those behind the scenes who each give their time, trouble and their energy off the field to give more effort, more determination and more ‘want to win’ application to the business of playing for Farsley. The team have some talented players but it really is time they knuckled down and showed us all what they are capable of. The season has a long way to go and I don’t want to write this sort of stuff again.
Lighcliffe arrived without star spinner Greenwood and batsman Roebuck whilst Farsley were without Craig Thornton for whom second team batsman Stuart Kirk stood in. Lightcliffe won the toss and perhaps rather surprisingly chose to bat on a damp wicket which looked like it might help Farsley’s quicker bowlers – if they could put the ball in the right place. Chris Henry was again overlooked as one of the Rams opening bowlers – more surprisingly he was chosen, for reason best known to skipper Philliskirk, to open the batting alter on, and Laidlaw and Lumb began the game for the bottom-of-the-table Farsley.
Philli was soon on for Lumby and Henry on for Laidlaw as Farsley’s opening pair made little early impression and it was Henry who took the first wicket when he pinned Yorkshire second teamer Alex Lees LBW, Lightcliffe 49 for 1. Taylor, after a laboured short innings, was next to depart when Ducky held a neat slip catch, Henry again the bowler, and at drinks the visitors had arrived at 82 for 2. Things got worse for Lightcliffe and much better for Farsley from hereon, Harrison grabbing wicket number 3 at 92, Stead getting caught out at 98 for 3 and then losing another wicket at 109 for 5, Harrison getting the latter and Philli the earlier scalp.
Mark Harrison claimed wicket number 6 at 113, Lightcliffe suffered a run out at 121 for 7 and Greaves came on to grab ‘two i‘ two’ at 141 for 9 before bowling the visitors’ last man at 150 as everyone went off to tea, the Rams clearly in what looked like the driving seat.
Ducky opened the Rams reply with – believe this – Chris Henry, the latter taking the expected early shower at 11 for 1 bur Ducky looked in better nick today and when he was out the Rams had moved on to 63 for 2 and looking good for league win number 2. Joe Greaves’ terrible season continued however when he went first ball for another ‘duck’ and even when Philli was caught off a top edge mis-hit the Rams were 108 for 4 at drinks with Haroon Rashid looking well set with 24 not out to his name.
Lightcliffe’s overseas allrounder Khan finished a full 15 overs shift to leave the visitors looking short on bowling alternatives but Baz Frankland was bowled for 17 at 121 for 5 and when Rashid got himself caught on the boundary edge when he could have won the game pushing for ones and twos the faithful feared for Farsley even at 128 for 6, only 23 runs short of victory.
Batting wheels not so much fall off but careered off down Farsley Town Street, the Rams left to once again count the cost of much of their batting falling well below Bradford League standard.
Boundary Edger
Match Stats
Scores: LIGHTCLIFFE 150 ALL OUT FARSLEY 144 ALL OUT
Result: LIGHTCLIFFE WON BY 6 RUNS
Points: FARSLEY 6 Opponents 17
Played at: RED LANE
Weather: DRY, CLUDY, COOL
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