By Brian Sanderson,
Today was a special Sunday as it was the Mick Bourne memorial match between Arthington X1 and The Michael Bourne Stragglers.Just as we arrived to the ground as ordered the sun came out. There was a big crowd with all the Professional Cricket Watchers of West Yorkshire turned out as a tribute to a great man.
The Stragglers X1 included James and Ralph Middlebrook and Mohammed Azharullah who won the toss and batted. James Middlebrook ,ex Northants and Yorkshire, opened the batting with Terry Mc Grath who was Michael,s son -in-law. The two of them put on opening stand of 89 before James retired after scoring 50.
Two of the main Arthington Bowlers were Andy Stoddart and Geoff Barker who took four wickets between them. Comment from the media centre at Arthington was it was just like Laurel and Hardy bowling.
When Arthington batted Geoff Barker was soon out but Brennan and Sprey soon took control of the match.Brennan, who usually plays for Horforth in the Airedale and Wharfedale League shown no repect for the bowling to score 83 and Sprey scored 31.. It was left to Andy Stoddart to score the winning runs off Ralph Middlebrook.
It was a pleasure to sitting with good company in a beautiful setting for a cricket ground. The result did not matter but the match was a excellent tribute to Michael Bourne who would have enjoyed the afternoon as we all did.
4 comments:
There was a third county player playing for the Michael Bourne Stragglers. Barney Gibson, the youngest player ever to play for Yorkshire when he was 15 - and now 18 - was keeping wicket.
I’ve finally finished a fuller and alternative report to this match. (I’m not in competition with Brian but I’d already started writing mine when his appeared!) The scorecard follows as a separate comment.
Arthington pay tribute to Michael Bourne and win the match!
This special match was put on as part of the Arthington Cricket Festival - where cricket matches - after the league season finishes are played each saturday and sunday till the middle of October when there is no more outdoor cricket being played anywhere in the country - until Boxing Day that is!). Michael was a regular attender of the festival and he and his fellows’ cricket watching was celebrated, in a little classic they wrote and produced in 2006: “Off the beaten track“ by Tony Hutton, Mick Bourne and Brian Senior.
A fine sunny day, extra catering, a raffle for the cause of research for pancreatic cancer and the appearance of guest players marked this special day.
Three first class players were included in Arthington’s opposition - James Middlebrook and Muhammad Azharulla (Azhar) from Northants and Barney Gibson - who 3 years ago - aged 15 then - was the youngest ever player to play for Yorkshire. They were part of the Michael Bourne Stragglers XI who took on Arthington who also had many guest players - but some of them regular guests for these festival matches. On paper, the Stragglers should have won - maybe with ease - but it is a good thing that cricket matches are not played on paper - and by the end the surprise result became inevitable.
Arriving at the ground, there was a heavy dew. The Stragglers batted first and James Middlebrook sailed to a very rapid fifty with 4 fours and 4 sixes before being obliged to retire - but then the script started to go wrong. The wicket showed signs of life, the bowling became sharp and wickets started to fall. None bowled better than regular festival guest Geoff Barker who - bowling his leggies from the ‘Red Kite’ end - producing spin, flight, life and bounce - and though just taking 2 for 12 troubling all the batsmen who faced him. Bowling at the car park end, Iqbal Khan then came into his own and took 3 for 22. Such was the plight of the Stragglers as wickets continued to fall that James Middlebrook reluctantly came back in at number ten hoping to make some use of the final overs of the 40. His re-entry was brief. Andrew Stoddart - another regular festival guest - produced a good - slightly slower ball, as he told me - on a slightly fullish length and induced an excellent caught and bowled waist high to his right. In the end it was James’s father, last man Ralph Middlebrook who made a fist of batting out the overs whilst Azhar set about to score a few. Azhar’s wicket - like James’s - was a moment of sheer delight for the Arthington bowler - this time, young Gareth Meredith, Mel Wood taking the catch. Stragglers were disappointed to finish on 158 all out in the 39th over.
The wicket by now seemed less lively - maybe it had eased considerably - and the first-class bowlers looked good enough at times but not sufficiently penetrative to threaten Arthington’s romp to victory by 5 wickets. Azhar clean bowling Geoff Barker gave the Stragglers yet a glimmer - and 3 wickets falling on 142 by bowlers 8 and 9 in the bowling order had come far too late in the day. Richard Spry - opening - scored 31 but the outstanding - forceful yet cultured - batting of the innings came from James Brennan with 83 with 10 fours and 4 sixes.
Scorecard - Stragglers won the toss and elected to bat
Michael Bourne Stragglers XI
1 James Middlebrook c and b A Stoddart 52
2 Terry McGrath ct I Khan M Clayton 20
3 Mani Amin ct M Wood I Khan 18
4 Nick Linley ct R Spry I Khan 5
5 Barney Gibson † c and b I Khan 7
6 Geoff Weir lbw G Barker 2
7 John Collier * ct J Brennan G Barker 2
8 Andy Conboy st R Spry J Brennan 15
9 Mark Hodgson bowled A Stoddart 20
10 Mohammad Azharullah ct M Wood G Meredith 12
11 Ralph Middlebrook not out 2
Extras (1 nb; 2 lb) 3
Total (all out) 158
Fall of wickets 89; 89; 102; 105; 105; 109; 140; 140; 156; 158
Bowling Overs Maidens Runs Wickets
1 M Clayton 8 46 1
2 R Soames 5 42 0
3 I Khan 8 1 22 3
4 G Barker 8 2 12 2
5 A Stoddart 5 17 2
6 J Brennan 1 4 1
7 J Lord 2 2 1
8 G Meredith 1.2 10 0
9 S Yeomans 1 1 0
Innings of Arthington XI
1 Richard Spry † st Gibson Weir 31
2 Geoff Barker bowled Azharullah 8
3 James Brennan ct Linley Weir 83
4 Richard Soames ct Weir Amin 8
5 James Lord not out 10
6 Gareth Meredith ct Hodgson Amin 0
7 Andrew Stoddart not out 6
8 Lawrence Barraclough did not bat
9 Malcolm Barraclough * “
10 Ronnie Davies “
11 Ken Clayton “
12 Iqbal Khan “
13 Sam Yeomans “
14 Mel Wood “
15 Mark Clayton “
Extras (2w; 10b; 1lb) 13
Total (for 5 wickets) 159
Fall of wickets 12; 121; 142;142;142
Bowling
Overs Maidens Runs Wickets
1 M Azharullah 9 4 13 1
2 M Hodgson 4 1 13 0
3 T McGrath 2 25 0
4 A Conboy 2 13 0
5 J Middlebrook 4 1 12 0
6 N Linley 5 27 0
7 J Collier 3 21 0
8 G Weir 2 6 2
9 M Amin 2 11 2
10 R Middlebrook 0.3 5 0
scorer Vince Greaves-Newall
minor correction - typo in scorecard
J Lord none for 2
G Meredith 1 for 10
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