Eggborough Power Station and their current ground

By Mike Latham

In recent weeks I’ve extended my regular cricket watching into the Pontefract and District Cricket League. With new grounds to explore and new teams and players to watch, it’s been an enjoyable experience.

The PDL covers a wide geographical area including many of the old coal-mining areas of West and South Yorkshire. Games are played based on 46 overs per side.

The league has lost some of its top clubs to the Yorkshire Premier League system in recent years with Fairburn joining the North section and Ackworth the South. Ackworth was a regular host for the league’s cup finals and their departure must have been a big blow.

Ackworth CC

With several grounds in proximity, it’s possible to call in at a few games during a Saturday afternoon, especially as most are covered live on Play Cricket. Hence, one can estimate how much cricket is likely to be left in a particular game and whether the journey is worthwhile.

These days, unless there’s someone that I know who’s playing, or I have a particular interest in the match, I find it hard to watch a game right through if there’s the possibility of visiting another new ground nearby. And after all, with only 22 Saturdays or thereabouts in a season, you can’t afford to waste a day, especially after a long journey by car. That’s my excuse anyway, but then I’ve long been a groundhopper.

One ground I really enjoyed visiting- and where I received a very warm welcome- was Eggborough Power Station CC, located just off the A19 towards Selby from the M62 motorway.

Just as at fellow league member Ferrybridge Power Station, the cooling towers – such a dominant sight on the skyline of the area- have been demolished in recent years. What a sight they must have been close.

I did visit Ferrybridge in 2017 before demolition for a game pictured below.

Ferrybridge Power Station CC in 2017

And on my return this year the backdrop was entirely different (see below).

Ferrybridge Power Station CC in 2022

Unfortunately, at Eggborough Power Station, I didn’t get a ‘before’ photo, but I was able to visit in what I understand is the club’s final season on their current ground. If you look closely, by the way, there's a pun in there.

Eggborough Power Station CC in 2013 (Tony Hutton)

But Tony Hutton kindly provided a photo that he took on a visit in 2013.

As part of the site’s redevelopment under new owners the club will be accommodated on a new cricket ground a few hundred yards away from the current site, from as early as next season.

The club captain, who was missing the game because of injury, explained this would give the club fresh impetus and enable them to build an infrastructure.

Hirst Courtney CC in 2006 (Tony Hutton)

Currently they run only one team, but they have recruited several new members of late, after neighbouring club Hirst Courtney’s Saturday team folded. And they had a successful junior training night which gives the potential to build up a junior set-up such was the interest.

Eggborough Power Station CC

The game I saw was quite a way down the PDL pyramid, being a division five encounter against Wakefield Thornes thirds.

After the recent dry weather, the outfield was dry and parched, resembling something approaching what you imagine club cricket must be like on the sub-continent.

The last remnants of the power station still stand and provide a rather eerie backdrop to the play. It must have been some sight when the power station was in full operation.

Eggborough Power Station CC in the field

With plenty of parking and a pleasant treeline surrounding I found it a most enjoyable ground to spend a couple of hours. A good number of enthusiasts lined the boundary, mostly reclining in deck chairs, and the cricket was hard fought, with not a quarter asked or given, as you expect in Yorkshire.

The league secretary, I was told, was umpiring and it reminded me of just how organised this league is. Most games I’ve visited have had two umpires, smartly attired, which isn’t often the case in many other leagues where players often are required to stand at square leg or sometimes officiate at both ends.

To the club’s huge credit, the game was also covered with live scoring on their Play Cricket app. The scorers really are the unsung heroes of club cricket.

With half a dozen players absent through injury the home side had low expectations from this game- and they weren’t disappointed.

The remnants of the power station

Bowled out for 96, they fought hard in the field- but the visitors prevailed for the loss of only two wickets.

Some cricket-watching friends of mine, who exist on a diet of county and international cricket- wouldn’t countenance watching club cricket, especially a game so low down the pyramid.

On the other hand, there are many cricket watchers, such as me, who far prefer club cricket these days and have little or no interest in watching any other form of the game.

The scorecard may show a mundane encounter, but my visit to Eggborough was most enjoyable- and I wish the club every success at their new ground.

Yorkshire seconds top the table.

Posted by Tony Hutton

With so many fixtures in the north of England overlapping this week, we were fortunate to be able to fit in a day at Queens Park, Chesterfield for day three of the second eleven championship match between Derbyshire seconds and Yorkshire seconds. Another of my favourite grounds, dating back to the time I lived in the county during the late 1960s and early 1970s. Nothing much has changed really, although the famous crooked spire is now almost hidden by the growth of all the trees which surround the ground. The miniature railway still toots its way round the lake, populated as ever by ducks and geese.

The pavilion at Queens Park, Chesterfield.

With a predictably small crowd of real enthusiasts, with so much else going on in the county championship, it was a really pleasant day in the sunshine despite the ever present breeze. Derbyshire had secured a first innings lead by scoring 331 to which Yorkshire replied with 287, with Garry Ballance scoring his second century since his recent return to the game against the county he started with briefly as a teenager.

A stern warning notice in the nearby park cafe.

We saw Derbyshire's second innings which revolved around the opening batsman Harry Came who arrived at the county from Hampshire last season. He batted for almost five hours in making 117, with 14 fours to provide the backbone of the innings. Initially he saw off an opening spell from Ben Coad, returning to action following a long injury break and also dealt with the pace bowling of two recent trialists, J.A. Gunn from Doncaster and Mike Finan, a left armer from Cheshire. 

The view from the boundary at Chesterfield.

It was not until late afternoon, after a good half century from Matty McKiernan, that the Yorkshire left arm spinner Harry Sullivan began to work his way through the tail. 208-4 became 231-8 and it was only the return to the crease of opener Wagstaff, who had retired on the previous evening, that brought about some respectability to the final score of 286 all out. Sullivan had excellent figures of 4-48 and the man from Cheshire, Mike Finan, showed good pace with 3-79. Tom Loten also bowled an accurate spell with little reward, but his role in the game was still to come.

Plenty of room in the shade at Chesterfield.

On the final day of this game, a rare day off from live cricket for us, we were following events around the country by live streaming or live scores. As the day progressed events at Chesterfield became even more riveting than those at Riverside and Scarborough. Yorkshire seconds were chasing an unlikely 331 to win, although they had managed something similar last week against Essex.

The chase started badly with Yorkshire losing Bean and Vagadia early on, but the young opener Weston stuck around for a patient 34. With Ballance delaying his appearance to number seven the momentum seemed to have been lost at 137-5 with two wickets each for Potts and Funnell. Ballance made only a swift 20 in partnership with Tom Loten, who had come in at number six.

Loten it was who played the match winning innings, first in a 94 partnership with Ben Coad who made 43 and then after Sullivan went for a duck, with Jack Shutt who contributed a useful 23, with five fours. When he was out at 312-9, with nineteen runs still required it was down to Mike Finan, on his first appearance for Yorkshire to stay with Loten, by now well past his fifty.

This he did with good measure, making 11 not out, while Loten finished on 88 not out as Yorkshire ended the match victors by one wicket at around 5.15 p.m. on the last day of this four day match. A result which took them to the top of the second eleven table. Soon afterwards Yorkshire's first team went down to defeat against Surrey at Scarborough, where the live stream locked just before the crucial last over was bowled!

Durham's next generation.

 Posted by Tony Hutton

After our relaxing day at Cleethorpes it was off further north yet again, avoiding the crowded atmosphere of Scarborough for the more enjoyable delights of Durham county cricket club at the Riverside. It may recently have become the 'Seat Unique Riverside' but to us simple folk it will remain just the Riverside. We saw the first two days of the championship game with Derbyshire in a game which promised a great future for some of the next generation of local cricketers.

Riverside, Chester-le-Street.

Durham second eleven had the better of a game with Lancashire at Crosby last week and despite an innings of 187 from twenty year old Jonathan Bushnell, who has already done well in the first team, there was no place for him in today's side. However two other youngsters,  products of the Durham Academy, in Tomas Mackintosh and Stan McAlindon, both only eighteen, were given their first team debut. 

Tom Mackintosh (Durham)

Mackintosh, a batsman/wicketkeeper, although born in Madrid, was brought up in Edinburgh and has played junior cricket in Scotland before joining the Durham Academy. He made a second eleven century against Kent last season and looks the real deal as a potential successor to Ned Eckersley behind the stumps for Durham. Stan McAlindon is an opening bowler from Carlisle, as is Liam Trevaskis, continuing the Cumbrian connection started by Ben Stokes.

Stan McAlindon (Durham)

The match began on Chris Rushworth's 36th birthday. Durham's all time record wicket taker has not been having the best of seasons so far, but day one was the day it all came right again. In his first spell he dismissed both Derbyshire openers, Reece and Godleman, caught behind by Mackintosh, then returning later  to clean bowl Guest and new Australian recruit Cartwright first ball. Derbyshire were then in trouble at 85-5 but South African Leus Du Plooy and the much improved Anuj Dal swung the game back in their favour with a partnership of 166 for the sixth wicket. Du Plooy batted through to the end of the innings finishing on 122, but Dal was out just ten runs short of the three figure mark.

Leus Du Plooy (Derbyshire)

Rushworth came back not only to break the partnership by having Dal caught behind, but then dismissed Thomson first ball in the same fashion. He had then taken two wickets with the last two balls of an over twice, but each time just missed out on a hat-trick. However next man Aitchison was soon clean bowled and just before the end of the day Stan McAlindon got in on the act by dismissing the last two batsmen. Rushworth finished with the remarkable figures of 21-6-44-7. Derbyshire all out for 283.

Chris Rushworth (Durham)

Durham took the unusual step of opening with a night watchman, Salisbury, to accompany Lees for the one over bowled before the close. Both went early on the second day and Durham were soon in the same trouble as their opponents at 38-4. The two overseas players Maddinson and Bedingham improved the position slightly, but then the wickets began to fall quickly again and Durham were really struggling on 209-8 despite 45 from Bedingham and 36 from Raine. However the two young men then came to the fore.

Mackintosh, looking confident from the start, stayed in for two hours, scoring a maiden fifty in the process and then McAlindon, after a slow start played second fiddle in a last wicket stand with Rushworth which put on a further 51 runs and took Durham into the lead. They were all out for 296, McAlindon 26 not out and number 11 Rushworth a remarkable 33 to add to his bowling triumph.

Rushworth and Mackintosh had not finished. The young wicketkeeper hanging on to two more catches as the great man saw off Godleman and night watchman Conners to leave Derbyshire on 19-2 at the close of day two.

After our departure the game swung back Derbyshire's way on day three following another big partnership. This time between Brooke Guest (116) and Du Plooy, with a second century of the match (134), putting on 248 for the fifth wicket. This was followed by a brisk 71 from Cartwright before Derbyshire declared on 398-8 setting Durham an unlikely last day target of 386. They started briskly with Lees and Jones, but after that the innings declined and it was left to Trevaskis, with a backs to the wall innings, making 19 not out in two and a half hours to secure the draw.

The two youngsters also had a say towards the end with Mackintosh making 28 and McAlindon there with Trevaskis when the game finished on 18 not out. Much more to come from these two I am sure.

Cricket at the seaside

 Posted by Tony Hutton

The current round of county championship matches has seen some extraordinary high scores, most of which seem to have taken place at the seaside. In the north, the games at Scarborough and Southport have seen scores in excess of 500, including over 300 for Keaton Jennings of Lancashire. Whereas on the South Coast at Hove Sussex and Leicestershire have produced absurdly high scores, including a record partnership for Leicestershire, between two South Africans who both scored double centuries.

Cricket at Southport

A summer's day at Scarborough.

However with the National Counties in three day action, my own choice was between Barrow on the West Coast, for Cumbria against Cambridgeshire, or Cleethorpes on the East Coast for Lincolnshire against Staffordshire. Heading east, with less weekend traffic, was the decision with all day sunshine tempered somewhat by cooling sea breezes. One reason for this choice could have been very distant memories of my first ever Minor Counties match. A little research showed that in August 1951 I saw Staffordshire take on Yorkshire seconds at Walsall cricket club's Gorway ground. This was in the days of two day games and memorably Yorkshire seconds won on the last ball of the game.

Cricket at Cleethorpes in the past.

Back to the present and Staffordshire, having won the toss, decided to bat. Alex Mellor, who had a brief career with Warwickshire as a batsman/wicketkeeper led the way with the bat with good support from Matthew Morris, putting on seventy three for the second wicket. Lincolnshire's opening bowling was in the hands of Mark Footitt, a left arm seamer who has been round the block in county cricket with Nottinghamshire, Derbyshire and Surrey, and Curtis Free, one time Yorkshire Academy player.

However the hero of the day, as the crowd built up during the afternoon, turned out to be Michael Hill, a left hander who had previously been with the Derbyshire Academy and Herefordshire. He scored a hard earned century, which held the Staffordshire innings together and enabled them to declare shortly before the ninety overs limit on 326-8. With the help of some late wickets Footitt returned the best bowling figures with 4-64.

After we had moved on to pastures new on day two, Lincolnshire's first innings was a solid affair, with Jordan Cook, from Appleby Frodingham, top scoring with 71 not out in a a total of 282 all out.  Staffordshire then built on their lead with yet another century from Hill and more useful contributions from Morris and skipper Peter Wilshaw. However Wilshaw's declaration on 306-5 left Lincolnshire the stiff target of 351 to chase. In retrospect he might have declared earlier as Lincolnshire had little trouble in batting out time for a draw on 196-5. A fifty partnership between Nic Keast and Drew Sylvester seeing the home side to safety.

As it turned out the game on the other side of the country at Barrow cricket club produced a similar challenge and very nearly a dramatic victory for the home side Cumbria, despite being bowled out for 98 in their first innings.. Cambridgeshire had set them 359 to win and thanks to Matthew Sempill with a magnificent 129, they very nearly got there, losing by just 34 runs. The run chase featured a stand of 98 for the eighth wicket between Sempill and wicketkeeper Drew Postlethwaite (57) and a ninth wicket partnership with Josh Stirling of 71. Sadly last man Matthew Siddall, who had earlier taken ten wickets in the match, including 5-35 in the first innings, perished first ball and the game was over.

Initial causes of complaint

Posted by Tony Hutton

We try very hard on this blog to restrict our comments to action on the field of play, but inevitably events off the field cause great concern and lead to a good old fashioned rant from time to time. Being of advanced years my own complaints go back as far as coloured clothing and black sightscreens, which I know we have to put up with. More recently the trend for organisations to be known by sets of initials really sets me off. Of course we have the M.C.C, the E.C.B. and Y.C.C.C, all regular causes of complaint. The latest on the block returned to proper cricket action this last weekend and prompted a visit to Alderley Edge to see Cheshire take on Oxfordshire in what is now known as the N.C.C.A.

This of course is what was known for many years as the Minor Counties, but some politically correct administrator at the E.C.B. thought the word Minor would not sell anything, so re-wrote history and had it removed. To do this and move rapidly towards endless one day cricket by terminating the long standing championship competition of three day matches into a four match lottery, large financial incentives had the move approved without question by the counties in question.

However the choice of N.C.C.A. as the new title is not without problems. In my endless search for information on the new competition on the internet I first came up with 'The National Carpet Cleaners Association', subsequently followed by the possibly more appropriate 'National Centre for Circus Arts'. This week's search however wins first prize with 'National Centre for Combustion and Aerothermal Technology'.

Of course what it really means is the National Counties Cricket Association which promotes T20 and a 50 over knock out competition, in contrast to a major three day competition over the whole season. There are financial inducements for bringing on young home grown players, which may well be a good thing, but at the expense of including former county players who used to give added experience and wisdom to the youngsters. I can think off hand of people like Derek Randall, Devon Malcolm, Paul Newman and Ashley Metcalfe who all gave excellent service to Minor Counties in the past.

Alderley Edge on a previous visit.

However, having got all that off my chest, let us return to the pleasant ground of Alderley Edge where Cheshire entertained last year's champions Oxfordshire in day one of a rare three day game. Always interesting to see who turns up to play in these games. The excellent scorecard not only listed all the players, but their clubs as well. Cheshire included professional David Wainwright, once of Yorkshire and Derbyshire, but now at Castleford cricket club, together with home grown product Ben Gibbons, now with Worcestershire.

Oxfordshire, who won the championship last season for the first time in over thirty years, have no really well known players, but make up for that with the splendidly named Marcus Campopiano and Maxamillian Mannering. Cheshire batted and the cornerstone of their innings was provided by captain and wicketkeeper Rob Sehmi, from the Oulton Park club. He made an excellent 91, just missing out on a century. After a middle order collapse, provoked by the off spin of the said Mr Mannering (5-67), tailender Barnard's 38 at number ten helped take the total to 246, perhaps slightly below par.

The Alderley Edge pavilion on a previous visit.

The constant westerly wind rather spoilt proceedings on day one and led to a tea time exit, but we followed the fortunes of the game for the remaining two days with Cheshire apparently favourites for much of the time. They bowled Oxfordshire out for 189 in the first innings with four wickets for Wainwright and three for Barnard, to give them a lead of 57. Cheshire's rather modest second innings of 199 had skipper Sehmi to thank again with 41, together with a fifty from Wainwright.

The last day target of 259, requiring the highest total of the match, perhaps made Cheshire favourites, but Oxfordshire showed why they are champions thanks mainly to skipper Harry Smith, who batted throughout the innings for 134 not out. He was ably assisted by number nine Prav Chahal who made 55 not out in a partnership of 97 to win the match for the visitors by four wickets.

Essex seconds venture north.

 Posted by Tony Hutton

As previously indicated Second eleven county cricket is always full of surprises. Having seen Kent seconds go even further north to face Durham at Richmond, it seemed a while since Essex seconds had been seen in Yorkshire. However, here they were at Weetwood Sports Ground, Leeds for a game with Yorkshire seconds that we were able to see most of for the whole four days. As happened when Yorkshire recently visited Durham, four players in the original line up were removed from the game from day two onwards to attend Yorkshire's T20 quarter final at the Oval on Wednesday. The replacements were two batsmen and two bowlers.

The four who went were all batsmen, so it seemed strange that they did not have chance of batting practice on day one, as Yorkshire won the toss and asked Essex to bat. Essex fielded a team of youngsters apart from the two opening bats, regular first teamer Nick Browne and South African Grant Roelofsen. The big news for Yorkshire was the re-appearance, after a long absence, of Gary Ballance. Good to see him back in action.

Gary Ballance, back in action for Yorkshire.

Yorkshire got off to a fine start with Tom Loten taking two quick wickets, first bowling Brown for five and then having skipper Rymell caught in the slips by Luxton first ball. Khushi survived the hat trick ball and he, in company with Roelofsen, put on 149 for the third wicket. The South African was eventually dismissed by Noah Priestley for 75 and Khushi was on the verge of a century when left arm spinner Clarke Doughney had him caught by Ballance for 95.

Weetwood regulars enjoy the sunshine.

Richards soon followed, bowled by Doughney, and at 207-5 Yorkshire must have thought they had broken the back of the Essex innings. Not so, as first Luc Benkenstein, 17 year old son of Dale Benkenstein, who after a notable career with Durham is now the Gloucestershire coach, ably assisted by a very capable number eight, began to turn things back Essex's way. Benkenstein went for thirty six but the number eight, with an almost unpronounceable name, Nikhil Gorantla, proved to be a boy wonder from Perse School, Cambridge. Now just turned nineteen, he first appeared for Cambridgeshire in the Minor Counties at the age of fifteen, scoring fifty runs on debut. He has played for Durham University this season.

Nikhil Gorantla (Essex)

After tea on day one, he really went to town, going to fifty in 56 balls and then to his century in 90 balls with fourteen fours and three sixes. From 133 not out overnight, he slowed down somewhat on day two, but still managed to put on 187 in partnership with wicketkeeper McKenna. He completed a magnificent double century just before lunch when Essex declared on 518-8. Apparently Gorantla made his debut century in last week's second eleven game with Hampshire, again in quick time, and certainly looks like one to watch for in the future.

Gorantla celebrates his double century.

and takes the applause on his return to the pavilion.

Yorkshire, without Wharton, Luxton, Fraine and Loten, who had disappeared without trace, must have felt they faced a mountain to climb. After the early loss of Allinson, (one of the replacements), Finlay Bean, after his marathon innings last week, and Gary Ballance began to pile up the runs with a partnership of 95. Bean was tempted by the first ball he faced from leg spinner Benkenstein, to be caught on the boundary edge for 74 and Ballance followed for a well made 61. Harry Duke, the first team wicketkeeper, who had taken over the captaincy seemed like Yorkshire's last hope. He was still there at the close on 284-5 with 64 not out.

Harry Duke, batting for Yorkshire.

After a fine, sunny day for much of day two, the fierce westerly wind returned for day three but Yorkshire's weakened batting side somehow not only avoided the follow on, but after Duke's dismissal for 88, the unlikely last pair of Jack Shutt and young seamer Charlie McMurran, from Methley, managed to put on a century partnership for the last wicket, taking Yorkshire to an all out score of  437, just 81 behind. Essex batted again and started well with a partnership of 88 for the first wicket, both Brown and Roelofsen making half centuries. By the end of day three Essex had extended their lead to 242 with an overnight score of 161-3.

Day four produced heatwave conditions with the handful of spectators trying hard to find the shade. Essex initially prospered with seventy from skipper Rymell, but with thoughts turning to a possible declaration before lunch, the tail rather disintegrated against the spin of Sullivan and Shutt. Essex were all out for 258 leaving Yorkshire a challenging target of 340 in 76 overs. With the absence of four leading batsman, of whom only one actually played at the Oval last night, it was perhaps a tall order.

Heatwave conditions at Weetwood.

 This certainly looked the case when both openers Finlay Bean and Harry Allison were dismissed by opening bowler Prideaux, with the total 18-2. However, enter Gary Ballance the former England batsman, who proceeded to give a master class to the many youngsters on both sides. Scoring most of his runs in boundaries he progressed steadily to a century in just 97 balls, hitting fifteen fours and three sixes - one of which took him to his century.

Gary Ballance hits the six which took him to his century.

When Ballance departed, with the score 167-3, there was still much work to be done. Acting skipper Harry Duke, after two centuries last week and 88 in the first innings, made another workmanlike half century. Noah Priestley soon followed and at 227-5 Essex were certainly back in the game. However the unlikely teenage pairing of Yash Vagadia and Harry Sullivan, not previously known for his batting,  then stayed together to win the match with just seven overs remaining, with an unbeaten partnership of 113.

Sullivan and Vagadia return to the pavilion.

Vagadia, now playing for Hartlepool on Saturdays, led the way with an innings of 87 not out which included ten fours and one six. Just before the end Harry Sullivan went to his maiden half century at this level, also having hit ten fours in his 50 not out. A wonderful victory for the young Yorkshire side, obviously with much to thank veteran Ballance for, but highly encouraging for the future.

The defeated Essex side played a full part in a great game of cricket.

High drama at Royton

By Mike Latham

Sometimes a low scoring game can be equally if not more exciting than a high scoring one, as I again found out when venturing into the Greater Manchester Cricket League on Saturday. 

I chose the Championship game between two former Central Lancashire League clubs, Royton and Monton and what a compelling game it was.

The GMCL operates 11 Saturday leagues with a Premier League and Premier League 2 at the top of the pyramid, followed by the Championship and Division One. Then we have two leagues at Division two level, another two at Division Three and finally three at Division Four.

The league has now reached the halfway point with Prestwich and Woodbank joint top of the Premier League. This was after Woodbank’s thrilling victory by one wicket over Prestwich on Saturday. Heaton lead the Premier League 2 despite defeat by five wickets at the hands of Flowery Field, who are second.

The match I chose was therefore a third-tier game with both sides in the top four behind leaders Elton and second placed Woodhouses, who on Saturday lost at home to Stretford, now in fifth place.

A glorious scene at Royton

Royton’s ground, the Paddock, is hugely impressive, dominated by a fine pavilion and with a bowl-like amphitheatre below and trees on the far side, with housing behind either end. The club is at the heart of the community here in this cricketing hotbed between Oldham and Rochdale.

I was looking forward to watching both club’s professionals, Royton’s prolific Indian batter Chirag Khurana and Monton’s Sri Lankan Dushan Vimukthi, while as an added bonus Northants’ Luke Procter was available to play for Royton.

Oldham born Procter has played plenty of games for Royton over the years and currently averages 121.80 in the County Championship this season, including three hundreds. He is a fine all-round cricketer and another forced to leave his native Lancashire, just as the excellent Steve Mullaney has at Notts, to pursue greater opportunities elsewhere.

Monton in the field

Rain cut the game down from 50 overs to 42 per side and instead of the high-scoring encounter I’d anticipated, each run was to be earned.

Batting first, Monton reached 135 in their 42 overs, thanks largely to useful contributions from Jake Sandham and Aamir Riaz who added 62 for the fifth wicket after their side had been 38 for 4.

Procter bowled a fine spell to take 3/11 off eleven overs and do the early damage, including the crucial wicket of Vimukthi, caught behind for a first ball duck.

Later Adil Ali hastened Monton’s collapse from 100 for 4 to 135 all out after breaking the obdurate Sandham-Riaz stand with the first of three lbws. Bowling brisk spin from a short run up he ended with 5/38.

If Royton thought their target would be straightforward they were soon in for a shock. Sandham is an excellent club bowler, who has played for Lancashire Seconds and Cumberland in the past, and he captured the vital wicket of Khurana, caught at slip for 1, as Royton slumped to 13 for 3.

Procter and his captain, Liam Brown, helped repair the early damage with a sensible stand, watched intently by the home crowd.

 

Luke Procter on strike, the Royton club house in the background

Procter showed his vast county experience, carefully picking his shots and showing excellent judgement, while Brown gave him good support.

Royton had reached 62 for 3 when the pendulum turned, first change seamer Will McAvoy claiming both wickets in quick succession, both to fine slip catches by Sandham.

The left-handed Sam Rigby batted sensibly against a keen attack as each run was hard fought, but at 91 for 7 and only nine overs left, Monton now looked the likelier winners of an enthralling contest.

Adil Ali came in at no9 and his first scoring shot was a mighty drive for six. He had scored 22 and only four runs were needed for victory when he was bowled by Vimukthi, with the last ball of the 41^st over.

The dramatic run out to tie the game

Sandham was entrusted with the last over and kept his nerve, conceding one run off the first three balls, taking a wicket with his fourth. The last pair scrambled a bye off the fifth and with two runs needed for victory last man Regan Hadfield was run out desperately trying to make his ground at the bowler’s end going for a second, leaving Rigby undefeated on 35. A tie perhaps a fitting result for a great game.

The GMCL operates the CricHQ programme instead of the standardised PlayCricket. It takes some getting used to, and an app is available to download. The service on a match day is quite superb with live scorecards, ball by ball commentary and video replays of each ball. It makes a superb addition for the spectator and adds so much to the enjoyment. A massive well done to the scorers for their skills and dedication.