South Yorkshire Times, July 28th, 1951
Victory by Three Wickets Came in First of the Extra Five Overs
Brian Walls’ Winning Four Put Wath In Festival Mood Against Mexbro’
Wath 179 For 7, Mexborough 177
Wath, indeed, caught the spirit of Festival by their three wickets’ defeat of gallant young Mexborough at Wath on Saturday, and there could scarcely have been a more fitting finale to a week of celebration.
Wath’s achievements in overhauling in two hours and five minutes the 177 runs scored by Mexborough in two hours forty minutes was batsmanship that matched the sunshine and occasion, and the crowd was literally on its feet, when, at 175 for 7, skipper Darley called from the pavilion steps for the extra five overs, and Wath wicket-keeper, Brian Walls, appropriately clinched the issue with a four.
Walls has by no means the versatility and power of young Norman Oakley as a batsman, but the more he tasted the Mexborough bowling the more he seemed to like it – and Saturday was a day when the sun shone! He and Fletcher, one-time opening batsman with Cortonwood, were concerned in a partnership which carried the Wath total from 124 for 7 to 179 and both were unbeaten, adventurously as they lived, Fletcher for 38, Walls for 19.
Walls, like young Oakley (who joined Mexborough as wicket-keeper-opening batsman), is having an excellent season behind the wickets for this Wath Yorkshire Council side. He has been concerned with the dismissal of 20 batsmen so far.
Oakley, who played his first game with Mexborough in the Steel, Peech and Tozer fixture has in seven matches been concerned in 10 dismissals and his polished 56 as opening Mexborough batsman on Saturday took his total for six completed innings to 215. A notable acquisition for Hampden Road indeed!
Mexborough were given an excellent start by Oakley and George Palmer. The board had moved to 90, haltingly at times, but nonetheless, confidently, before Palmer was caught and bowled by Fletcher for 40. Palmer has an even more impressive batting record than young Oakley, for his five innings have brought him 235 runs – an excellent average of 47. Oakley followed at 107, with 32 of his 56 in boundaries, Vicars at 113, Hill at 114 and Neale at 118. The total had been carried to 138 before the sixth wicket (Pearce, 21) fell, but both Barron and Cadman were dismissed at 160 and the ninth wicket. added six runs. The last-wicket partnership of 11 between Prior senior and junior was interesting in that it featured father and son.
The early stages of Wath’s reply gave no indication what was to come, for the board proceeded, inevitably as it seemed, through stages of 1 for 12, 2 for 12, 3 for 39, 4 for 42 to 5 for 63.
By this time, we had Sid Ellis at the wicket, what a grand old campaigner Sid Ellis is! As always, his batsmanship was fluent, confident and delightful. Here indeed, backed by Clark’s invaluable 19 and most ably abetted by Howarth, he set course for victory. When Howarth left (taking an unforgivable liberty with Oakley!) there were 96 on the board, but inside 85 minutes the 100 were up and there had begun the Ellis -Fletcher partnership. Ellis was most brilliantly caught by Hill, attempting to turn what seemed yet another beautiful leg boundary. His contribution was 38 (Howarth had scored 28) and the total was 124, but Fletcher and the incoming Walls maintained the excellent standard to the end. The boundary that won the game came in the first of the extra five overs.