South Yorkshire Times July 6, 1968
Round the Yorkshire Council Fields
Two Overs by Grain Made All The Difference
Things changed for the worse for Dearne when Thorncliffe Recreational chance bowler Geoffrey Grain took the ball. He had only a couple of overs, but in that time he snatched five wickets for 12 runs — two in the first over and three in the second. That assault, with Barker’s three for 20, put Dearne back in the pavilion by 4 o’clock.
It is a long. long time since Chapeltown cricket supporters saw a visiting team shot out and the home side start their innings, before the tea interval.
Dearne had as unhappy a start as was their finish for they were four down for 13. Then Smith and Juilkes (17) came together and they lifted the score to 34 before they were parted. Both were Grain victims, The sixth wicket fell without addition to the 47 score. and only nine had been added when three wickets went. The last pair put on five and Dearne were all out for 61. Rollings (not out 28), Fogg (20) scored in boundaries and McLean (not out 11). saw Thornliffe home with a nine-wicket win
Mitchells Collapsed
Despite good bowling by Derrick Moxon, who took five for33, Mitchell Main crashed disastrously against Swinton, making only 93 in reply to the home side’s 138. Mitchell Main stood at 75 for six and then the tail-enders coIlapsed.
Swinton’s P. Kerry (37) was top scorer, and when opening partner F. Senior went to a Cooling catch off Reeder for seven, he was joined by Millington. who scored 36. K. Smith made 15, A. Archer (12) and P. Senior and H. Gadsby (ten each). Mitchell Main’s Malcolm Turner took two for 23 and Michael Reeder two for 42.
Mitchell Main scored 32 before the first wicket fell. openers Brian Hunsley making 21 and Malcolm Turner 10. John Brayford ,scored 28, going in at first wicket, and twin brother Prank Brayford got 14.
Four Swinton wickets were claimed by A. Archer for 32, L. Walsh (three for two), J. Kerry (two for 74) and P. Senior (one for 22).
Defeat for First Time
Mexborough suffered their first defeat of the season at the hands of the Police who made a remarkable recovery after being on the brink of defeat.
Mexborough were put in to bat on a very wet wicket, which had an ample covering of grass, and scratched their way to an all out total of 120 captain F. Bottom being chief scorer with 18.
A steady opening partnership between Taylor and Gouldin added 25 runs but ”’occasional” bowler Jack Brown broke the back of the Mexborough batting taking 5 for 53 after the “regulars” had failed to make any great impression., although the slowness of the wicket was of no help to batsmen.
Brown and Dawson opened the innings for Police and were much troubled by Diggles and Hardeman, the latter bowling 5 successive maiden overs and only seven runs came off the first 10 avers of the innings.
The introduction of Fret well soon brought success. Dawson being bowled failing to pick out a “googley” Hardeman kept up the hostility to claim the wickets of Brown and Myas whilst Fretwell, turning the ball remarkably, had Birkhead stumped and Fryar bowled.
At this stage the visitors were 23 for 5 and appeared to be facing inevitable defeat, but then Diggles became the third Mexborough player this season to break a finger on the field and so the attack lost one of its spearheads.
Middleton and Hone then figured in a remarkable stand of 86, although the ball beat the bat on several occasions especially when Fretwell bowled.
These two took the total to 109 before Fretwell bowled Hone but captain Roy Middleton scored a splendid 69 not out to inflict on Mexborough, their first defeat in 12 matches.
Six Batsmen Caught Out
Setting Wath only 90 to score for victory at Broomfield Lane on Saturday, Stocksbridge Old looked doomed for failure when the visitors had reached 53 for 2 but Old hit back and in the end it was Wath who were struggling although they finally succeeded in winning by two wickets.
The ball was popping up rarely and six Old Club batsmen were caught. A run out victim was Frank Herbert and with his dismissal the home side’s innings ended, David Richardson claiming three of these. Jack Costello, 22 not out was Old’s top scorer but it took him six minutes short of two hours to collect them. F. Peace took the first four Old wickets for a total of 21 runs and P. Staves had 3 for 21.
Opener L. Peace, scored 39 before Alan Steers bowled him, and before this B. Walker had collected 20. But the Old attack was blunted when Dennis Kippaax pulled a muscle in his third over, and by the inability of David Lockwood to bowl after finding the aftermath of a recent crash too much for him. If Old had taken all the catches which were offered they could have won. Alan Steers had the best Old average-3 for 14 and Frank Herbert had 3 for 10.
Smart Work
Elsecar’s two former Maltby players. Ken Wright and Dennis Torr saw them to victory over Denaby in the Yorkshire Council.
Wright scored 39 not out and Torr 29 not out as Elsecar passed Denaby’s total of 92 for the loss of only three wickets. Earlier Torr had been largely instrumental in Denaby’s collapse, taking 4 for 21. Steve Oldham took, 3 for 39 and Roy Taylor 2 for 32, and Denaby’s top scorer was A Ellis (38).