Shelton CC v. Wem CC, 26/7/08

The trip to Wem is usually a pleasant one, the North Shropshire market town being a place unspoilt by progress, running at its own pace. Shelton Cricket Club went to the Kynaston Cricket Ground on the back of a morale-boosting win over Bomere Heath, but could not have expected the severity of Saturday’s defeat to Wem’s first XI.

Wem’s wicket was unexpectedly dry, following a series of scorching days which had ‘taken the top off’ the playing surface, according to one of Shelton’s batsmen. The only bright elements in a difficult innings for Shelton’s batsmen were Harry Jones’s smart 15 runs. By mid-afternoon, Shelton could concentrate on bowling, having been on the receiving end of excellent spells from Rope and Raine, Wem’s strike bowlers.

Jokingly, Shelton’s club stalwart Keith Martindale said that he had been thinking about the first ball of his first-team debut for twenty years. In spite of having been part of the club’s backbone for two decades, Martindale had never hitherto played for the first XI. After some reliable and economical bowling from Sam Griffiths, forcing blocks and defence from Wem’s openers, the first ball from Martindale was a corker. Pitched at the perfect length, just outside off-stump, it came back in, flummoxing Wem’s Cohen and taking his bale. Martindale, who is a feared wicket-taker for Shelton’s second team, and known for a number of previous first-ball dismissals at that level, reflected, ‘it was one of the best balls I’d bowled all season, a nice moment.’ That it was, and it gave a Shelton team something to smile about from the match, which Wem wrapped up quickly.

The Shelton second XI played Wem seconds on home territory, claiming a gutsy winning draw (8-4) in spite of some notable absences due to first-team promotions and holidays. With Keith and Jamie Martindale following Farrell Younger-Waters into the Firsts, the second team faced a tough challenge. Nonetheless, there were many notable performances, including Ben Chambers, who bowled heroically through a bad back, also hitting 20 at number seven. Sam Jones showed real form with the bat, opening and taking 49, assisted ably by Alan Jackson on 30. This was just the tonic for Shelton’s supporters, who turned out in force on a gloriously sunny afternoon, and were pleased to cheer their team off the field.

(Second-team pictures to follow)