Result: Shelton CC won by 95 runs. Shelton CC – 158/9 (50 overs); Madeley CC – 63 all out, (34.1 overs).
Highlights:
Shelton – 5am Griffiths 25 and 4/20, Neil Salisbury 66, Harry Jones 25.
Madeley – Dinesh da Silva 5/22, Jamie Lloyd 3/36.
On the weekend that the amazing spectacle of the Beijing Olympics ended, Shelton Cricket Club took a great leap forward. The Shrewsbury club announced their return as a force in the Marston’s Shropshire Premier Cricket League with a sensational victory over Madeley, who had been third in the table coming into this round of fixtures.
Batting had been an area of concern to Shelton for some time, but a change in the order appeared to signal a change in thinking. Gone was the hesitancy of old, replaced by confidence and self-expression. Neil Salisbury led from the front, opening the batting for the first time in 2008, and it was to be his steady hands and crafty shot-making which anchored the innings. By protecting his wicket, taking singles when offered and not giving the Madeley bowlers any encouragement, Salisbury allowed other batsmen to flourish until he was bowled by Jamie Lloyd in the final overs on 66.
Sam Griffiths also starred in Salisbury’s company, producing his usual fiery batting heroics and entertaining the watching crowds with two sixes, his first in senior league cricket. 23 runs were just reward for a great effort, although Griffiths added that he ‘would have liked to have stayed in the middle for a few more overs’. After the interval Griffiths also led the bowling attack for Shelton, his four wickets helping to keep confidence levels up and the Madeley run-rate down.
It looked like another example of the fickle Shropshire climate acting against Shelton when a rainstorm caused a break in proceedings, in the second innings. After a lengthy inspection, the umpires elected to allow the teams to play on, but only until the 35-over mark in the innings. A film scriptwriter could not have penned it better. As Salisbury threw Griffiths the ball for the final over, Madeley were just under 100 runs behind Shelton’s target, but the tail was showing grit in adversity. With the second ball of the over, Griffiths gave Shelton’s players and supporters the tonic they had been searching for, clean-bowling Lloyd and causing raucous celebration amongst the home contingent. In the absence of Andy Wigginton, all of the Shelton bowlers took wickets in a fine team performance. Lawrence Bayley’s three wickets were complimented by Rhett Williamson, Mark Davies and Keith Martindale’s one apiece.
Shelton’s players are enjoying their cricket, and hoping to see out the 2008 season in style.
No comments:
Post a Comment