Match-Day 17 Weekly Round-Up By Graham Hardcastle
By Graham Hardcastle
Earby captain Chris Walton hopes sub professional Ockie Erasmus can help the club lay the foundations for significant progress over the next season or so.
Walton’s side sit 17th in this season’s Anthony Axford North West Cricket Premiership table having won five matches.
He accepts they are unlikely to finish inside the top 12 ahead of next season’s two-divisional split, but believes that’s not necessarily a bad thing.
A young squad, including two 14-year-olds in Harry Brindle and Evan Dobson, has shown significant promise over the last couple of weekends in particular, including a strong performance amidst rain at Ribblesdale Wanderers on Saturday.
At the start of the season, they also beat now second-placed Farnworth.
When rain came on Saturday, they were 56-2 after 11 overs chasing a revised 68 target in 21 having bowled the hosts out for 99. They needed to face 20 overs in the chase to ensure a result. The Saturday before, they beat Atherton at home.
It seems that whilst the likes of Adam Hodge and Luke Hipgrave are having a notable influence, so to is South African Erasmus, who has replaced compatriot Rubin Hermann in the last couple of weeks.
Hermann had to go home early due in part to a shoulder injury as well as franchise commitments. Though he did struggle for consistency at William Street.
“Nothing against Rubin at all,” said Walton. “He tried his best. But he’s a youngish lad who wasn’t used to conditions – 26 – and it’s a completely different game to what he plays back home.
“We noticed quite a difference with Ockie in his first game last week. He’s brought that experience and know-how.
“He’s been pro’ing around the leagues for years, and I’ve said to the lads, ‘There’s lots to be learnt, listen up, ask questions and he’ll advance your game’.
“Straightaway, last week, he took it upon himself to do the warm-up, and everyone was desperate to impress him.
“We’ve got a very young side apart from myself and Iain Clarkson, who has been around a bit. The next eldest I think is 26, and we have two 14 and two 18-year-olds, who have been playing most of the year.
“Realistically, I don’t think top 12 would be great for us. We may have a late dart at it, but it would be a bit of a double-edged sword.
“I played at Colne for a few years, and we got promoted to the top division and struggled all year.
“I think we’d fit better in the second division, strengthen and have a crack at it that way.”
Erasmus is available for the lion’s share of Earby’s remaining games. He claimed two wickets on Saturday and was seven not out when the rain halted their seamless chase.
Walton was actually unavailable to play on Saturday but followed scores closely and would have seen Hipgrave claim four wickets and Adam Hodge open the bowling and batting with 3-17 and 24.
All-rounder Hodge, 18, has been Earby’s standout player this season with 363 runs and 33 wickets.
Walton said: “He opens the bowling left-arm and gets a good bit of shape in towards the batter. He will be a very good cricketer. He usually bats five or six.”
That an all-rounder has been Earby’s standout player kind of figures from a club whose most famous son is Lancashire legend and current coach Glen Chapple.
Walton says Earby’s current league position is “fair”, adding their batting has been their Achilles heel this year.
Rain wreaked havoc again across the Anthony Axford North West Cricket League’s Premiership as the round failed to produce a positive result, despite a couple of near misses.
The top-of-the-table clash between Little Lever and closest challengers Farnworth was one of five matches abandoned without a ball bowled on Saturday.
The others were Barnoldswick versus Brinscall, Baxenden versus Kearsley, Farnworth Social Circle against Blackrod and Walkden against Padiham.
The rest started yet failed to finish, resulting in three points apiece for all sides.
This was the third round of the season which has been completely washed out, all coming in the last four weekends.
The first of those – washed out on July 15 – has been rescheduled to be replayed a week on Sunday (August 20).
That means that while the league table shows all teams having played 17 matches, there are still seven match-days of the 23 remaining in the season.
Little Lever have a 37-point lead at the top over Farnworth with 84 to play for.
The closest to victory on Saturday were Earby, a club we have featured in our match of the round.
They were 56-2 after 11 overs (20 need to be bowled in the second innings for a result) chasing a revised target of 68 in 21 at Ribblesdale Wanderers when rain returned.
Earlier, Ribblesdale had been bowled out for 99, including Luke Hipgrave’s 4-33.
Settle were also on course for a victory at Whalley, who they had bowled out for 76. The visitors were 21-3 after nine overs chasing a revised target of 58, with a top order wobble unlikely to cost them had the rain stayed away.
Sri Lankan pro Ashen Silva and fellow spinner Tremaine Dowrich, Settle’s overseas amateur, claimed four wickets apiece.
The clash between Feniscowles and Oswaldtwistle Immanuel was bubbling up into a fantastic finish.
Feniscowles’ Pakistani professional Naveed Malik claimed a superb 7-25 from 15 overs to bowl Oswaldtwistle out for 111.
The visitors were indebted to number 10 Oliver Lowe, who came in at 49-8 and hit 31 not out off 69 balls to help more than double their score.
Professional Brad Boddie then claimed 3-13 from five overs as Feniscowles slipped into early trouble at 25-4 after 10 when rain returned.
Malik’s superb seven-for was actually the third best bowling analysis in the Premiership this season.
Farnworth’s Indian overseas amateur Yatin Mangwani claimed 9-34 in a home win over Eagley on Saturday May 6. On the same day, across town, Farnworth Social Circle’s Chris Barrow claimed 8-41 in a victory against Read.
In terms of the other matches which started on Saturday, Eagley were 92-3 after 27 overs at Astley Bridge and Lostock were 95-6 after 21 at Atherton, whose Pakistani pro Zain Abbas struck three times. Lostock slipped from 43-0.
Like Astley Bridge, Salesbury were well placed at home to Cherry Tree.
The visitors were 89-7 in the 34th over, with Ollie Wetton claiming 4-33. The left-arm spinner is now the leading wicket-taker in the Premiership with 47.
And finally, Tonge were bowled out for 137 inside 40 overs at home to Read.
Chris Walton Courtesy Earby CC
