Match-Day 13 Weekly Round-Up By Graham Hardcastle
By Graham Hardcastle
A moment of magic from captain Will Wrathall following his 81 with the bat helped Read to a thrilling home win over Farnworth in Saturday’s Anthony Axford North West Cricket League Premiership – and it got him doing something he’s not keen on. Talking about himself.
“I’m not one for blowing smoke up my own backside, but I’ve just had everyone say I’ve taken the best catch they’ve ever seen,” he laughed.
So, go on, take it away Will…
“I was fielding at long-on, and their overseas amateur (Yatin Mangwani) has smoked one which was going for six. I’m 6’4, and I’ve gone full stretch one-handed behind me going to my right. I’ve caught it, and the ground’s erupted.
“It was one for the books, I have to admit.”
To put the catch into some context, Read posted an imposing 243-7 from 33 overs following a delayed start at Whalley Road due to rain. More rain at tea left Farnworth, second going into round 13, chasing 203 in 25 overs.
The Mangwani dismissal, one of seven wickets for brilliant new ball seamer Nizam Vaid, left Farnworth at 66-4 early in the 11th.
Vaid finished with a fabulous 7-84 from 13 overs, including what proved the key wicket of visiting captain Simon Booth bowled for an excellent 85 off 53 balls.
Booth almost single-handedly breathed life back into this fixture, taking the target to 13 off five balls having crashed Vaid for his seventh six before falling two balls later.
Farnworth finished on 195-8, losing only their second game – by seven runs – to a Read side just outside the top 12 following win number seven.
“Their captain batted really well, just about when we thought the game was starting to get away from them,” said Wrathall, who praised his new ball seamer Vaid.
“He bowled really well. He bowls in-duckers to the right-hander, and he kept tight lines and took wickets when we needed them.”
Read have had a mighty impressive last two weekends to sit 14th in the table on 81 points, five behind 12th placed Settle. It’s worth a reminder. The 24-team division splits into two next season.
“We beat Eagley last week, and they’re second now,” continued Wrathall, who praised his side’s enthusiasm.
“I said that win would take some beating, but I think this topped it. We were up for it from ball one.”
This was a game to which neither pro – Read’s Mini Bhada and Milinda Siriwardana of Farnworth – contributed significantly. Though, ironically, Bhada removed Siriwardana for one in the visitors’ pursuit.
“I know they bat deep, but we knew that was the big wicket,” said Wrathall. “With the bowling, Mini’s been really good. He came to us as a batter who bowls, but he’s done better with the ball.
“If you took professionals out of the equation, I reckon we’d be up there near the top. We’ve been out-pro’d all year.
“As I much as I love Mini and think he’s a fantastic cricketer, I don’t think he’s fulfilled his full potential just yet. He will do soon, I’m sure.”
Wrathall opened with 81 off 72 balls, while Jack Wood hit a late 61 not out off 37.
Wrathall added: “Apart from Ribblesdale Wanderers, I think we’ve played everyone in that top eight now.
Not even rain could beat runaway leaders Little Lever as they closed in on the inaugural Anthony Axford North West Cricket League Premiership title with a seven-wicket home win over Feniscowles during a disrupted Saturday.
Josh Gent’s side made it 13 straight wins chasing a revised 97 in 25 overs.
Curtis Anderton and Andy Flear struck three times apiece as Feniscowles were bowled out for 116. Unbeaten Australian pro Jake Lehmann underpinned a routine chase with 39.
The maximum 12-point haul took the Victory Road side to 148 – 36 points ahead of Eagley with 10 rounds remaining.
Eagley replaced Farnworth, who lost at Read, in second.
Eagley beat Earby (87 all out) by eight wickets at home for win number eight.
Pakistani professional Ayaz Tasawar claimed 4-19 from 14 overs. Having taken the new ball, he later underpinned the chase of a revised 66 with 28. Junior left-arm spinner Luca Doyle also impressed with three wickets.
Three games were rained off. Two bottom half clashes were abandoned in the first innings. Brinscall were 170-6 after 39 overs hosting Atherton and Cherry Tree 148-6 at home to Baxenden.
Opener Sam Maclachlan top-scored for Brinscall with 62. Ross Bretherton and Mark Hadfield hit 52 apiece for Cherry Tree.
Astley Bridge and Padiham also took three points each. Hosts Bridge were 79-5 after 16 overs chasing a revised 144 after Padiham’s 192-7 in 38. Callum Clarke opened with 58 for Padiham and Lesiba Ngoepe claimed five wickets.
Below Little Lever, only 12 points separate second-placed Eagley (112) and Kearsley (100) in eighth.
Kearsley are in Little Lever type form. Their eighth win in nine matches came by seven wickets at home to Settle (104 all out) as they chased a revised 82.
Neylan Chauhan claimed 5-49 from 11.5 overs before captain Cameron Murray hit an unbeaten 44.
Farnworth Social Circle are third, just above Farnworth. Social Circle beat Walkden by six wickets chasing a revised 114.
Walkden fell from 115-3 to 142 all out, Jameel Stuart and Bradley Barrow claiming four wickets apiece. Barrow got opener Harris Khan for 60 before FSC opener Elliot Colclough hit an unbeaten 48.
Salesbury are fifth having beaten Ribblesdale Wanderers at home thanks to South African sub pro Jacques Snyman’s brilliant all-round effort.
He opened with 114 not out off 68 balls in 175-6 in 29.4 overs. Ian Britcliffe claimed all six wickets for a Wanderers side whose target was 195 off 30 overs and then 177 off 25. They finished on 110-9, including Snyman’s 5-53.
Snyman has already topped 1,000 runs for Greenmount this summer, including a Lancashire League record unbeaten 269.
Blackrod (163 all out) are sixth following an impressive 14-run win at local rivals Lostock, who finished on 84-7 pursuing 99 in 20 overs.
Indian pro Ankit Lamba opened with 68 for Blackrod, whose new ball duo Matthew Readey and Saminda Senapathi (4-40) shared seven wickets.
Indian sub pro Chirag Khurana claimed a brilliant 4-6 from 2.4 overs as Barnoldswick claimed an unlikely 44-run win at Tonge, bowling the hosts out for 67 as they chased a revised 112 in 26 overs.
Tonge, having earlier restricted Barnoldswick to 139-8 in 37 – Khurana made 34, slumped from 30-1. Barnoldswick’s sixth win boosted their top 12 hopes.
Oswaldtwistle Immanuel beat bottom half rivals Whalley by six wickets chasing a revised 105.
Levi Wolfenden hit 66 in Whalley’s 118-3 in 33.4 overs before Sagar Vijay Trivedi’s unbeaten 33 led the way for Oswaldtwistle.
Rain at Cherry Tree. Courtesy Baxenden CC
