Match-Day 18 Weekly Round-Up By Graham Hardcastle
By Graham Hardcastle
Schofield’s side won by 34 runs away at Victory Road as they bowled the likely inaugural Premiership champions out for 68 chasing a 103 target in 27 overs thanks to a brilliant 7-32 from eight overs of seam from professional Jake Hargreaves.
Baxenden started the day second bottom in the table. But what made this rain-affected 12-point success all the more remarkable was that they did it managing availability issues.
“To come here and get only our third win, it’s phenomenal,” said Schofield, a key contributor with a top order 31.
“We only actually had maybe five recognised first-teamers. So it’s an unbelievable result.
“I’m sure it’s one of the biggest shocks in the league this season.”
In truth, Schofield has undersold it because it was the biggest shock of the campaign.
“We just had one or two lads pull out, one or two working,” said the skipper. “We’ve come over here with five second-teamers.
“To say they’ve not lost all season, it’s incredible.”
Baxenden, inserted, posted 102-6 from their 27 overs, with rain coming to reduce the fixture after 10 overs of the visiting innings.
“We came off at 22-1,” continued Schofield, who top-scored for his side with four fours in 54 balls.
“It was a decent pitch considering the weather we’ve had, and we managed to get our total up to just over 100. We then put early pressure on them with the ball and maintained it.”
Local lad Hargreaves, in his third campaign as Baxenden’s pro, starred with his season’s best haul.
“Jake was absolutely phenomenal up top – it was a really good performance from him,” said Schofield, before assessing his own innings.
“I’ve been in and out this season. It’s been quite stop-start. But I was pretty happy with this one.”
Baxenden jumped from 23rd in the table to 21st on Saturday.
“We’re going to be in the bottom league next season, unfortunately,” said Schofield. “But we’ve got to kick on from this and finish as high as possible.
“Some of the performances we’ve put in this year haven’t deserved the results we’ve had.
“If we can win a few more before the end, we can head into next year with more confidence. We’ll maybe add a few players here and there, and hopefully we can have a good season and be pushing to get into that top division.”
While Schofield has indicated plans to recruit ahead of 2024, he also revealed work on improving their junior section is underway.
“With the juniors, we’ve struggled a bit over the last few years,” he said. “But we’ve just started offering a free coaching night for the kids in the last few weeks.
“That’s on a Thursday, and it’s been quite a good turnout. We had 25-30 kids down the other night, which is fantastic given we’re only a small village.”
Saturday was Little Lever pro Jake Lehmann’s last game.
He heads home to Adelaide with them needing a maximum of four wins from six games to claim the title.
Adam Masood had him caught for one, and Lehmann ends the summer with 1,040 runs in all cricket at an average of 104.
Farnworth Social Circle snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against Eagley on Saturday – and Omer Shinwari bowled a dream final over to help bottom side Walkden tie with Feniscowles during a dramatic day of Anthony Axford North West Cricket League Premiership cricket.
Leaders Little Lever lost their first league match of 2023. Their rain-affected clash at home to lowly Baxenden is our featured match of another rain-affected round. But only Settle and Oswaldtwistle Immanuel didn’t start.
Social Circle jumped up to third place with their 10th win from 18 matches, victorious by four runs at Eagley and after they had been bowled out for 101.
Eagley’s Pakistani professional Ayaz Tasawar claimed 6-23 from seven overs of leg-spin.
Chasing a revised 93 target, Eagley then slumped to 88 all out. Left-arm spinner Chris Barrow returned a new ball 5-36.
The table currently shows all teams having played 18 matches, but one of those – a completely rained off round – will be replayed this coming Sunday. That means three points can effectively be taken off all teams.
But, as things stand, Social Circle sit on 136 after claiming a maximum 12-point haul, three behind rivals Farnworth and 30 behind Little Lever (166).
Before we get to Farnworth, also winners on Saturday, a remarkable finish at the bottom saw Feniscowles and Walkden both tied on 183.
Visitors Walkden, still searching for their first win, were bowled out having been inserted.
Pakistani pro Naveed Malik claimed 5-63 after taking the new ball, and Walkden recovered from 80-5 thanks to 33 apiece for Asif Hussain and unbeaten Nabil Asgher.
Feniscowles were always ahead chasing – 53-0, 107-2 and, heading into the final over, 181-7.
But superb Shinwari – 4-54 – conceded only two runs off the last over and took two wickets off the contest’s final two balls as Feniscowles finished on 183-9. Khalid Hussain and James Jackson were both bowled.
Second-placed hosts Farnworth beat Astley Bridge by 42 runs in a 28-over contest.
Zafir Patel top-scored with 50 in Farnworth’s 150-8 before Indian overseas new ball seamer Yatin Mangwani claimed 5-36 in Bridge’s 108-8 to seal win number 11.
Whalley claimed their fifth win towards the bottom – by four wickets chasing 107 at Blackrod. The visitors were indebted to Australian overseas amateur Noah Panaia’s measured unbeaten 55 as he steered a recovery from 26-6, sharing an unbroken 81 with Richard Palmer, 24 not out.
Earlier, Palmer claimed three wickets in Blackrod’s 106-9 from 43 overs.
Whalley are 17th and Cherry Tree 16th. The latter beat Brinscall by nine wickets chasing 63. Ross Bretherton ran through Brinscall with a fabulous 7-31 from 10 new ball overs.
Tonge (120-7 in 27 overs) jumped to 10th with their eighth win, by 14 runs at Earby (110-5). Tonge opener Jack Hancock top-scored with 39 before Hasib Patel’s three wickets.
Kearsley are eighth. Their ninth win came by two wickets at home to Atherton (126-8) chasing 127 in a 34-over game. Opener Joe Capstick hit 34, but the hosts slipped from 75-1 to a nervy 122-8.
Salesbury, Padiham and Lostock – fourth, fifth and sixth – all won comfortably against Read, Barnoldswick and Ribblesdale Wanderers.
Salesbury were bowled out for 163 at Read thanks to Matthew Heap’s stunning 8-75 from 12.5 overs.
Heap didn’t deserve to finish on the losing side, but he did as Read were bowled out for 80. Callum Boardman and Ollie Wetton equally shared six wickets.
Like Salesbury, Padiham claimed win number 10 – by seven wickets chasing 113 at home to Barnoldswick, 112 all out. Pro Jack Edgar claimed three wickets and hit 44 for Padiham.
Jake Hargreaves Courtesy Baxenden CC
Baxenden Courtesy of Baxenden CC
