Shireshead and Burneside battle to remain in contention

By Tim Mansfield

Get down to your club on a sunny day

It's only early season, but already the top four have emerged clear from the pack, but with Sedgwick and Heysham having established a lead over third place Burneside. Shireshead have beaten Burneside in the Village Knockout and both sides will be desperate for the points to remain in touching distance of the top as they meet again at Ellergreen Park. Heysham will expect to win at Holme, but the last time they played there Holme beat them by 10 wickets whilst Sedgwick travel to Bare who as ever will be hard to beat.

Sedgwick maintained their 100% record with 4 wickets win at Kirkby Lonsdale. Richard Hanson (3/12) led the attack which bowled out the home side for 79. Andrew Metcalfe (3/18) kept pressure on Sedgwick, but Tom Willacy (26), Carl Bevan (21) and the highly promising Oliver Sanday (15 not out) took them to victory. Heysham welcomed Phil Bovis (62) into their ranks. He received support from Lee Calverley (30), Damion Keegan (33) and Shaun Wyse (33 not out) as Heysham compiled 201/4 declared against Morecambe 2nds who could only make 108 in reply with 20 each for Arham Kothari and Gullam Maje. Overseas amateur Riley Wilson (5/25) continued his impressive form.

The match of the day turned out to be at Warton where Stuart Mayor (55) and Tom Barnfield (75) added 112 for the third wicket as the home side posted 180 all out. It looked like being more at 162/3 but Ethan Ellwood took 5/44 to restrict them to 180 in the 41st over and significantly mean that Burneside gained four overs from Warton. Ellwood (48) and Dan Greenwood (41) added 84 for the first wicket, but an incisive 3/41 from Graeme Crowther saw the visitors reduced to 116/4 and with Paul Simpson (4/38) returning to take four wickets in his second spell it needed last man Chris Dixon to score the final run needed for victory from the final ball of the 48th over. Archit Bhardwaj (4/16) had Shireshead in real trouble at 43/5 but Joe Oliver (87) batted superbly adding 114 with his captain Jack Cunnington (34) as the home team reached 176/7. Bare debutant Ryan Anbampola (28) with John Hughes (26) and Saad Adeem (22) held the bowlers at bay as they finished on 133/8. Joe Oliver took 4/29 in addition to his runs.

A career best 91 not out from Stan Rich was the lynchpin for Carnforth 2nds as their 180/7 against Kendal 2nds created the platform for a first win of the season. He hit 9 fours and 3 sixes from 106 balls, his first innings of the season. Matthew Yarker took 4/27 for Kendal, whilst Louis Potter (28) added 60 with Rich for the 5th wicket. Rich then took 5/22 and Gary Baxendale 3/9 as Kendal were all out for 85, Shane Hyland (33) top scoring. Arnside defended 143 all out against Holme who were dismissed in reply for 91 with Lee Pidgeon taking 5/14 and Rob Shepherd 3/9, Ethan Burton (26) top scored for the home team. Adam Richardson (38) and Jim Crawford (36) on his first appearance of the season were the main scorers for Arnside. It had been rumoured that Crawford was off to pastures new, his retention will boost Arnside.

Silverdale are the new leaders of Division 2. On Saturday Steve Beck (5/18) restricted Sedgwick 2nds to 106/8, Ben Harvey making 28 not out for a team affected by first team call ups. Harvey then took 5/25 as only Charlie Gaw (31) made progress and at 96/9 it was left to the last pair of Jack Hargreaves and Beck to score the 13 needed for the win. It was easier on Sunday as Jon Mason (4/23) and Phil Mason (4/20) bowled out Sedbergh School 2nds for 77 and Jon Mason (40 not out) and Harry Mason (22 not out) completed a 10-wicket win. Milnthorpe beat Shireshead 2nds by 3 wickets. The returning Scott Singleton (4/31) and Mike Wills (3/16) dismissed the visitors for 8, opener Paul Yates (26) holding together the Shireshead innings being last man out in the 43rd over. Mike Mead took 4/23 but Wills (21 not out) shepherded Milnthorpe to a first win of the season.

It was a good week for experienced batters called Bob in Division 2. Bob Simpson made 100 not out as Coniston totalled 191/5 against Sedbergh School 2nds. Harry Bellamy (54) played largely a lone hand in 121 in reply as Mike Burton took 5/25. Meanwhile Bob Davies was making 114 not out for Cartmel as they scored 198/7 against Heysham 2nds, Harry Wallbank taking 3/37. Joe Atkinson (4/24) reduced Heysham to 52/5 before Jeff Winder (36) and Joe Senior (32) added 55, but when they were parted the last 5 wickets fell for 14 runs.

There was a low scoring game at Netherfield. Rory Briggs rode his luck to make 43 out of 96 for Westgate 2nds who blew away the home side for 49, with left armers Sarje Islam (3/11) and Joel Frith (3/13) in command, before Charlie Higson (3/1) finished the game taking 3 wickets in 5 balls James Longley took 4/12 for Netherfield. Ambleside scored 165 with Paul Johnson making 54 and bowled out Morecambe 3rds for 94 to win by 71 runs.

Dan Sykes is the toast of Windermere this week. After only Will Aspinwall (24) and Lewis Rands-Trevor (23) made double figures as Rob Speak (7/19) bowled out Windermere for 69. Captain Sykes strapped on his bowling boots to take an incredible 8/10 from 10 overs as Galgate were all out for 16. It takes Windermere who are tipped as one of the favourites in Division 3 to fifth, but the leaders are Carnforth 3rds. Whilst it was their veterans Wayne Tomlinson (42) and Lindsay Thompson (41) who added 97 for the first wicket, it was the youth who took over. Alfie Stephenson had made 13 runs in 14 games of senior cricket before Saturday. He sparkled like the weather making 58 from 59 balls with 2 fours and 6 sixes, enabling his side to post 189/7. Andy Thomas took 5/28 for Silverdale 2nds, and made 34 not out, but the only support came from Joe Taylor (33) as leg spinners Myles Bowen (4/20) and Thompson (3/15) sealed a 71-run win.

Eddie Hart scored 50 in Arnside 2nds 127, Patrick Cantley taking 4/19 on debut for Home 2nds. Cantley (41 not out) then added 101 for the third wicket with Mike Halhead (51 not out) as second placed Holme won by 8 wickets. 4/20 from Liam Burrow restricted Trimpell to 132/9 with Mark Huddleston (40) top scoring. Bare’s response was led by a name from their past as former first team skipper John Moller made 80 not out in his first game for the club since 2014, after Danny Halstead (3/31) had removed three of the first four batters for ducks.

Paul Wilson (3/13) and Mark Ward (4/13) combined to bowl out Bolton le Sands for 60, James Bousefield making 34. Marcus Oates made 22 not out as Burneside 2nds won by 6 wickets. Mark Hughes (58) and Josh Capstick (48 not out) took Ingleton to 190/6 against Leven Valley. George Needham catalysed an innings that was going nowhere with a quickfire 33, but Luke Gorst (7/23) maintained his early season form and Leven Valley had to hang on for the draw at 128/9. Gorst is the first bowler in any division to pass 20 league wickets, having taken 21 at 7 runs each.

In Division 4, Oliver Williams (73) underpinned Ulverston 3rds 152/8 who bowled out Burneside 3rds for 52, Luke Clough taking 3/11. David McGonnigal (4/20) claimed his first victims since 2018 as Appleby Eden made 120/8 with Andrew Lightfoot (34) and Noah Hoyle (30 not out) the main contributors. Ingleton 2nds won by 2 wickets as Matt Young made 31 whilst Alfie Errington took 3/37. Travis Oldham took 3/11 as Netherfield 3rds dismissed Coniston 2nds for 96, which they passed to win by 4 wickets, Caleb Wilson making 22.

Niall Parkinson (42) gave Kirkby Lonsdale 2nds a good start, but Sedbergh School 3rds Jack Fall took an incredible 7/10 in 4 overs as they collapsed to 116 all out. Jakob Smith (3/17) took early wickets, but Alister Paul (27 not out) and Charlie Barron (26 not out) took the school side to a 5 wicket win. Liam Hogan (28) top scored in Sedgwick 2nds 107 as Dan Kavanagh took 5/16 for Milnthorpe 2nds who could only make 55 in reply with three wickets apiece for Brad Brentnall, Paul Sanday and Harry Wallace. Dan Hardman (45) led the way in Heysham 3rds 113, Rowan Yates taking 3/30 for Shireshead 3rds before father and son John and Gareth Bleasdale made 42 and 43 respectively as Shireshead won by 7 wickets. Openers, Joe Jackson (77) and William Battersby (34) gave Morecambe 4ths a good start, but the next five batters made ducks as Marcus Palamountain took a career best 6/11 whilst Lakshya Ahluwalla took 4/32 in limiting the score to 141. Dave Edwards (27 not out) carried his bat for Westgate 3rds who could only muster 48 as Howard Hirst took 4/10.

In the British Rose Cricket Trophy, Sedgwick 2nds beat Ambleside by 43 runs with Dan Lawson making 50 and Ben Harvey taking 5/13. Morecambe 3rds beat Silverdale by 2 wickets with Adam Horrobin (5/19) and Heysham 2nds beat Milnthorpe.

Todays fixtures are at https://westmorlandcricketleague.play-cricket.com/Matches

Where next?

Heysham take the summit position Sedgwick and Burneside meet with the sides sharing second place
Cup matches this week Moon & Coxhill and Hackney & Leigh Trophies get underway this week

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