Heysham’s ‘New’ Signing, this week’s games and week 1 review

Heysham’s hopes of winning the Bateman Shield have been strengthened by the news that Jamie Cassidy has had second thoughts and instead of rejoining Morecambe will spearhead Heysham’s attack alongside Sam Calverley this season. Heysham travel to Warton, ironically one of Jamie’s former clubs. With the weather forecast looking a bit iffy, groundsmen will again be doing their best to get the game on with Morecambe 2nds facing Burneside without captain James Lambert. The other week 1 winners, Shireshead host Holme, and Sedgwick and Kendal 2nds face off in a derby, the latter having lost Lewis Richardson to first team duties.

Last week, the Westmorland Cricket League season got underway in sunshine with snow glinting from the higher fells. The heroes of the day were not the players, but the groundsmen whose hard work meant that only five games fell foul to the wet weather that has plagued them in the days and weeks leading up to the games.

Damo Keegan (39) and Lee Calverley (81) commenced Heysham’s challenge with a 98 run stand for the first wicket. Lee Calverley was in imperious form striking 11 fours and 3 sixes in his 101 ball innings before being trapped lbw by Craig Albon (2/33). Sam Calverley (35) and Riley Wilson (26) upped the scoring rate after Archit Bhardwaj (3/49) had given Bare some control. 203/7 put the home side in a strong position, but Bare through debutant Adeem (28) and Robbie White (28) resisted and despite Graeme Cassidy’s 3/15 and Sam Calverley’s 2/20, Josh Allinson came in and survived the last ball of the game to deny Heysham all 15 points, Bare finishing on 122/9.
Ben Leacock won the toss and elected for Burnside to bowl at Carnforth. Lee Hodkinson (25) and Sam Woodburn (29) were the main contributors for Carnforth 2nds as Leacock (4/33) led his attack in restricting them to 117. Ethan Ellwood made 63 from 67 balls and with Ben Phillips scoring 31, Burneside needed only half their overs to secure a 6 wicket win. Rick Hamblett’s 44 was the crucial innings as Shireshead beat Arnside by 37 runs. Hamblett received good support from Joe Oliver (26) as Chris Howsley (3/31) and Ben Myers (3/28) restricted them to 116/9. Jason Bingley (18) and Alex Davidson (22) were the only ones to make double figures as spinners Tom Jacques (5/17) and Ernie Collinson (2/22) dismissed the visitors for 79.

Holme’s Charlie Outterside (32) showed his promise, but received little support as Jonny Matthews (5/18) and Tom Ridley (4/19) bowled out the home side for 75. Lee Barnes (2/36) and Kieran Hunter (3/21) removed the Sedgwick upper order and it needed 8th wicket pair Chris Evans (21 not out) and Ridley (12 not out) to see the title hopefuls home. The closest game was at Kendal where Kirkby Lonsdale’s James Royce (5/19) took the first wicket of the season. Experienced duo Terry Hunte (31) and Shane Hyland (47 not out) batted Kendal back into the game finishing on 100/8. Royce (33) and James Greenall (15) put Kirkby in a strong position at 63/3, but Lewis Richardson (5/15) and Joe Dodds (3/39) took wickets regularly as Kirkby finished 7 runs short of their target. Warton’s game at Morecambe was off due to the waterlogged ground, a fate which also befell the third team’s game against Heysham 2nds on Sunday, and the other Division 2 games at Sedbergh and Netherfield.

Coniston were the big scorers in Division 2 as their new captain Robert Warne led the way with 71 against Milnthorpe. Mike Burton (44) and Liam Ivison (28) helped them to reach 200 all out, Mike Wills taking 5/37. Wills (27) and Ryan Veitch (26) led the response but Burton’s 5/13 proved too much and the visitors were all out for 98. Mike Bracken (44) and Dan Lawson (21) made the overwhelming bulk of Sedgwick 2nds 78 against Cartmel as Joe Cowperthwaite took 5/21. His Sedgwick counterpart Adam Lawson outdid him with 6/8 as Cartmel were all out for 56, despite 20 from Bob Davies. Westgate 2nds won a close game against Ambleside by 10 runs thanks largely to a masterly all round performance by their captain Jacob Vaughan. Vaughan anchored the innings of 97 with 57 from 128 balls with only Rory Briggs (21) joining him in double figures as Paul Johnson took 3/18 for Ambleside. Ryan McMenamin (3/14) and Vaughan (4/10) ripped through the Ambleside batting to leave them 47/8 and then 61/9 before a valiant last wicket stand of 26 took them so close before Adam Wood (22) was trapped lbw by Vaughan.

In Division 3, Ingleton beat Bare by 1 wicket reaching their target of 64. Leven Valley insisted on travelling to Bolton le Sands and with Richard Marshall (45) Archie Carr (47) and new captain George Needham (33) in the runs made 197/8 their trip proved worthwhile . There is a new ambition about Leven Valley and Maxwell Irving took 5/23 to leave Sands in trouble. Jack Brown (63) counterattacked but Sands were all out for 116. Mark Kelsall (81 not out) batted through Burneside 2nds innings of 127/5 as Razi took 4/20 on debut for Galgate. Dave Morgan (42) and Rob Speak (16) kept the visitors in the game, but Marcus Oates (3/34) and Mike Allen (4/8) removed the later order as the visitors finished 20 short. Andy Thomas must be close to having played for a dozen clubs in his long career and he top scored with 34 not out on his Silverdale 2nds debut. Gary Entwistle (26) and James Wright (27) contributed as the home side made 118/5. Holme 2nds were blown away for 22 by Paul Moffatt (3/1) and Jack Dougan (4/15). Carnforth 3rds played their young guns and their debutant Conor Dyson took 3/6 as Trimpell were restricted to 114/9, Danny Halstead top scoring with 25. 15 year old Lewis Spurr led the response making 67 not out with 8 fours and a six and adding 52 for the fifth wicket with his skipper James Thornton (28) as Carnforth won by 45 wickets.

Saturday April 22nd

Bare v Arnside 2pm
Burneside v Morecambe 2nds
Kirkby Lonsdale v Carnforth 2nds
Sedgwick v Kendal 2nds 2pm
Shireshead v Holme
Warton v Heysham

Ambleside v Cartmel 1.30pm
Heysham 2nds v Milnthorpe
Netherfield 3rds v Shireshead 2nds
Sedbergh School 2nds v Sedgwick 2nds 2pm
Silverdale v Coniston
Westgate 2nds v Morecambe 3rds

Arnside 2nds v Bare 2nds 2pm
Bolton le Sands v Silverdale 2nds 2pm
Galgate v Trimpell
Holme 2nds v Ingleton
Leven Valley v Windermere

Sunday April 23rd
Carnforth 3rds v Burneside 2nds