The victory was set up earlier in the day by Tom Wilcock who made an unbeaten 68 from 105 balls including 9 fours to set up BAC’s 1^st innings total of 204 for 8. Support was provided by opener Unsworth who struck 29, 28 coming in boundaries, and Skeoch making 25 from 32. Edwards also hit a couple of lusty blows at the end of the innings to cash in with 18 from 8 balls.

On a great batting track 204 seemed par, and was looking under par when the Fulwood openers got off to a decent start, but a couple of quick bowling changes helped peg Fulwood back as Keane got a wicket in his first over and Andy Hogarth got himself a wicket too, but didn’t last long as we opted for spin at both ends. Up step Edwards who, along with Keany, bowled with great control and didn’t give anything away.

The wickets soon began to fall and from 50 for 1 the Fulwood batting line up crumbled like crisps in a vice. Danny was picking up wickets at regular intervals, including the prize scalps of Smith and Turner, while Keane was keeping it incredibly tight at the other end.

Edwards is fully deserving of the man of the match award in this game, finishing with 6 for 32 from 12 overs while Keany helped himself to 2 for 33 off 15.1.

Win number 7 on the bounce and a huge game next week, especially for new boy Danny, as the 1sts take on Penwortham at home.

As promised I have updated the complete MVP tables as of the mid way point in the season, it also includes the cup game again Whittingham. As you can see Andy H leads the way but if Danny has any more performances like this week he will soon catch up! (unfortunatly I could not upload the table from this computer so I’ve attached the link!) http://www.mycricketmvp.com/rankings/competition/181/413/0/2011

Yours in Cricket,

Willow

Last week he sealed the deal against Norcross with 29 not out, this week he finished what Unsworth (73) and Greenall (30) started and saw off the injured Great Eccleston captain in the last over to make it 6 in 6 for the 1st XI.

Earlier…

Rain delayed proceedings and once it had cleared we had time for a 29 over per side match, which Great Eccleston would bat first in. The inform pairing of Thistlethwaite and Parkinson got Eccy off to a good start after a couple of early scares for Thistlethwaite who was dropped off the bowling of Wilson then had an edge fall short from Hogarth (Jamie). Keane did for Parkinson in his first over, then a mix up with captain Nadeem led to Thistlethwaite being run out. And that’s where the controversy started, Nadeem ran a quick single with Yeomans which lead to the skipper pulling up with a pulled hamstring, on comes the runner but the injury doesn’t stop him from making an undefeated 58 from 49 balls, including some healthy dancing down the track blows off the spin of Keane. Ecc finished on 157 for 3 from their 29 overs. 

BAC got off to a lightning start with both Unsworth and Greenall looking confident at the crease and keeping above the rate. But when Greenall fell for 30, McKeever and Wilcock both departed shortly after leaving BAC in a bit of bother. Captain Jamie Skeoch helped steady the ship but with the score around 120, Unsworth was stumped, he made a majestic 73 and deserved to go on. Hothersall came and went for 6 then the captain fell (15) leaving hero Keane and young Gaskell to knock the remaining 20 runs off.

The pair whittled it down to 7 needed with 4 balls of injured Nadeems 11th over left, when Keane got down on one knee and launched the ball into the square leg car park! Huge hit by the Camel.

A quick dab and run finished it off.

Due to the lack of wickets it was only a 9 point win, but a massive win in the context of how the 1st XI is developing, we are now showing (even without our leading wicket taker) we can cut the mustard. F&B next week, that will be another toughie.

Yours in Cricket,

Willow

Michael Keane’s first score of the summer came just at the right time as he helped BAC triumph over Norcross to lead BAC’s 1st XI to their 5th consecutive victory.

Keany who usually averages a healthy 23.6 for the 1st XI hit an unbeaten 29 in a closely fought contest against the Blackpool based club. After the bowlers had reduced Norcross to 136 for 9 from their allotted overs, with the Hogarths combining for 7 wickets (Jamie 3 for 29 and Andy 4 for 30), BAC had slipped to 70 for 6 with Greenall making 39. Hothersall (26) (Jonny) then started to steady the ship with Keane, adding another 30 to the score before both he and his Dad fell in quick succession.

Keane was then joined at the crease by Wilson with the prospect of 5 on the trot seemingly disappearing into the distance, but when the score was looking just too much a couple of lusty blows by both men meant BAC only needed a run a ball in the last over.

The ball was thrown to Zubaire (Zubi) Patel for the last over, but it was thrown back! “I no bowling” he replied as he trudged off to fine leg (I’d clearly seen him off! Hah). So on the second time of asking Norcross found a bowler, in the form of quickie David Allen, not a good idea, Keany took kindly to him and after 3 balls in the final over Camel had smacked him for 2 fours and BAC had won.

11 points this week moves us up to 3rd thanks to an F&B win over Vernons. Massive test next week against Great Eccleston especially with Andy Hogarth on holiday, but this will be seen as a good test of where the team are compared to the top of the league.

Yours in Cricket,

Willow

Jonny Hothersall’s 61 not out helped BAC, who triumphed in the aligning fixture last season, reach the 200 run mark that Thornton had set in the first innings. BAC’s number 7, who has become a regular in the side after suffering a recent ankle injury, hit 8 boundaries during his impressive 53 ball knock.

Skipper Skeoch weighed in with 42 not out from 53 balls in a 102 run unbeaten partnership with Hothersall. The openers Greenall and Unsworth also contributed a opening stand of 72 before being dismissed for 38 and 46 respectfully.

Earlier…

Earlier in the day BAC had got off to a fine start reducing Thornton to 56-4 thanks to a wicket a piece for Jamie and Andy Hogarth while Wilson took 2. But after Booth was astonishingly dropped on 8 the 5^th wicket partnership really pushed on spreading the field with lusty blows.

Eventually the 96 run partnership was broken by Andy Hogarth, but a few more meaty blows accelerated Thornton to 199 for 7 from their 45 overs. Jamie Hogarth finishing with 3 for 47, Andy Hogarth 2 for 57 and Wilson 2 for 22.

A good total by Thornton but on a good wicket and with the confidence of 3 wins in a row BAC paced the run chase perfectly knocking the runs off in the 40^th over.

11 point win, dropping us one place down to 4^th, 1 point behind Vernons.

2 weeks until the turn of the season, where I shall reveal the current standings in the teams MVP (most valuable player). Currently lead by a certain “handy” individual.

Yours in Cricket,

Willow

 Fast forward a week to Fylde away, where this time we batted first, McKeever (31) and Unsworth (33) got us off to a class start with a 50 run opening stand. Another slight collapse brought young Hothersall to the crease who hit an aggressive 42 from 45 to guide BAC to 158 for 8 from their 45 overs. Wilson got the visitors off to a good start getting the opener caught behind first ball, him and Jamie Hogarth continued to tie down the home side and claimed 2 wickets each. Andy Hogarth and McKeever finished proceedings along with 3 run outs to reduce the home side to 96 all out.

 Now I have caught up I can put a little more depth into the reports, this week we played Vernons at the Riverside, after winning the toss we elected to bat on a nice looking deck. As McKeever was away 2^nd team skipper Chris Greenall opened the innings with Unsworth, who fell early being bowled for 0. But that brought Andy Hogarth to the crease who, along with Chris, got BAC rolling. Chris eventually departed for 42 and Andy made 58 before being dismissed, this lead to a slight collapse with no one else really making a telling contribution. Jamie Hogarth chipped in with 16 and John “the best Steinson” Steinson hit a majestic huge 6 late on to help creep the home side up to 158. A decent batting display in parts but after the start it could have been more.

 Chasing 158 Vernons got off to a bad start with Jamie Hogarth getting a wicket early doors. The visitors then piled on a little pressure getting up to 40 for 1 but a magic spell from Keane and some clever bowling from Andy Hogarth ripped the heart out of the Vernons batting order and delivered wicket after wicket until they were 75 for 9. Unfortunately the 1^st XI couldn’t get that last wicket, but it was a valiant display and another 11 points moving us up to 3^rd. Andy Hogarth claimed 5 for 22 and Keany got 3 for 32.

 3 out of 3 in the league and a second trip of the season to a cold and gloomy Whittingham & Goosnargh was awaiting us on Sunday, we won the toss and elected to bowl on a wet and spongy track. Jamie Hogarth got us off to another good start with an early wicket reminiscent of the one he took on Saturday. Wilson then took two of his own leaving Whittingham 50 for 3. John Steinson and Andy Hogarth then came on a began to create chances, Andy taking three wickets and John was very unlucky not to get a couple himself. A couple of lusty blows helped Whittingham on to 159 all out but this didn’t stop Hothersall grabbing two wickets, Tom Wilcok one and Skeoch claimed a run out at the end.

 Unsworths bad weekend with the bat continued as he was bowled early in BAC’s reply for 4. Jamie Hogarth was given opening duties today and it paid off as he made a steady 54 to help BAC pace their innings. But when he and Skeoch (24) both departed the task looked a little too much and wickets fell very frequently. Once the rate had moved up to more than a run a ball it looked inevitable and Whittingham came away with the victory. The loss left a bit of a downer on the weekend but overall it was a decent performance following on from a very good performance the day before.

 A bit of cricket knowledge to finish, a few of us were discussing the origins of the quote “cow corner” at Whittingham, so here is the answer. Cow corner is so called because few “legitimate” shots are aimed there, so fielders are rarely placed in that corner of the pitch which leads to the concept that cows would happily graze there.

Your in Cricket,

Willow

The home side claimed a fourth win in as many games after posting a competitive 164 all out, no Whittingham batsmen went on to make a big score but a couple of cameos from Patel 1 (33), Patel 2 (27) and Yusuff (36) helped the score tick along. Whittingham did start in a little bit of trouble at 18 for 3 with Hogarth snatching 2 early wickets and the other opener Wilson grabbing a wicket for himself. But the score then began to tick along although wickets did fall at regular, but not regular enough, intervals as McKeever, coming off a wonderful spell against New Longton, picked up 2 wickets, John Steinson (promoting the clubs “youth? Who needs youth?” policy) turned back the years and claimed 3 wickets while Hogarth (Andy) picked up another 2 wickets to finish with 4 for 49.

Makka continues to torment Whittingham, but in vain

BAC made a slow start to the run chase with the ever reliable Unsworth falling for only 6, Hogarth then made 9 to leave BAC 25-2. Skeoch and McKeever then briefly steadied the ship for BAC until Skeoch fell for 19 and the wickets began to follow as BAC stumbled from 66 for 3 to 139 for 9 from their allotted overs. A brief 16 from 13 cameo from young Gaskell was the only resistance from the lower order as they crumbled once McKeever, who made a patient 50, fell to Master. 5 points to BAC and their next game will be against Garstang at home as they look for their 2nd win of the season.

Finally Jonny H, Jamie S and myself are going to organise another 6 a-side tournament for a Sunday in the near future, so if anyone is interested in playing please let one of us know.

Yours in Cricket, Willow

BAC 1^st XI claimed their first win of the season with a 5 wicket victory against New Longton at the Riverside.

Alex Unsworth hit his first half-century of the campaign as the hosts calmly chased down New Longtons 124 all out with 5 wickets in hand and 7 overs to spare.

Unsworth and McKeever put on 54 for the first wicket, with Unsworth going on to make 57, facing 78 balls and hitting 5 fours and a solitary straight six. He has now scored 127 in 3 innings at an average of 42.33.

Captain Jamie Skeoch finished off the innings 24 not out from only 20 balls, his short stay included 3 fours and a six. John McKeever made a patient 17 and Michael Keane managed 10.

Earlier…

Earlier in the day New Longton crashed from 58-2 to 124 all out as the combination of Jamie Hogarth, who returned to the side to pick up 3-50 from 18 overs, and John McKeever, who also recorded a very impressive 4-34 off 13 overs, made sure New Longton couldn’t build on their good start.

Hogarth and McKeever bowled well in tandem to record a combined 7-84, while Wilson notched 2-20 and Gaskell finished off the New Longton innings with a run out to lead BAC into the break with full points before the batters went about knocking the runs off.

Maximum points for BAC 1^st XI and with Whittingham and Goosnargh next week theres a big chance of 2 from 2.

yours in cricket,

Willow

The track was an absolute road, looked like there would be very little for the bowlers in this one, possibly a big scoring day. “Shed Head” Skeoch won the toss and we would be batting, as planned.

Makka and Unzi were the designated openers in this one and got us off to a good start especially against Wilkinson who took 8 wickets the week before thanks to his snakey run up, but our lads had no problem with the wobbly run up and both coasted into the 20’s. But then Unzi was yorked by Simpson (22) and Makka fell to the first change bowler Holden for 26.

With the score at 40 for 2, Skipper and Hollywood Hulk Hogarth entered the fray but both departed soon after for 10 and 15 respectively, then Keany (2), Whelo (4) and Ashwell Prince (Pilks) (6) fell as another middle order collapse left BAC in tatters. Luckily for us Tommy Wilcock and Gazza Gaskell were next in and steadied the ship before unleashing some visually aesthetic shots. Tom-bo placing the ball with pure timing and Mitchell Johnson/Gaskell utilised his power to smash it over the top. By the way, for anyone that didn’t know, James Gaskells real name is actually Kenneth, just thought I’d let the cat out of the bag! These two continued to accelerate the scoring rate until Kenneth fell for 22, a thoroughly entertaining 22 at that. Tommy soon followed for a well made 38, this left Willow and Steinamite at the crease with 2 balls left, only 2 runs were added.

We finished with 157 for 9 off our 45 overs, a good start was made to the innings but we were unable to make best use of a delicious track before being bailed out by Tom and Ken.

With a under par 157 to chase the Longridge openers got off to a shakey start with both Willow and Hogarth coming close, a couple of close LBW shouts and a couple of missed chances gave the openers some luck, luck that the BAC XI have had none of since the start of the season. But Hogi soon did for Simpson, 3^rd time lucky as he was given LBW. A run out of the other opener soon followed thanks to some good work by Pilks. Holgate and Fairclough then steadied the ship and sailed towards the 100 mark when Holgate was caught brilliantly by Safehands Pilkington at long off via an Andy Hogarth delivery. Then Fairclough departed for a speedy 40, caught Hogi bolwed Keany. As Longridge edged closer and closer Tommy Wilcock got a couple of wickets to reduce the visitors to 6 down, one of the wickets was a spekky catch by captain Skeoch but the game had already taken its toll and Longridge cruised to victory by 4 wickets.

Todays moment of the game was Pilkos catch at long on, it was a skier he seemed to miss judge but he leapt backwards and held it brilliantly above his head as he crashed to the ground. He later went out to celebrate his catch but the less said about his Saturday night antics the better! Thaaaaats Magggic!

Man of the match goes to Tom Wilcock, he bowled a tidy spell picking up 2 wickets and hit a cultured 38 with the bat which, with support from Gaskell, helped us to set at least a total.

Overall another disappointing performance with the bat put us up against it but we fought to the end and came away with a point, better than no points at all. New Longton at home next week, massive game! MASSIVE! Unfortunately the weather isn’t looking good at the moment, could be an on and off day.

Yours in Cricket,

Willow

 BAC captain Jamie (Skoochy/Shedders) Skeoch and the home captain Wayne Maddock strolled out to the middle for the toss up which Penwortham won and they decided to bat on what looked a green seamer friendly pitch with overcast conditions.

 Batting first was a bold move and looked a poor decision as Flintoff (Chris) was dropped at gulley 4^th ball. This didn’t prove too costly as openers Jamie and Andy Hogarth got fired up! Both bowling with pace and control when with the score at 12 Jamie struck, Marshall was caught brilliantly by Velcro hands Steinson at point. Hewitt came and went as new boy Hogi (Andy) got him caught behind, then his sibling and partner in crime got Flintoff caught leaving Penwortham 39 for 3 and BAC in the ascendancy. Willow then came on and got a slice of luck as a rank awful ball was nudged straight to Makka-Kahn, the batsmen tried to steal an ill-advised single and paid the price as Jackson was run out. Next man in Whiteman didn’t last too long caught Sesh Prince via a Wilson delivery. Then spinner Tom bo Gahini Wilcock had Aspden caught for top score 21. There was then a slight reprieve as Maddock launched 2 sixes into the lorry park but the re-introduction of The Grunt aka Jamie H dismissed him with the score 94 for 7. 2 runs later Willow did for Sidgreaves bowling him off stump. The potentially dangerous Jariwala was next in and after dispatching a huge straight six was caught LBW via a fiery Grunting delivery. 106 for 9 and number 10 and 11 were in, surely it wouldn’t last too long but after a couple of streaky fours and a couple of well player fours the score sped up to 134 until League Debutant Hogarth got the final wicket of the day bowling Roebuck.

 Limiting the league favourites to 134 on a small ground is no easy feat but thanks to some tidy bowling and brilliant fielding that was the case. Half the job done, but only half.

 The second innings started in terrible fashion with Keano (2), Andy H (4) and Jamie H (0) all departing being caught behind the wicket thanks to Ziggys full out swingers. Skipper Skooch also departed due to a dubious LBW decision leaving BAC 16 for 4. This was soon 25 for 5 as Noshi (Manoj) soon departed after some resilience. This was all going on while Unzy was going about his business at his end, playing some cracking shots and showing some balls with the bat. Makka joined Unzy and this looked to be the partnership we needed as they moved the score towards 50, but as they got relatively comfortable Jariwala came on and trapped Makka infront for 14. Unzy put together another good partnership this time with Tommy Wilcock but again once a little stability had been gained another wicket fell, this time Tom went for a resilient 7. Unzy couldn’t believe his luck, he’d had more partners in the last 3 hours than Tiger Woods in the last 12 months! Pilkington was his next partner and this time it was Unzy who fell, having rode his luck for the last couple of overs he fell for 48. With the score 95 for 8 and our main run scorer gone it was game over, but there was still time for a little comedy as Dave Steinamite Steinson ran himself out and Sesh Prince had a huge laps of concentration and knowledge of the LBW rule as he planted his legs infront of the wickets and asked Jariwala to “hit me”, he duly obliged and that was that 95 all out.

 All the bolwers bowled well with Wilcock taking 1 for 16, Hogarth (Andy) a pacey 2 for 32 and Willow a steady 2 for 29.

 Batting wise there wasn’t much to talk about apart from a couple of gritty displays by Makka (14), Wilcock (7) and Pilko (10).

 A joint man of the match goes to Jamie Hogarth for a fiery spell of 4 for 54 off 16 overs including 6 maidens and Unzy (48) who showed some real janglers while batters were falling left right and centre around him.  

 Longridge at home next week, a chance to bounce back with the bat and post a good total.

 Yours in cricket,

 Willow