Report:

The 25^th of August saw St Annes visit the Riverside for what would be a tough game for BAC. Fortunately  for us Dougie Hothersall and Stu Pilks had returned to the fray but Hollinhurst was still away, now at a sausage making convention in Dusseldorf. However the home side looked to be one of the strongest of the season with slugger Ed-mile Heskey, the cultured right hander Isherwood and young James Gaskell hitting his straps with the ball.

The overhead conditions were bleak and the pitch soggy with little chance of it really improving throughout the day, but for all that it still seemed to play well with only the odd one keeping low. 

After debate between captains Wilson and Hothersall as to what to do if the toss was won we decided it would be best to bat with the chance of the wicket maybe doing a little bit more later in the day. So Wilson wandered out to the middle with the St Annes captain who called heads. It landed a tail and BAC were to bat first.

Usual openers Doug and Sesh Prince walked out to the middle and looked to do their usual thing as Hothersall attacked and Pilkington took a more confined back seat role. The opening bowlers pitched the ball short to Dougie who crashed it towards mid-wicket who could only put it down, a life for the teams highest run scorer? A similar ball followed and Dougie decided to put this one over the top for four. An over later the other opener thought it’d be a good idea to dig one in against Jonny who pummelled mid-wicket again, who this time didn’t make any mistake and held the catch.

Steinson came to the crease and played in his usual swashbuckling style, looking to hit over the top and score at a quick rate. All this was going on while Pilks was quietly going about his business at the other end picking up ones and twos here and there until he over balanced and was stumped, for 12, with the young leg spinner beating him in the flight. Isherwood was next in who, after a slow start, began to put the ball to the boundary in a visually pleasing manner. Eddie cruised to 34 then in a moment of utter madness turned back for a second run and was left stranded half way down the track.

Co-captain Wilson no joined Isherwood with a bit of rebuilding to do with the scores 65-3. Willow did as he does and blocked and blocked while Ish launched the young leggie for two lusty straight fours before being stumped going for a third on 18. At 77-4 Wilson and Gaskell had to consolidate for a while but Gazza didn’t last long getting caught at cover (3), then in and out went Salisbury for 0 edging behind and Scotty Hamill followed suit for 3. Cammy came to the crease to join Wilson and stuck around for a while as they both picked up ones and twos here and there to take the score past 105. Cammy moved on to 8 when he dispatched the left arm spinner for four then got a little giddy and was stumped dancing down the track attempting a cowboy shot. Wilson was now closing in on John Terry’s amount of partners as Nathan George strode out to meet him. Wilson tried to keep as much of the strike as possible until he fell to the left handed spinner sneaking one around his legs onto leg stump for a patient 19. Jack Wilson was the last man in and the innings didn’t last much longer finishing on nelson, 111.

We knew we would have to bowl well to get anything out of this game after once again batters were unable to apply themselves at the crease and didn’t assess the situation correctly. Cam and Gaskell opened the bowling and both bowled well early on, keeping it tight. A chance then fell to Pilks standing up behind the stumps, a thick edge off Gaskell was put down but by any ones standards it was a tough chance and one we didn’t rue for too long as Kenny beat the batter for pace and snuck one through bat and pad to hit middle stump. Both bowlers finished their fine 6 over spells and were replaced by Isherwood and Willow. Ish bowled with blisteringly slow pace but kept the runs down and Willow was bowling his cutters and spinners at the other end. 3 balls into his spell Wilson got a little edge off the batter through to Pilks who this time didn’t make any mistake snaffling the catch behind the stumps.

Hothersall replaced Ish after his 5 overs and took a wicket early doors beating the bat and clattering the stumps. But this was the last wicket BAC would get, chances came and went although none to hand as each batter played aerially but managed to keep it either side of the fielders. St Annes coasted past the 111 target with only the 3 wickets down and took 12 points out of the game. 

Not many brilliant individual performances today, only really Eddie (35) made an impact with the bat with some resistance coming from Ish (18), Stu (12) and Willow (19). Cam and Gaskell both bowled well especially Gaskell only going for 14 in 8 overs and picking up a wicket on his way.

So a bit of a subdued day and another humbling to a Northern League side. Next week we travel to Withnell Fold who sit 8^th in the league of 12. So it’s very much a must win game for the team and a better performance will be needed especially in a batting respect.

Ahoj,

Wilson