Its goodbye from him and goodbye from him
Ramsbottom 1st Team v Clitheroe 1st team – (A) 12 September 2021
RCC 132 all out (40.4 overs) CCC 46 all out (23.2 overs)
Scorecard here
Ramsbottom’s topsy turvy season ended on a high note with a comprehensive victory over high flying Clitheroe. The game was won by the departing pair of our legendary professional Daryn and Clarkey who is taking over the role of paid man at Accrington in 2022.
The Rams took first knock on green looking track in overhead conditions that looked in favour of the opposition’s experienced opening attack of Halstead and Sharp. Once again we lost two early wickets bringing Daryn to the crease much earlier than he wanted. None of this seemed to bother Alex Olpin who in a mixture of the orthodox and unothodox decided that running was a waste of time hitting 7 fours in a run a ball 28 before being caught at slip with the score on 41. Daryn set about repairing the innings (something he has become very adept at doing) but a couple of more wickets were quickly lost before Michael Howarth brought some stability to the innings. The pair took the score to 93 before Daryn fell LBW to Halstead. Such was the opposition joy in this dismissal that Jimmy Dewhurst injured himself celebrating and took no further part in the game. A sub fielder was quickly found and the game resumed with the Rams needing the tail to wag to post a decent score. Sam Price, making his seasonal debut, then came in and hit two of the best shots of the game off Halstead before falling to spin. The much improved Jack Thomond then joined Mickey and the pair helped us reach 129 before Jack fell to a boundary catch. Only 3 more runs were added but a total of 132 was felt to be a fairly challenging target by the discerning Rammy supporters. How right they proved to be.
The Clitheroe opener Lord can take a game from you in no time so is was a great start for us when Clarkey got him off the 4th ball of his first over well held on the deep mid off boundary by Jack. More joy followed when Daryn trapped Ross in front with the opposition still to score. Clitheroe sub pro Richard Levi and Mulligan set about repairing the damage but after surviving a much easier chance Mulligan was brilliantly caught at slip by Daryn. Two balls later Charlie Dewhurst was LBW to Clarkey and O’Connor had only scored 1 when he fell to a catch at gully by the Bird. After showing his potential to punish the bad ball Levi had reached 20 when he chased one outside the off stump and was well taken at slip by Grimmy, presenting Clarkey with his 5th wicket and deserved collection. Clitheroe were completely devastated and skippy Dibb soon followed his team mates to the pavilion thanks to a magnificent stumping by Harry off Daryn. Lemon followed soon after LBW and it was left to former Rammy player Sam Halstead and Sharp to save further embarrassment for the home side. To his credit Sam did score 15 before being caught behind giving Clarkey is 6th victim and with Jimmy Dewhurst unable to bat it was game over.
It was tremendous and somewhat fitting that Daryn and Clarkey, both playing in what should officially be their last game for the club, made such an important contributions to this victory.
Amateur Man of the Match Jacob Clarke for is 6 for 21.
