Match Report Ramsbottom 1st XI V Darwen 1st XI – 15 May 2022
RCC 185 all out (49.4 overs) DCC 186 for 5 (48.4 overs)
Scorecard here and recording of live stream here
Architects of our own downfall
Winning the toss and batting on another wicket that looked full of runs the Rams once again failed to get the start they needed and both openers were back in the pavilion with the score on 22.
This left our skipper Grimmy and pro Sen at the wicket. What followed for the next few overs was total domination of the Darwen bowling. Runs flowed freely and we could visualise a score well in excess of 200 being posted. With the score on 89 and loads of overs in the shed things changed dramatically. The Darwen professional Siddeth Lad bowled a shocking half tracker to Grimmy who could have put it anywhere on the ground. Somehow he only managed to scoop it up into the hands of gully. He was raging with himself as he had been so much in control of the bowling.Brad then came to wicket and we all hopped he could end his rough spell with the bat. Sadly he had only made 7 when he dollied a full toss into the arms of mid on. Worse was to follow when Sen, having just reached his half century and looking in no trouble at all completely mistimed another shocking half tracker off Cordingley and holed out on the midwicket boundary.
When Charlie Hamilton fell to another soft dismissal it looked like another batting collapse was imminent. However the inform Harry Caton, ably backed up by Jake Walker and Owen Collinge saw us into the 180s until two daft run outs handed the bowling points to the opposition.
A score of 185 on such a good wicket was well short of what should have been posted. The Darwen bowling, with the exception of Bowden, was nothing out of the ordinary and they must have found it hard to believe that they had bowled us out. I know bad balls get wickets even at the highest level but it is rare that you see it four times in one innings.
Our bowlers tried manfully to contain Darwen but you know it is not your day when Owen Collinge had to come off injured after 2 overs and then Dan Pyke had to pull up after one delivery in his second spell. Sen bowled particularly well and was rewarded with 3 wickets and Josh also put in a good spell. Our fielding was way below the standard of the previous weekend with exception of Harry Caton who continues to show us what a good keeper he is with another two fine stumpings.
This was a mystifying and frustrating game to me. Both Grimmy and Sen, on another 9 times out of 10 would have smashed the deliveries they were out to either to the fence or over it and we could have posted a score in the region of 250 which would have completely changed the whole outlook of the game.
Some of our lads need to take a good look at themselves and realise they have got to show a lot more than we have seen so far.
Amateur Man of the Match – Harry Caton for his good knock and excellent glove work but it was nice to see Jake Walker showing what he is capable of with the bat.
