Match Report Ramsbottom 1st XI v Formby 1st XI – 23 May 2021
RCC 167 allout (42.3 overs) FCC 29 for 2 (8 overs D/L target 36)
Scorecard here
Sunday saw the first round of the LCF Cup and we entertained a powerful Formby outfit from The Liverpool Competition. Amazingly the threatened rain had not arrived by 1 pm so we were able to make a prompt start, again using the previous day’s wicket. Put in by the opposition captain who had no doubt seen the weather forecast we faced two talented 20-year-old pacemen who had both featured in the Lancashire U19 squad. Scoring again proved difficult and it was soon clear that opening bowlers were going to bowl their allotted overs on the bounce. When they had reached that landmark we had lost 4 wickets with 58 on the board. Of these Simon Hanson had shown glimpse of better form with 20 and our pro Daryn had fallen for an excellent catch for 13.
Jacob Clarke then enlightened the gloom with an aggressive 24 which included two big 6s which damaged both the sightscreen and the windowsill of the Championship room. After he departed at 96 we had what is becoming an all too familiar collapse that left us at 111 for 9 with Kieren Grimshaw, who came in at number 3, still at the wicket. Enter Chris Round. Given the best will in the world Chris is a typical number 11 so hopes were not really high of many more runs being added to the score. Taking notice and advice from Kieren Chris defended his wicket as if his life depended on it, ran well between the wickets and shared in a 56 runs stand taking our score to 167 before Kieren was out for an excellent 59. This was a magnificent effort from both batsmen but Kieren showed a great deal of patience and maturity that allowed us to post a reasonable target.
Even so the odds were still massively in favour of Formby as under LCF Cup rules only 5 overs are needed to constitute a game. With rain threatening Formby needed to be something like 12 with loss from 5 overs to win under Duckworth Lewis rules. So Daryn naturally opened the bowling with himself and Clarkey. After 5 overs they has reached 17 and with rain falling it looked like we were out of it. Then in the 6th over Daryn produced a beauty to bowl Lancashire 2nd team player Turner and it was game on. In the next over another beauty resulting in the other opener, Seward being brilliantly caught by Harry Caton. The jubilation from the Rammy players was evident as they knew that wicket had moved them ahead under Duckworth Lewis method and the rain was on the verge of stopping the game. Only one more over was possible and chasing a target of 36 Formby could only manage 29 before the umpires took the players off. It soon became apparent that the rain would not stop and at 6:30 pm Rammy were declared winners and will be away to Prestwich in the next round. This was deserved change of luck for us and hopefully we can take some inspiration from it as the season progresses.
The amateur Man of Match was Kieren Grimshaw for his brilliant innings which deservedly earned a collection but it would be wrong not to mention Chris Round for the role he played in the victory.
