Masham v Leyburn

Match Report/Information

Sportsmanship: 10
Man of the Match: top scorer Stuart Dawson

After cherry-chasing with ten men at Richmond last week, Masham elected to play with a full deck at home to Leyburn, welcoming in-form Adam Smith from the first team for his 2013 Wensleydale debut. Captain Sturdy won the toss and sent Tomlin and Smith out to open the innings. Desperate to spend his evening with club chairman and self-styled best bowler Masham's ever had, Alan Sturdy, Adam Smith chipped up a dolly to give Gav Hardisty his only wicket of the evening. But what a scalp! Particularly as it brought overseas walking wicket Scott Williams to the crease. Masham were potentially in a bit of a pickle. After another humiliating week for Australian sport that saw another Lions victory and a club cricketer who turned out for Somerset helping himself to 130 runs from Australia's test bowlers, what could the Portland paceman do with the bat this week?

Meantime, Tomlin was looking in good nick, the Masham microniser steering the ball here, smashing the ball there soon racked-up his unbeaten 50 and in running a few threes due to a slow outfield and his newly oiled bat that sounded like a piece of reclaimed school desk, pushed Williams to the limit of his endurance; with sweat pouring from our antipodean (apparently unused to such warm conditions!) Clarkson bowled a straight one to castle him for a handy 36. A glimmer of hope for Australian sport?

Chris Smith weighed-in with another useful and unbeaten 24 showing solid defence of Leyburn's probing seam attack. With the overs ticking by the hard work of Tomlin and Williams earlier in the innings was in danger of being undone. Williams' departure had brought skipper Sturdy to the crease but try as he might to repeat his epic Saturday form, he swished about like a giant fly-swatting machine. Unable to hit any giant flies or even the ball, eight dots at a cruicial point in the innings were followed by another naggingly accurate delivery from Clarkson to find middle stump, ushering a collective sigh of relief from both the expectant crowd and Sturdy alike. Jez Smith finished the innings with Chris Smith but just 29 runs were scored from the last five overs. Would this prove Masham's undoing?

Chasing 140 you'd never write-off Leyburn. Memories of Burnett smashing 120 not out a few years ago are still etched in the minds of many of the Masham players and Yates can hit the odd ball a long way too. Sturdy turned to his junior seam attack from the Millgate end and Broadley put last week's ghosts to bed. Too quick. Even with an old ball and a slow pitch. Meanwhile at the other end, glass-back Smart was making a return to bowling after sitting out most of June. His first ball reflected this and Burnett charitably refrained from smashing it into the tennis courts. If the first ball was ordinary, the second was out of this world; swing, a little movement from the seam, Burnett completely baffled and in playing to mid-wicket sent a thick edge to McCleod at point. Something like that, anyway.

Metcalfe came and went next ball and Masham's field closed in for the uneventful hattrick ball. At least it was straight. Smart struck again in the third over leaving Leyburn on 16-3 bringing Yates into the action. A brief innings was ended with a fine catch at backward point by junior Dan Paddison from a Broadley a delivery that beat Yates for pace and bounce. Enter Paddison to the bowling attack, who continues to impress, dismissing Kev Dawson for just a handful with a rather sharp delivery which hit top of middle! Pickard and Paddison bowled well as a pair and with a little more concentration in the field, Smart might have taken a difficult chance off Pickard's bowling, in trying to negotiate the not inconsiderable obstruction that was Bodge umpiring at point. S Dawson and Stephenson put on 42 to guide Leyburn to 110 from their 20 overs.

Thanks again to AB for scoring. And well done Aussie! You'll be getting an internation