Westgate Cricket Club Quiz 2
T V Adverts
1 Which footballer was ‘worth it’? David Ginola
2 Which building society fell foul of Equity for using its own employees in an advert? Halifax Building Society
3 Which supermarket chain employs the Naked Chef? Sainsbury’s
4 Who was the first voice of the PG Tips Chimps? Peter Sellers
5 Who was the first artist to appear in a Pepsi Advert? Michael Jackson
Musical Greats
1 Who wrote ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’? Rodgers & Hammerstein
2 Which Beatles hit stayed in the UK Top 50 for 33 weeks in 1963? She Loves You
3 What was Sam Cooke’s real name? Samuel (Sam) Cook
4 What was the chief of the Diddymen’s only UK No. 1? Tears
5 What was the first song to be Christmas No. 1 in two different versions? Marys Boy Child
Euro Tour
1 Bornholm is an island in which sea? Baltic Sea
2 Which two Italian Volcanoes erupted in 1994? Etna & Stromboli
3 What is the highest waterfall in Europe? Either Mongefossen or Ormelifossen
4 What is the largest island in Europe? Great Britain
5 Which capital is furthest North, Budapest or Vienna? Vienna
Famous Names
1 Which fictional Dan first put in an appearance in 1937? Desperate Dan
2 Which famous names expressed they used the same toothpaste in 2001? George W Bush & Tony Blair
3 Who invented Scrabble? Alfred Butts
4 Who was the first person to hit a golf ball on the moon? Alan Shepherd
5 Which two Goons had the same birthday? Harry Secombe & Peter Sellers
Quotes-Sporting remarks. Who said it?
1 The lead car is absolutely unique, apart from the car behind which is identical. Murray Walker
2 I’m not the next Anna Kournikova, I want to win matches. Maria Sharapova
3 The decathlon is nine Mickey Mouse events and the 1500 metres. Steve Ovett
4 As we went out on the pitch he handed me a piece of paper, it was the evening menu for the Liverpool Royal Infirmary. Jimmy Greaves remembers which legendary hard man? Tommy Smith
5 Isn’t it nice, the wife of the Cambridge president kissing the Cox of the Oxford crew? Harry Carpenter
Name the Product
1 Toffee Crisp
2 Drifter
3 Lion Bar
Name the brand Associated with each dog
1 Dulux
2 Hush Puppies
3 Andrex
4 Ceaser
Name the Mr Kipling Cakes
1 Cherry Bakewell
2 Viennese Whirl
3 French Fancy
4Battenburg
Name the Flavour of Walkers Crisps
1 Prawn Cocktail
2 Roast Chicken
3 Smokey Bacon
4 Steak & Onion
Midweek Report
Westgate’s midweek side enjoyed a very successful season in 2009 as they won all three competitions in which they entered. The team led by Andy Hill had a good mix of lads under the age of 16, emerging second team players and also a handful of those who chose not to turn out at the weekend.
The season began in the worst possible fashion, with a defeat in the very first game against a strong Fire Station side, whom would prove to be Westgate’s main challengers for the Division 1 title come the end of the season. From then onwards however the team went from strength to strength, in particular in the knock out cup; the midweek league premier cup competition.
The success of the team was built primarily on the bowling attack, which comprised of all the side’s younger members. Jack Friel (9 wickets) opened the bowling against the better batters in the division and throughout the season improved immensely, in particular with his line and length. Chris Carter (8 wickets) and Nathan Watts (8 wickets) also showed great promise during the season and backed up Friel’s impressive opening spells.
The top wicket taker for the team was shared between midweek specialist Matt Hill (ave: 13.44) and second team pro Zak Buchanan (ave: 10.22) who both took an impressive 18 wickets in the year, with Buchanan taking the top bowler tag with the superior average. Hill teased the batsmen with his flight, guile and turn, while Buchanan’s metronomic line and length was at times too good.
In the runs department Buchanan (136) also made big strides this season, however the majority of runs came from the ever present Aaron Pearce (259, ave 21.58), inspirational vice-captain Dave Murphy (176, ave 22), captain Andy Hill (293, aver 73.25) and ringer Chris Williams (277, ave 46.17). The most memorable batting display of the season however belongs to 13 year old Matthew Hannigan who scored his maiden half century off just 43 balls, in the process guiding his side to victory in the closely fought league game against Power Squad.
One of the other notable performances included 13 year old Craig Buchanan’s man of the match display taking 3 wickets for just 2 runs against Watney Cosmos in the Division 1 cup final. Also Jockey Wilson rolled back the years taking 5 for 12 in one of his three appearances, and Dave Hughes smashing 169 runs as a cup specialist in his five appearances.
Having won 14 games, drawn one and lost one and been promoted as champions from Division 1, the season finished at Morecambe cricket club with Westgate winning the two cup competitions they had entered (knock out and Div 1) on finals day. A total of five regulars were missing this day, including the captain Andy Hill, due to the clash with the under 24 competition, however Peter Wilson was an able deputy, guiding the team to two comfortable wins against Watney Cosmos (knock out) and Manor Inn (Div 1), including his own man of the match trophy in the Div 1 final.
The team and players are very thankful for the support they received during the year to help run the side. Andrew Wilson (Umpire), Ann Hannigan (scorer) and Chris Hill (Organiser) gave their time to help the players enjoy the season.
West End Dental Laboratory U24 Cup Final
Westgate Sandstorm 155-5
Netherfield Rookies 116 a.o.
Due to the poor weather on recent Sundays, this was the fourth time that these two teams were due to meet in the Westmorland Cricket League Under 24 Final, on what turned out to be a glorious day. The game also had to be played at Netherfield as no neutral venue was available.
The first decision of the day fell to the Rookies skipper Rob Lambert, who oddly decided to bowl first on what appeared a very decent batting track. However opening bowlers Nathan Chambers (0-24) and Danny Davidson (3-32) both bowled excellent opening spells as the Sandstorm innings got off to a slow but steady start. Chris Ibbotson (18) and Khan Puffett (15) both looked set for big scores but perished when set on a track that kept surprisingly low. Tight spells by Marcus Hill (0-9) and Shane Dixon (0-15) left Sandstorm with 56-1 after 27 overs. Acceleration was needed and was initially applied by Puffett, but it was a crisp and powerful innings by the big hitting Mark Beaumont (26) that really set the ball rolling for the Sandstorm. Captain Andrew Hill (58 not out) by this time had also began to find his feet as 99 runs were added in just 13 overs with Hill running the fielders ragged and finding some great assistance from the incoming batsmen. With Beaumont at the crease 49 were added in just 7 overs, but runs continued to flow even with Beaumont gone as Hill produced a magnificent innings to take every run available while taking advantage of some loose bowling. Netherfield did also not help their own cause gifting 29 in extras including 15 wides. This late shift in momentum was carried through into the second innings as the Sandstorm were very happy with their efforts.
In response the Netherfield innings got off to a stuttering start as Adam Dyson (2-20) and Mark Clarkson (0-14) gave absolutely nothing away. The pressure told on the usually free scoring Shane Dixon (17) as he succumbed yet again to the metronomic Zak Buchanan (2-29), and with Baker cleaned up by Jonty Hill (1-26) the Rookies found themselves at 39-4. Sands Storm were not to loosen their grip on the match however as they produced a magnificent fielding display with two great run outs and a match to be remembered for the fantastic wicket keeping display of Graeme Beaumont, who was involved in one of the run outs as well as a rapid stumping off Buchanan and an under-edge catch off Andrew Hill. Stuart Dixon (29), Nathan Chambers (13) and Danny Davidson (20 not out) all produced some lovely straight hitting but with Andrew Hill (3-29) completing a fine personal display, including man of the match and the returning Adam Dyson taking the last wicket the Rookies were dismissed for 116, well short of their target.
Westmoreland Cricket League Div 1
Warton 151 for 9 Westgate 117 for 8
Rain Draw 6 points each
After the downpours of recent days Westgate entertained Warton in 1 of the few fixtures to be played on Saturday. With a large crowd in attendance Warton elected to bat but after 2 balls the players were retreating to the pavilion, 45 mins were lost to the rain resulting in the loss of 10 overs. On their return Simon Gould (40) & Ricky Nelson (39) put Warton in a good position at 82 for 2 off 24 overs. The introduction of the elder Wilson, Andrew (4 for 47) and brother Peter ( 4 for 51) finding the right length combined to reduce them to 121 for 6 off 40 overs. A fling from Matt Poole enabled the visitors to post a below par score, but with Westgates reply reduced by 10 overs the total was to be testing.
In reply 30 for 0 off 10 overs became 47 for 0 off 20 overs with Graeme Crowther applying the brakes and increasing the asking rate to 7 an over. Peter Wilson 36 and Rodger Hill 17 then departed to bring the big hitting pair of Danny Wilkinson 25 and Dave Lord 15 into the fray. They took the score to 102 for 4 and with 5 overs left all the fielders were on the boundary, Warton were determined to get a draw. The tactics worked as wickets fell to Crowther 4 for 40 and James Rafferty 3 for 56, Westgate had to settle for a draw with their score well above the Warton total at the same overs. The rain spoilt a good finish but all is still to play for next week.
Match ball Sponsors SWS UK
Sat 29th August Westgate 187-3 dec Kirkby Lonsdale 113 ao
Put into bat at the sodden but picturesque Lunefield Park the Westgate openers Rodger Hill and Peter Wilson got the visitors off to a rapid start putting on 136 in 26 overs as both players went past the 50 mark. Peter scored 55 with 1 6 and 5 fours before departing to Henry Wilman. Rodger continued to his maiden century off 120 balls with 3 6's and 10 4's before skipper Nigel Parkinson called a halt to proceedings declaring after 35 overs with a testing total of 187 for 3.
Replying all the home batsmen made a start Spencer Storey making 18 before falling to Andy Hill and with Phil Pease(31) at the crease the total reached a 100 a home win was a possible. Peter Wilson had other ideas and after switching ends claimed 6 for 13 giving him a final analysis of 7 for 33. Kirkbys last wicket fell at 113 with the rain beginning to fall gaving defending champions a 15 point win.
Monday 31st August Westgate 209 for 6 dec Arnside 38 for 3 RSP
Batting first the Westgate openers again entertained putting on 80 inside 22 overs before the on fire Rodger Hill was run out for a classy 41. David Lord with a run a ball 24 & Danny Wilkinson a brutal 33. Scored off 11 balls taking 5 to get his eye in. These both kept the in form Peter Wilson company as he brought up his first century of the season hitting 17 boundaries & completing 100 off 121 balls with his last 50 at a run a ball. Chris Howsley with 3 for 46 was the pick of the visitors bowling attack. With the score 209 for 6 after 40 overs skipper Nigel Parkinson declared for the 4th successive match. Replying Wilkinson removed Nobby by veteran Andrew Wilson taking a brilliant catch. Dave Barber & Adam Richardson took the score to 37 before Peter Wilson claimed 2 wickets in his first over before the threatening rain arrived & washed out proceeding. Both sides claiming 6 points.
Match ball sponsor Allan Garrick.
29th August 2009
Westgate A 75-10 Ambleside 41-10
Win – 15 points
Cross Hill Park looked in excellent condition for these two mid table teams. Invited to bat first on a low bouncing, slow, dry wicket, Westgate made a promising start reaching 34-1 in the 12th over before Steve Horne (18) succumbed to old age and had to retire injured after ambling for an easy single off the effervescent K Leary (3-30). With Ambleside’s continually improving opening bowler B Wileman (2-5) out of the attack, the returning Younis Suleman attacked and effortlessly reached 34 before being run out taking a unnecessary risky run. This prompted the disappointingly consistent middle and lower order collapse and R Dean (4-2) cashed in with a good spell of straight bowling to end Westgate’s innings for 75.
Buoyed by last weeks demolition of Coniston, Westgate’s opening pair of Saed Patel (2-19) and Rob Shillitoe set off to defend the lucky number of 75 for the second week running. After an early breakthrough from Patel and a rain break, the game was turned in Westgate’s favour with a devastating spell from Shillitoe. Ambleside collapsed to 12-6 as 5 wickets fell in quick succession as the strike bowler, bowling a nagging length and accuracy clean bowled five of the Cumbrians top order. P Johnson (18no) tried to consolidate but wickets kept falling to Shillitoe and the vice-captain had a place on the Westgate honours board in his grasp. At 38-9 the writing was on the ball for the visitors. However Shillitoe became the 5th second teamer this season to narrowly miss out on the honours board as Patel took the last wicket as Ambleside folded to 41 all out. Shillitoe finished with career best figures of 8 for 11 off 13 overs.
Westgate 199-9d Burneside 99a.o.
Westgate continued their surge up the table with another impressive performance against Burneside at Cross Hill Park on Saturday. The sides were not separated by many points at the start of play, but the gulf in class on the day ensured that Westgate moved above their opponents and kept up the pressure on the sides above them with four games to go.
Having won the toss Westgate skipper Nigel Parkinson again decided to bat first. Another top notch performance from Peter Wilson (91) held the innings together, as he appears to have found prime form with the bat at just the right time. He added a magnificent 80 with the fluent Dave Lord (39), who contributed two towering sixes during his aggressive innings, as he showed particular distain to the spinners. Wilson was soon joined by Danny Wilkinson and then the real turmoil began. Wilkinson smashed four big sixes in his 18 ball innings, yet he still managed to conjure up 37 chanceless runs, as 56 runs were added in 6 overs. Oates (0-67) and Airey (3-48) took the most damage despite both bowling decent spells. With Wilkinson gone Peter Wilson continued on his way with his brilliant knock which included ten fours, and he selflessly gave his wicket away in the search for fast runs as he fell just short of a deserved century when he fell for 91 off 114 balls in the 41st over, allowing Parkinson to declare with four overs to go.
Burneside themselves got off to a decent start with Stephen Cooper (17) and Hempsall (12) adding 30 for the first wicket with few problems. As with the previous week however it was the introduction of the outstanding Mark Lightfoot (4-25) which saw the demise of the away side’s top order. This time he was supported by some brilliant catching by the fielders, including a stunning catch of his own to dismiss Batty. Once the openers had gone only Paul Wilson (18) looked at ease at the crease as they failed to make use of the track and lightning outfield. Peter Wilson (3-9) came on to wrap up the tail and complete another memorable personal performance. All ten wickets fell for just 69 runs and Westgate now go into bank holiday weekend knowing they are still well and truly in the title race.
Match Ball Sponsor: SWS UK
22ND August 2009
Westgate A 75-10 Coniston 73-10
Win – 15 points
The seconds embarked upon the long journey to the scenic Coniston ground with an eclectic mix of youth and experience. Overlooked by the Old Man of Coniston, the ground is a perfect setting for a village cricket match; however it was the Old Man of Westgate who would have the final say in an enthralling game.
Westgate lost the toss and were put into bat on a wicket which was more suitable for planting cabbages than setting a large total, after a weeks worth of Lake District rain. In the knowledge that every run would be crucial, Westgate got off to a sprightly start with Gaz Tattersall (27) punishing any loose bad balls with boundaries. The two Coniston bowlers, M Fryer (5-45) and J Morgan ( 4-28) steamed in off long runs up’s only for the wicket to take the sting out of their accurate fast bowling but were aided by some generous decisions as most Westgate batters got starts before being out. Nathan Watts (11) hit some lusty blows, and Phil Webster (9) and a six and out cameo from Liam Pearce ensured Westgate were able to set a respectable target.
Having done his maths homework, skipper Shillitoe fired up his fielders knowing that Coniston’s average score bating second was only 80. In an innings where cricket clichés came true, the home side got off to a steady start on a wicket, which despite the huge chunks ripped out the ball, played low and true throughout. After a couple of early wickets, Coniston consolidated and it required all rounder Gaz Tattersall (3-13) to make two crucial breakthroughs including the skipper J Coward caught in the covers by Chris Hill. A magnificent catch in the deep from Nathan Watts off Saed Patel (4-41) ensured the wickets kept falling regularly. Something marvellous happened straight after the drinks interval with Chris Cape taking his second stunning catch of the day in the gully. The home side were edging closer to a victory that would ease their relegation fears and needed 9 runs with 4 wickets still in hand. Rob Shillitoe ( 3-18) brought himself back on and had M Spicer (18) caught by Patel. Two further wickets fell to Patel and Shillitoe and to leave the last Coniston pair needing 4 to win. It was to prove that catches really do win matches with Patel picking up the last wicket when Chris Hill rolled back the years sprinting in from cover to take the catch that would win the game for Westgate by two runs.
Westgate 152-4d Windermere 93 a.o.
Westgate continued their fine recent form with another magnificent team performance against a spirited Windermere side. Talisman Peter Wilson has been threatening a big score for some time and Saturday saw him carry his bat in a fine innings after skipper Nigel Parkinson bravely decided to bat first having won the toss. 82 was added for the first wicket between Wilson and the classy Rodger Hill (33), which on a drier day would have been worth a great deal more as many shots pulled up just inches short of the boundary. Once Hill departed Wilson continued his graceful innings reaching his 50 off 86 balls. The score reached 110-3 with Steven Carruthers (2-49) and James Crawford (2-54) both maintaining decent rhythm. Westgate got to their total thanks to some acceleration in the later part of the innings from Wilson and the introduction of the hare Andrew Hill (22) as the pair added a run a ball 39 for the fourth wicket. From start to finish Wilson pulled the strings however and finished with a season best 74 not out as Westgate declared after the 39th of the allotted 40 overs.
Windermere got off to a terrible start as opening bowler Andrew Hill (1-20) removed James Crawford for a golden duck. After this early dismissal Sam Fletcher (59) produced a truly memorable innings as he took the attack to all the Westgate bowlers. At times it appeared he was batting on a different track to his team mates as he received no support in his quest for victory. His innings included 6 fours and 1 six before he was dismissed by an outstanding reaction caught and bowled by Mark Lightfoot with the score on 89-6. The turmoil surrounding Fletcher was instigated by first change bowler Mark Lightfoot (5-29) who, having been expensive early on soon began to turn the game on its head in favour of Westgate. Bowling straight and full and moving it both ways he cleaned bowled two and had another two LBWs to claim his first five-for for the Westgate first team. Danny Wilkinson (4-16) also returned to form as he also clean bowled all four of his dismissals. The result sets up an enthralling finish for the title race.
Match Ball Sponsor: Mark Bell Electricals
Over Sands Travel Trophy Final
Westgate 177-6 Shireshead 138-8
A rejuvenated Westgate stormed to victory in the Over Sands Travel Trophy Final on Sunday at Milnthorpe cricket club. Having lost the toss and surprisingly being asked to bat first Westgate’s innings got off to a flying start as Peter Wilson (35) and Rodger Hill (10) smashed 53 inside 8 overs as anything loose was put away. Alan Mousldale (1-24) and Phillip Oliver (4-25) bowled well for Shireshead and applied the brakes removing both openers in the process. This only brought together Dave Lord (42) and Andrew Hill (43) who terrorised the opposition with their lightning fast running between the stumps, as the pair added a chanceless 89 inside 15 overs. The duo also latched onto anything loose and Westgate were soon in a strong position with the big hitters Danny Wilkinson (13) and Dave Murphy (9 not out) adding some fireworks as the end.
The score always look a strong one but Westgate were to be wary of some of Shireshead’s class batsmen who, if clicked could attain the target facing them. However Westgate kept it tight early on and applied some pressure in the field as Mark Lightfoot (1-18) bowled a fantastic spell. Tom Jacques (21) and Phil Oliver (32) came together with the score at 28-2 in the 9th over knowing that some acceleration was required after Lightfoot and Peter Wilson’s (1-20) early spells. This acceleration never really materialised although Oliver did begin to look dangerous in his innings after smashing a few hefty blows. Westgate were however always on top, and Andrew Hill (2-35) claimed both prize wickets of Oliver bowled and Jacques LBW as Shireshead’s chances of winnings slipped away. Danny Wilkinson (1-24) and Garry Tattersall (1-34) also performed well and were backed up by some superb fielding. Ray Riley (32 not out) and Paul Yates (16) battled hard but just found the asking rate too much as Westgate cantered home by 39 runs with Andrew Hill taking home the man of the match trophy.
2nd August 2009 – Milnthorpe Taxi Services Trophy Cup Final
Sedgwick 126-9 Westgate A 127-9
Westgate A - Milnthorpe Taxi Services Trophy Winners!
Undeterred by the narrowest of defeats the day before, Westgate A faced Sedgwick in the 30/30 final of the Division Two Cup at Burneside’s expansive ground. The game between these two evenly matched teams tuned out to be an exciting, enthralling game that will last long in the memories of players and spectators.
Electing to bat first Sedgwick got off to steady start hitting any loose delivery to the boundary. At the half way stage of the innings they were in a good position at 60-2. True to the adage that something always happens after drinks, S Desai ( 2-21) got his reward for a great spell of bowling by removing danger man A Hornby for 29. With S Patel ( 1-26) bowling with accuracy at the other end the Sedgwick batsmen maintained a scoring rate around 4 an over. J Dalzell ( 25) unleashed some huge hits including a straight six into the bonnet of a parked BMW. Just as he looked to be threatening a big score for Sedgwick , he fell to Zak Buchanan as S Patel took a hugely important catch. Shillitoe (1-22) trapped yesterday’s hero A Matthews and then Buchanan decimated the Sedgwick lower order to finish with an amazing 5 for 37.
Looking to be positive from the start, Westgate looked to chase down their achievable target. After the removal of Gani and Puffett, Mo Patel (21) and D Hannigan ( 41) put together a 3rd wicket partnership of 50. Always in touch with the required rate, Westgate seemed to be in control of their destiny. When Patel was out unluckily to N Dalzell (3-18), Sedgwick fought their way back into the game with M Freeman (3-25) taking three quick wickets including the crucial wicket of Hannigan. With the score at 94-6 in the 23rd over with the run rate was now creeping up towards a run a ball. Cup specialist A Wilson (17 no) seized the moment and ensured Westgate were still in with a sniff despite the loss of 3 more partners.
With 3 overs remaining, Westgate required 19 runs with the last pair of Z Buchanan (5no) and A Wilson at the wicket. Some bruising blows from Wilson and clever running left Westgate needing 4 off the last over. Two dot balls from J Dalzell (0-18) increased the tension in the Westgate camp. 3 runs for Wilson off the next two balls left the scores tied. A wicket for Sedgwick would give them the win, one run and the cup would be Westgate’s. Buchanan was now facing. The 5th ball was a dot ball and on the 6th ball, Buchanan pushed the ball into the covers. Scampering like Usain Bolt from the non strikers end Wilson was safe, the Sedgwick fielder threw and missed at the bowler’s end, giving Westgate victory.
Man of the Match – Zak Buchannan
1st August 2009
Westgate A 150-9
Sedgwick 151-9
Lost – 3 points
The seconds headed to the picturesque Sedgwick ground hopeful of picking up points to consolidate their top half position in the table.
Put into bat on green but dry wicket, A Hornby (2-16) picked up the wickets of both openers and Westgate looked in trouble at 8-2. Mo Patel (35) led the fight back with plenty of boundaries. Ably assisted by the more watchful G Tattersall (28) the third wicket partnership took the score to 70 before Patel was bowled by M Freeman ( 2-21). The Dalzell pairing then looked to turn the screw and wickets fell at regular intervals as the middle order batsmen all got starts but were unable to push on further leaving Westgate at 118-8. A final flurry from R Shillitoe (15no) saw out the remaining over’s to finish the innings at a respectable 150-9.
Westgate’s bowlers got off to a great start with Shillitoe ( 3-33) and S Gani ( 1-29) getting the ball to swing greater than a sixties suburban party, and two wickets, including the important wicket of N Dalzell (30), after the drinks interval from Z Buchannan ( 2-45) pegged Sedgwick to 67-6. The withdrawal of Shillitoe after a 16 over spell saw Sedgwick change to a more attacking mode and M Bracken ( 52) drove superbly to keep Sedgwick in the hunt. When he was out to a fast piece of glove work from A Pearce off Patel ( 2-39), Sedgwick still needed 23 to win from the final 4 over’s with only 2 wickets left. Some powerful blows from A Matthews ( 19 no) saw Sedgwick home with only 3 balls left in a tense climax.
Westgate 128-9 (15pts) v Silverdale 91 ao (1pt)
After recent downpours this game surprisingly stated on time on a slow wicket offering assistance to the bowlers. Westgate inserted got off to a slow but steady start. Once Chris Williams had been removed from the attack Johnny Mason 3 for 64 & Phil Moffat 5 for 46 started to make inroads into the batting line up, 36 for 3 after 27 overs became 85 for 3 after 33 overs. Danny Wilkinson 48 off 46 balls & Dave Lord 21 off 20 balls set about the bowling. With their departures runs again dried up & the target set looked below par.
With a weakened batting line up the visitors got off to a dreadful start when Williams was bowled to bowl that had everyone talking. Andy Hill also removed Mike Webster & Mason returning figures of 3 for 35. At 51 for 2 skipper Nigel Parkinson brought on Peter Wilson from the lane end & he then demolished the visiting batting line up claiming 6 for 7 and a win for the home side. Wilson has now bagged 57 wickets for the season to date.
Match Ball Sponsors - West End Dental Laboratory
Westgate A 156 a.o Galgate 118 for 9
Westmoreland League Div 2
Batting 1st Westgate were indebted to youngsters Khan Puffett (49) and Aaron Pearce (32) who recovered a poor start and at 121 for 4 after 32 overs were looking for a big total. Fine bowling by Nigel Cunliffe (4-29) and Dave Brighouse (3-23) kept the home team in check as only old hand Alan Horne (18no) made a respectable total possible.
After a steady start aided by butter finger the introduction of Saeed Patel (5-37) left Galgate at 85 for 8 with 12 overs remaining, Cunliffe had top scored with 28. a rearguard action by Tom Wilkinson (21no) enabled Galgate to escape with 2 points to the hosts 10 points
Match ball Sponsor Laurelle Ltd
Westgate 121-9 Milnthorpe 123-3
Westgate’s title hopes were again dashed on Saturday after another lacklustre batting performance against title favourites Milnthorpe. With three key line batsmen again missing both openers were back in the hutch with just 5 in the board. Then Peter Wilson (36) and Andrew Hill (23) accumulated a classy and chanceless partnership off 44 up into the 19th over. Hill looked at great ease at the crease yet again until he was given out LBW in unfortunate circumstances. Bob Baldwin (2-26) bowled an excellent opening spell and was the catalyst for early damage and he received support from dip bowler Mike Wills (4-58) who kept things tight throughout the middle and later stages of the innings. Wilson looked watchful at the crease, but comfortable, and was threatening a big score until he was caught by the excellent fielder Pen Poddington of spin bowler Mike Curry (1-21). Khan Puffett (25 not out) showed his maturity and promise again at the crease but was unable to receive much support as the innings petered out to 121-9.
In response Sergeant Bowman (13) dropped anchor and Chris Baldwin (21) got the away side off to a good start. Poddington (32) continued his excellent game after his heroics in the field and produced an excellently timed innings. Mike Wills (40 not out) also showed his all round ability with an innings which oozed class as things didn’t appear to fall Westgate’s way, despite a gallant effort by Peter Wilson (2-43). In the end a comfortable win was achieved for Milnthorpe who now appear the team to beat in the title challenge, with the reigning champions slipping down the league table.
Match Ball Sponsor: T.Chapman Ltd
Westgate 123-7 Burneside 120-7
Westgate played hosts again to a close fought cup match in the semi final of the Over Sands Travel. Westgate won the toss and decided to bat first. Scoring proved difficult but Peter Wilson (20) looked in good touch early on as Marcus Oates (1-10) bowled a tight opening spell. Suchit Desai (17) continued to impress in his progression to first team but it was youngster Khan Puffet (22) who made the most significant contribution at the end of the innings. Throughout the innings partnerships were hard to come by as regular wickets fell but Puffett gave the innings much needed impetus at the end. Andrew Hill (26 not out) batted through the innings facing 66 balls as he ensured Westgate didn’t suffer another batting collapse. Brian Leacock (2-20) bowled a bouncy spell in the middle of the innings.
In response Burneside found scoring very difficult indeed and the total appeared a good one early on as they crawled to 22-1 in the 13 over, mainly thanks to tight opening spells by Peter Wilson (0-13) and Mark Lightfoot (0-6). Derek Halsall (44) batted tremendously at the top of the innings but he lacked any real support. Stuart Dawes (16) swung his bat but other than that only skipper Steven Cooper (21 not out) contributed as the total always appeared just a little too much. Needing 16 off the last two overs Cooper looked to guide his side home, but only four runs came off the penultimate over from Andrew Hill (2-15) and needing 12 off the final over Suchit Desai (2-18) managed to keep his nerve despite a couple of wides and Westgate won by just three runs. They will now play Shireshead in the final.
Match Ball Sponsor: North West Engineering
Westgate A 254 – 2
Shireshead A 104 all out
Win – 15 points
The supposedly dodgy Westgate track produced another run festival on a glorious Saturday afternoon as the 2nd’s top order ran riot against Shireshead in a record breaking game.
Westgate won the toss and opted to bat. From ball 1, openers Dave Hanningan (90) and Sid Gani (95 no) accumulated quick runs. With both batsmen using every shot in book, the first hundred came up in the 20th over. Sid won the race to get to his fifty first, quickly followed by Dave in the 24th over with the score at 120-0. Both batsmen had centuries in their sights and Hanningan unleashed a vicious attack on the wilting Shireshead attack. Just ten short of his maiden ton, the second team century jinx struck and Hannigan was bowled by Taylor (2-52) with a tired shot. The opening partnership totalled 191, a new club record.
Gani now took on the reins to hit three figures but was struggling to get on strike. Joined by Khan Puffett, the 200 mark was reached in the 37th over. Khan blasted a quick fire 37 off less than 20 balls before falling to Taylor. With overs running out, Sid needed nine off the last over to reach is century but was unable to face the last 4 balls and fell 5 short, carrying his bat as the innings ended on 254-2, a new record highest team score for the second’s.
Ignoring the temptations of the lovely trifle on offer at tea, the Westgate bowling attack got off to a lively start as Rob Shillitoe (2-37) and Saed Patel (6-46) took five quick wickets in the first 15 overs. Only J Dodd (10) in Shireshead top order managed double figures and the introduction of Sid Gani (2-15) reduced the southerners to 53-7. A last wicket partnership between R Riley (50) and M Taylor (20 no) saw Shireshead reach three figures. However, the ball after hitting a four for his fifty, Riley holed out to Phil Webster on the square leg boundary, giving Westgate A a morale boosting league victory.
Westgate 91 a.o.
Silverdale 92-8
Another entertaining cup match took place at Cross Hill Park on Sunday. Having already survived a tied game and then a another close encounter with Windermere to get to this Hackney & Leigh quarter final, Westgate put their followers through the ringer yet again. Having collapsed to 12-3 with the big names back in the hutch due to a lucky spell from Chris Williams (3-17), Westgate managed to recover slightly with Suchit Desai (16), Dave Murphy (12) and a last wicket stand of 26 from Mark Lightfoot (10 not out) and Dave Uracel (13). The top scorer for the home side was wides (17) however and this gave Westgate an outside chance of victory. The Silverdale bowlers must be applauded for some tremendous bowling on a difficult track. Liam Moffat (2-14) supported Williams at the start, and steady spells in the middle of the innings by Paul Moffat (3-17) and Phil Mason (1-16) kept a stranglehold on Westgate throughout.
Silverdale found themselves in a great position at 52-2 with Keiran Moffat (12) and Graham Dodds (18) playing positively and surviving a few early scares. Peter Wilson was however to bowl a tremendous spell taking 4-6 as he proved unplayable back on his full run up. Younis Suleman (1-18), Mark Lightfoot (2-23) and Andrew Hill (1-21) all bowled with heart to support Wilson, and at 64-6 and 84-8 Westgate again nearly came back from the brink of defeat to snatch a victory. However a forceful innings by Liam Moffat (23 not out) saw the visitors home to a well fought and deserved victory.
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Bare 154-7
Westgate 154-5
Westgate won the toss and decided to bowl first with rain forecast for later in the day. Bare made a decent start and reached 85-2 in the 23rd over with Dave Kendal (28) and in particular G Cheetham (69) capitalising on some poor fielding. Once Kendal departed it was left to Cheetham to score the bulk of the runs as he drove and pulled his way to a thoroughly deserved half century. He received good support from Malcolm Lockwood (14 not out) but Peter Wilson (3-37) and Danny Wilkinson (1-39) ensured the latter overs were not too costly.
The forecast rain soon arrived just before tea and 28 overs were lost to the bad weather. This left Westgate the very challenging task of chasing 154 in just 17 overs. Peter Wilson reshuffled the batting order and Dave Hughes repaid the faith shown in him by his captain by smashing a brilliant 66 in just 41 balls opening the batting as he smashed 6 sixes and 3 fours to both the long and short boundaries. It was this marvellous innings combined with Steven Creed (23) that took Westgate closer and closer to their hefty target. When Hughes fell 50 runs were still required off 29 balls but with wickets in hand. Peter Wilson (26 off 14 balls) and Andrew Hill (23 off 11 balls) smashed the balls to all parts and did incredibley well to get the score down to 13 off 13 balls. When Wilson was needlessly run out Bare was given a chance of salvaging something from the game. 8 were required off the last over but Hill was adjusted LBW first ball of the last over leaving Khan Puffet (7 not out) to score seven of the runs required, resulting in a pulsating tie.
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Westgate 115 a.o.
Windermere 93 a.o.
Westgate won the toss in this OST quarter final and decided to bat first at Cross Hill Park. They were soon in trouble as openers Steve Carruthers (1-16) and S.Walker (2-11) both bowled tight spells and Westgate were reduced to 49-5 in the 16th over. Youngster J.Park (2-11) also bowled an excellent line in his six over spell. Westgate were indebted to a patient innings from Rodger Hill (38) who amidst the turmoil managed to keep his head. He eventually received all- round support from Gary Tattersall (19) as the pair added a crucial 49 in ten overs at the crease together for the seventh wicket. Without Hill’s important innings Westgate would surely have been left with a meagre total to defend, as it was the 115 they eventually got to was a reasonable total to defend. Windermere fielded well at the death with three run outs.
In response Windermere got off to an excellent start at 43-0 after 9 overs with Joe Stephenson (10) and Sam Fletcher (26) punishing anything loose. Zak Buchanon (1-6) bowled an excellent spell opening the bowling with the fielding restrictions in place as he proved impossible to score off. The game was turned on its head by a memorable spell by second change bowler Mark Lightfoot (4-14) who removed the dangerous Crawford and Lewthwaite as well as Stephenson. He bowled full and straight and found slight movement off the seam. Once he had finished his spell after the 19th over Windermere had all of a sudden slipped to 60-5. This great spell then left the way for all rounders Gary Tattersall (3-10) and Andrew Hill (2-21) to sweep up the tail as Windermere were dismissed 22 short of their target. Dave Murphy must also be mentioned for two rapid stumpings as Westgate progressed to the semis.
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Westgate A 219-5 declared
Cartmel 54-3
Rain Stop Play – 6 points
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Eager to put last weekend’s disappointment behind them, Westgate were happy to be inserted on hard, fast track against bottom of the league Cartmel.
G Tattersall( 16) got the 2nds off to a flyer before getting carried away and retuning a simple caught and bowled. This brought man of the moment Khan Puffett to the wicket for an innings that would astound and impress equally. Accompanied by S Gani (44), the duo accumulated quick runs against an attack wilting in the humid conditions. Despite a quick retired hurt interlude for Sid caused by a full bunger in the crown jewels from Unsworth, the dynamic duo worked the ball around the park to up the rate to around 5 an over.
After Sid departed, Y Suleman (19) joined the young blade before his was caught by an athletic catch by Young of the bowling of Laisby ( 3-62). After reaching his maiden half-century, Khan unleashed his full repertoire of strokes and was aiming for three figures at a rapid rate. With a ton in sight he was unfortunately bowled 2 short of a century that would have been well deserved. His knock off 120 balls included 11 fours and 2 sixes.
After declaring in the 39th over, Westgate attacked from the first ball and were rewarded by a wicket in the first over from Shillitoe. Woodburn (20) played an attacking knock before being bowled by the newly promoted Lightfoot. Floundering on 54-3, Cartmel needed some divine intervention. Luckily the vagaries of the English weather came to their rescue as a pronlonged downpour flooded the ground and the game was abandoned as a rain draw.
21st June 2009
Westgate A 111-10
Whitehaven 107-10
Bright eyed and bushy tailed, the 2nd’s had an early start for a mammoth journey to Whitehaven for the quarter final tie.
Westgate were asked to bat first on a wicket which looked ideal for a high scoring cup game and got off to an excellent start against the pacy opening bowlers, S Rumney (3-31) and S Finnegan ( 3-36). Dave Hannigan (17) and Sid Gani (6) put on 37 for the first wicket in quick time assisted by the leg side rule to put Westgate on top. Dave’s departure however lad to a middle order collapse and within the blink of an eye, the scoreboard was reading 67-7. Never ones’ to be intimidated by a dire situation, Westgate’s YTS lads at the bottom of the order came out playing shots and put the older lads to shame with some excellent stroke play. Jockey Wilson (14), man of the match Zak Buchanan (19), Liam Pearce (12) and Matty Hannigan (11) displayed maturity beyond their years and ensured that Westgate had a total to bowl at.
Sensing an early victory, the Whitehaven captain chose not to provide a tea or drinks interval. With fire (and hunger) in their bellies, the Westgate fielders and bowlers took the field. Rob Shillitoe (3-18 ) put Whitehaven on the back foot immediately and took out the top 3 batsmen. Younnis Suliman ( 2-27) took the attack to the opposition but Whitehaven consolidated and came back into the game. An excellent fielding display behind the stumps from A Wilson kept the pressure on Whitehaven and a run out following a direct hit from Dave Hannigan gave hope to Westgate.
At 85-4, the Westmoreland team looked favourites to go out. But cometh the hour, cometh the man, cometh Zak Buchanan. , Zac turned the game around as Whitehaven edged towards the winning target. After Zak bowled Shakea for 38, Westgate just needed one more wicket to complete an amazing victory. Two balls later and Zak removed the last batter caught and bowled to end with fantastic figures of 4 wickets for 2 runs. A famous victory by only 4 runs that will be remembered for a long time.
What is it about this cup and close finishes?
Bolton Le Sands 211-7
Westgate A 182 all out
Lost – 2 points
After last weeks cup victory, the seconds returned to Sands. On a hard dry wicket, Westgate bowled first and got off to a great start. Rob Shillitoe (2-48) removed both openers quickly and with the ball swinging hopes were high. The swinging ball was soon lost along with 2 others, as M Beaumont (43 )savaged the Westgate attack with some massive hits over the short boundary. Ably assisted by M Clarkson (32), Sands got a grip on the game to reach 94-2. Westgate hit back after Younnis Suliman (2-56) removed Beaumont and with Saed Patel (2-26) pegged Sands back to 95-5. Taking advantage of the batsmen friendly wicket, A Dyson (68no) and P Kellett (29) attacked again and set Westgate a challenging total of 211.
After an early collapse Westgate were left at 9-2, victims of M Clarkson’s clever slower ball. Mo Patel got the away team back in the run chase with a quick fire 42 and with Saed Patel (21) in partnership with Gaz Tattersall (67no), a close finish seemed on the cards. The introduction of Dyson (2-32) and J Hill (4-53) led to a succession of quick wickets after the departure of Saeed and despite having overs in hand to reach the target, Westgate ran out of wickets, all out for 182.
Over Sands Travel
Westgate 172 a.o. Windermere 172 a.o.
An unbelievable game of cricket took place at Windermere on Sunday as the teams managed to finish on exactly the same score for the exact same number of wickets, which results in a replay of the game. Westgate skipper Nigel Parkinson again won the toss and decided to bat first on what appeared a decent track. However run scoring proved very difficult early on as Jono Cooper (2-23) and M Park (0-25) gave very little away. Dave Hughes (23) took on his role of pinch hitter well but at 43-3 in the 12th over Windermere appeared to be in a strong position. At this point Andrew Hill (24) came to the crease to join Peter Wilson (71), who had been finding runs hard to come by. The pair added 88 in just 11 overs as Hill rotated the strike well and Wilson began to flourish. Wilson was soon in tremendous touch as he blasted balls straight down the park and also produced his famous pull shot on many occasions. His last forty balls produced 66 runs as he timed his acceleration perfectly, in an innings which included 9 fours and 2 sixes. James Crawford (3-23) and brother Mick Crawford (2-34) bowled well enough at the death removing both Hill and Wilson to prevent a score of 180 plus as the remaining batsmen found quick runs hard to come by, until all rounder Dave Murphy (10) played an important cameo at the death.
172 was a very challenging score in the allotted 30 overs on a dampish track with an outfield that was quite long. However Windermere decided to play their shots from the word go and reached 72-2 after 12 overs with Peter Wilson (1-27) out of the way. It was James Crawford (68) who matched Wilson’s earlier innings, as he smashed 5 sixes out of the ground, and relied on a few occasions on the hands of the fielders. His innings lasted only 47 balls but it was a tremendous effort to give his side an excellent chance of winning the game. Jono Cooper (16) provided good support and Windermere appeared to be heading towards a famous victory at 113-4 after 20 overs. The game was turned on its head however by a fantastic double act in the form of Andrew Hill (4-22) and wicket-keeper Dave Murphy. The pair combined on four occasions as Hill found turn and assistance in the track, and also in Murphy who took four incredible catches. Hill removed all the danger men including Crawford, Cooper and then Lewthwaite, all in exactly the same fashion. Murphy then continued to be the focal point of the Westgate display as he contributed an excellent leg-side stumping and was involved in two run outs. As all this was happening Winderemere’s hopes became rested on the shoulders of Chris West (39) who showed no signs of nerves as he flicked and pulled the remaining Westgate bowlers to the leg side boundary on a number of occasions. Windermere appeared to be all but home at 163-6, needing just nine runs from three overs. Gary Tattersall (2-28) bowled well at the death and Suchit Desai (1-5) bowled an excellent over removing West in the process. The score was all of a sudden 163-9 with nine needed for victory by the last pair. They managed to get it down to one from two balls in the last over bowled by Tattersall. The batsmen then hit a single, which was enough to win the match provided they survived the last ball, however they then went for a second run against Peter Wilson’s arm and they were left run out by some distance resulting in an incredible tied game. The game was a credit to both sides played in tremendous spirit.
Westgate 211-7 Warton 190-8
The two giants of the Westmorland League met on Saturday at Hyning Park and on winning the toss, the visitors Westgate decided to bat first on an excellent batting surface. Westgate made a steady start at 46-1 with opener Dave Lord making a useful 23. After a watchful start to his innings, Peter Wilson soon began to flourish as he crashed 11 fours on his way to a marvellous 63 from 77 balls. He received support from Andrew Hill (13) initially, who was unlucky to be run out, before a devastating partnership of 66 between Wilson and the new batsmen Danny Wilkinson (39) in just 7 overs threatened to give Warton a mammoth score to chase. Despite the loss of both men to the impressive Crowther (4-63) runs continued to flow down the order. After Wilkinson’s rapid 39, Steve Creed (31) showed glimmers of his best form as he rattled a few balls to the boundary, and he was followed in the same vein by Dave Hughes (18) who hit the biggest six of the day far into the field. There were no real substantial partnerships but Warton were never able to get a stranglehold on the game. Crowther was supported well by Simpson who took 1-40 from his 13 overs.
Warton always felt that they were able to chase down the imposing target. At 50-1 Warton had a decent platform until Andrew Hill (1-30) came into the attack to remove Ricky Nelson (8) with the delivery of the day. Phil Bovis (52) opened the batting and drove and flicked his way to a well crafted half century, until he became bogged down by the guile of Hill and the ever improving Danny Wilkinson who began to find his line, length and some real pace of the surface. When Wilkinson (4-80) clean bowled Bovis and Hill removed Jack Brown with a sensational direct hit run out, Warton soon found themselves struggling at 120-7 with Wilkinson taking a further three wickets. However amongst the carnage Simon Gould (66) gave the home side an outside chance of winning the game. He cut, swept and drove the bowling to all parts and added 54 for the eight wicket with the impressive youngster Danny Dixon (22 not out). Gould hammered 9 fours and a six until he was bowled by the returning Peter Wilson (2-71). Once Gould had gone Warton concentrated on taking as many bonus points as possible as Dixon and Strachan (12 not out) got the score to 190 with few scares. Westgate closed the gap on the Warton by taking nine points to Wartons four.
Sat 13th June
Cartmel 97 all out
Westgate A 99-3
Win 12 points
The backdrop of blue sky, hot sunshine, Cartmel Priory and the racecourse gave the 2nd XI a picturesque village cricket scene to inspire them on Saturday.
Skipper Hannigan elected to bowl and the bowling attack fuelled by Red Bull, Lemsip Extra and self belief set out to limit the Cartmel batters on what looked like a hard, straw coloured batters paradise. R Shillitoe (2-29) accounted for danger man Simpson, caught in the slips by S Gani, early on before flagging like an old nag as his man flu drugs wore off. A stubborn 2nd wicket partnership between T Harvey (20) and T Hadwin (34) set a firm platform for Catmel to build upon before a cracking catch by K Puffett sent Harvey back to the stables. With healthy thoroughbreds Z Buchannen ( 5-33)and S Patel chomping at the bit, they went through the rest of the Cartmel batting order to bring the innings to a close, when Hadwin fell to S Patel (3-24) only 2 overs short of carrying is bat. Credit to A Pearce for a great performance behind the stumps and to Zac for a mammoth 19 over spell in the hot sun and his 5 wicket haul was well deserved.
Westgate batters found the going easy and they set about securing their first full league victory since the 1st game of the season. Openers S Gani (27) and S Desai (15) made a great start. Star of the show was K Puffett who made a breathtaking innings of 44 not out as he dispatched the Cartmel attack to all areas of the field. Westgate crossed the finishing line as early as the 19th over and the game ended in Torrisholme time at 5.45pm.
Sun 14th June – Milnthorpe Taxi Services Trophy Quarter Final
Bolton Le Sands 76-9
Westgate A 77-3
Win
The glorious weather reflected the players’ sunny mood as they travelled with high hopes to league leaders Bolton Le Sands. With a short boundary and dry pitch a run fest was expected in this 30/30 game and it came as no shock when Sands chose to bat first.
Skipper R Shillitoe, keen to make amends for losing the toss, pumped himself full of Lemsip and was in inspired form as made early inroads to the Sands top order and bowled through his 6 overs for just 2 runs and 3 wickets. While A Cole (31no) held up one end, the remaining Sands batsmen could not get to grips with the accurate, clever bowling of Westgate. A combination of excellent ground fielding and catching panicked the Sands batters and seven of them failed to trouble Ann. A rally at the bottom end of the order from M Dyson (13) enabled Cole to carry his bat and Sands finished on 76. All of Westgate bowlers were on top form and Z Buchannen continued his good form with 3-16.
Wary not to fall away like Sands, Westgate openers S Gani (16) and S Desai (20) started carefully. The run rate soon picked up and after Gani was run out by a direct hit, Mo Patel (16no) took advantage of the short boundary and ensured another early finish in the 17th over.
Westgate 166 a.o. Kirkby Lonsdale 147 a.o.
Having won the toss Westgate decided to make first use of a good batting surface on a glorious day at Cross Hill Park. Peter Wilson got out of the traps quickly and blazed 39 from just 35 balls back in his preferred number three slot before he was caught by an excellent catch behind the stumps by Williams of the bowling off Colin Johnson (2-52). Westgate at this point were 57-3 before Andrew Hill (43) continued his good run of scores before he was given out stumped off the bowling of Kettlewell (4-20). Hill received good support initially from Gary Tattersall and then Danny Wilkinson (38), who himself began to look in good touch. Once Hill had been dismissed at 121-5 Westgate proceeded to lose 5 wickets for just 24 runs, due to another excellent spell of slow bowling by Kettlewell who used his guile and experience well to initiate the collapse. Westgate were thankful for useful lower order contributions by skipper Nigel Parkinson (11 not out) and superstar batsmen Dave Murphy (11) who added 21 crucial runs in the context of the match. Nathan Bateman (3-91) bowled unchanged for 20 overs and deserved slightly better then his final figures.
In response at 21-3 Kirkby Lonsdale appeared in complete disarray. However Hector Barnicoat (18) joined Spencer Storey (55) and the pair added 58 in just 12 overs as they took the attack to the Westgate opening bowlers. Storey played some marvellous straight drives and appeared to middle all his shots as he plundered 9 fours and a six. At 79-3 Kirkby were in the driving seat and it required Westgate’s change bowlers Andrew Hill (1-22) and Mark Lightfoot (2-28) to get the vital wickets of Barnicoat and Storey. Even with these scalps and the change of ends for Peter Wilson (2-42) and Wilkinson (5-42) Kirkby still managed to reach 134-6 and were clearly favourites with Derek Williams (23), Rupert Colacicchi (11) and Jim Kettlwell (13) all contributing with gritty innings. However once Wilkinson found his line and length he took three quick victims as the last four wickets fell for just 13 runs. Westgate took the maximum 15 points and Kirkby 2 in a spirited well fought game.
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Westgate Sandstorm 169-6
Shireshead Show Ponies 151 a.o.
The first semi final of the under 24 competition took place at Shireshead’s Clifton Park between the Show Ponies and Westgate Sandstorm. Having won the toss Shireshead captain Robert Charles surprisingly decided to bowl first on a good batting surface. Andrew Hill (24) got his side off to a decent enough start but fell when set to Jack Dodds (2-32) leaving the visitors on 66-3 after 20 overs. M.Clarkson (18) also played a handy innings but it was to be Khan Puffett who would be the star of the show with the bat. Aaron Pearce (13) supported Puffett (46) in a partnership of 53 in 12 overs before the promoted Jonty Hill (21) came to the crease and played a delightful cameo innings. Puffett made a patient but fluent knock which included 5 crisp boundaries and had some excellent running between the stumps, and was unfortunate to miss out on his half century as he was starved of the strike towards the end of the innings. Dave Jack (1-25) bowled a fiery spell Sabharwar bowled well at the death to take 3-35 from his eight overs.
In response Shireshead were in trouble at 20-2 with Mark Clarkson (1-15) bowling a fast accurate spell early on. When Robert Charles came to the crease to join opener Sam Hilton the momentum of the game suddenly changed. Charles’ classic strokeplay and Hilton’s slogs through the leg side saw the pair add a wonderful 102 for the third wicket, with a helping hand from a poor fielding display by the Sandstorm. At drinks Andrew Hill rallied his troops and called upon a marked improvement in the field. Shires were cruising requiring just 48 from 14 overs with 8 wickets in hand and Sandstorm needed something to turn the game. This turnaround came in the form of Jonty Hill (4-25) who bowled a fantastic spell removing Charles (34) firstly. Once Sam Hilton (64) fell to a brilliant catch by Clarkson no other Shireshead batsmen could muster up double figures as Jonty Hill ripped through the middle order. Suchit Desai also bowed a tidy spell (1-23) as the last 8 wickets fell for just 29 runs as Westgate Sandstorm progressed to the final.
Westgate A 161-7 Coniston 84-9
Winning Draw – 10 points
Despite the rotten weather in the rest of the region, Cross Hill Park somehow escaped the Saturday morning rain and the players and officials were pleasantly surprised to find a dry, hard, bouncy wicket and a rapid outfield.
After winning the toss, skipper Hannigan elected to bat. Despite the early loss of the skipper, Westgate set about their task of trying to bat the full 45 overs with aplomb. Whilst Sid Gani (26) settled in, the rest of the top order all contributed valuable runs in partnership with him. Khan Puffett was true to form and continued his runs of scores between 15 and 20. Mo Patel upped the run rate with a 20/20 inspired 32 to put on a 50 run partnership with Gani. Saeed Patel ( 21) held together with middle order after the dismissal of Gani. Useful runs from S. Desai (14 no) at the tail end of the innings allowed a declaration after 43 overs with the score at 161-7. Morgan put in an impressive 18 over spell for Coniston. His figures of 3-38 were scant reward for his excellent fast bowling.
Another weekend and yet again another opposition team intent of settling for a losing draw from the first ball. Coniston declined to accept the challenge of an achievable total and concentrated on survival from the first ball of their innings. Wickets fell at regular intervals with only Morgan (21) and D Brackwell (15) able to force Ann to use the second column on her abacus. With attacking fields and heavy rotation of the bowlers, Westgate pressed hard for victory. Coniston’s final pairing of Old (7no) and Shaw (2no) held out for 9 overs to avoid defeat and deflate Westgate’s ambitions. Pick of the bowlers for Westgate – S Gani 4-13 and S Patel 3-38.
Westgate 192 for 7 Windermere 146 for 9
Westgate travelled to sunny Windermere and where given first use of a straw coloured wicket. After a couple of earlier wickets the Hill boys set about a recovery and set up a fabulous foundation for the other batsmen.
Rodger batted with patience and capitalised on anything loose while younger brother Andy was equally busy at the crease. Rodger finished with 62 and Andy 31 before Dave Hughes 23 including 3 sixes and Steve ‘Duck’ Creed 26 including 2 sixes raised the run rate to close on 192 for 7.
Westgate’s bowlers started off well taking 7 wickets inside the first 23 overs. It was left to the junior Windermere players to show the senior players how to defend. The next wicket didn’t fall for 15 overs, during which time Nigel Parkinson tried a range of bowlers, then two wickets fell in the space of two overs. Pick of the Westgate bowling was Willo with 4 for 29 off 14 over’s and one leg. Andy Hill also showed his all round capabilities with 3 wickets and a catch. Despite their efforts Westgate finished 1 wicket short in game they felt they should have won.
Hackney & Leigh Cup Round 2
Westgate 140 for 9 Ibis 136 for 6
Westgate again lost the toss and again were asked to bat. With several first team regulars missing this led to stand in skipper coming up with a batting order few could believe. The Duck returned to the top of the order and followed by getting a DUCK then Gary ‘I should play tests’ Tattersall followed up with a rapid 6 off 36 balls. It wasn’t until Dave ‘Teflon’ Murphy joined Andy Hill that it looked like Westgate realised it was a 30 over game.
The pair put on 66 in 11 over’s and gave the innings much needed impetuses. Dave showed the stick ability at the crease which we had been looking for from his gloves. Andy continued from the previous days innings and missed out on what would have been a well deserved half century and Dave finished 33 off 42 balls but much credit must go to his official runner Mark Lightfoot who appreciated the time in the middle. After a little cameo from Willo 22 off 14 balls Westgate finished 140 for 9
Westgate began the innings of Ibis with the urgency that had been lacking from the batting and Danny sent both openers back in his spell of 2 for 8 off 5 overs.
Ibis kept in the game with timely boundaries and aided by some poor fielding. Willo kept one end tight with 1 for 10 off 5 overs and left Ibis needing 23 off the last over.
Fortunately the Duck kept is nerve to only conceded 17 and leave Ibis so close mainly thanks to the Braithwaite’s, father and son combination.
Over Sands Travel Division 1 Cup
Westgate 137-8 Kirkby Lonsdale 75 a.o.
Westgate were handed the chance to make amends for the poor result from the previous day with a cup game at home to Kirkby Lonsdale. The home side won the toss and decided to bat first. A solid start was again supplied by openers Peter Wilson (19) and Rodger Hill (25) as 37 was added inside 7 overs. Jim Kettlewell’s introduction immediately yielded two important wickets, however further breakthroughs were hard to come by as AndyHill (34) guided his side to their total of 137-8. He received good support from Danny Wilkinson (16) and Gary Tattersall. Kettlewell (3-20) was the most successful bowler as he benefitted from some good catches in the deep, however it was Colin Johnson (3-28) who bowled an excellent three over spell at the end to ensure that a score of 150 was not reached.
In response Kirkby Lonsdale got off to a poor start at 9-2. Steve Williams (14) and M.Sutton (16) batted well together and briefly threatened to challenge Westgate. However Peter Wilson (1-4) and Danny Wilkinson (3-12) removed this pair respectively. Andy Hill (2-8) completed a fine personal all round performance with a good tight bowling display and Mark Lightfoot (3-15) also bowled a good spell to cash in with three wickets of his own. A.Nisbet took two catches and once again Andy Wilson was marvellous behind the stumps as Kirkby had to settle for the total of 75 all out.
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Westgate 44 a.o. Heysham 45-4
A major early season shock took place at Cross Hill Park on Saturday as Heysham comprehensively defeated the champions. Gareth Finney won the toss and decided to insert the home side. At 15-0 Westgate appeared to have a steady start however once Peter Wilson (10) fell to Sam Calverley (1-11) an unprecedented collapse took place. Redginald Cupit (6-13) turned in a memorable and destructive spell of bowling to rip through the Westgate top and middle order. Finding assistance in the wicket Cupit maintained an excellent line and length and waited for the batsmen to make their own mistakes. Supported by some excellent catching the Westgate powerful middle order had no response to the Heysham onslaught. In total nine catches were taken in a fantastic display of fielding, and once Paul Antcliffe (3-13) came on to take three vital wickets of his own, all 10 wickets had fallen for just 29 runs.
Westgate would need something special in response to have any chance of getting anything out of the game. However James Dixon (9) and James Wincup (14) steadied any nerves with a solid start. Once three quick wickets fell with the score at 35-4, Westgate may have felt they had an outside chance of getting something from the game. Man of the match Redge Cupit (17 not out) showed his all round abilities and waited for the balls to hit as he carried his team home without any further alarms. The winning runs, fittingly placed to the mid off boundary by the star of the show Cupit, were greeted with a big cheer from the Heysham players, in a result that will no doubt send a message to the rest of the league.
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Westgate A 93 all out Trimpell 94-6
Westgate arrived in the strange town of Trimpell to a quintessential village cricket scene; the sun shining, birds twittering, the sound of leather on willow and the Sex Pistols!
Skipper Hanningan won the toss and the Westgate openers arrived in the middle to a surreal background noise of a punk covers band and watched by bemused onlookers who had turned up for a punk weekend not a low scoring village cricket game. It proved to be no holiday in the sun for the batsmen as Westgate struggled to come terms with a very damp and green wicket and were initially in the mire at 12-3. Mo Patel continued his excellent recent form with a destructive 38 including two massive sixes over the long boundary of P McDermid (3-27). Good support from Khan Puffett (19) took Westgate to 67-3. The dismissal of Mo Patel instigated a catastrophic mid order collapse and within the blink of an eye; the away team were on their knees at 72-8. Some elegant stroke play from new rose Alan Horne (16no) enabled Westgate to limp to 93 all out, conceding 12 vital overs. Trimpell bowled throughout with control and guile to exploit the conditions, S Beniston finished with 4-28 and L Beniston with 2-28.
Trimpell set about their task in slow motion as they too struggled with the wicket. Westgate sniffed a glimmer of hope after an excellent run out by Suchit Desai and cat like catch from Khan Puffett reduced Trimpell to 27-5 in the 28th over. Some pretty vacant fielding by Westgate after this with stiff little fingers saw a number of chances go down and gave Trimpell the opportunity to regroup. Intelligent patient batting from L Beniston (37) and S Pemberton (17 no) allowed Trimpell to take complete control of the game despite great spells from Saeed Patel (1-22) and Zac Buchanan (3-47). The 2nd team’s first defeat of the season was confirmed in the 52nd over.
Westgate A 138 -6 dec Sedgwick A 40-2
Rain Draw 6 points
Ominous dark clouds loomed over Cross Hill Park as the sides took to the field and it was to prove a frustrating afternoon as the frequent heavy showers put paid to any result being possible, 34 overs being lost in total.
Put into bat on a damp, green wicket, the Westgate openers struggled early on against the Sedgwick opening bowlers. C Millar bowled an impressive tight spell in his six overs going for just 6 runs. A lengthy break and an early tea seemed to help the Westgate batters as the wicket dried out. Shillitoe (34) and Gani (42) put on an impressive 82 for the first wicket. Westgate’s middle order then looked to get some fast runs and declared on 138-6 in the 40th over, following useful cameos from M Patel (17), and K Purfleet (18). R Dixon (2-47) and S Willacy (3-40) were the pick of the Sedgwick bowlers.
With little left to play for, both sides played out for a rain draw. N Dalzell (18 no) and J Dalzell (16 no) ensured there was no dramatic collapse after Z Buchannan (2-8) got two early wickets.
Here’s hoping for some dry weather in the following weeks.
Galgate 54 all out Westgate A 55-1
Milnthorpe Taxis Cup
Away days at Galgate and rain seem to go hand in hand at the moment. Early rain thankfully cleared and despite the contents of the covers being poured back onto the wicket, a 20/20 game stared at 3.00pm.
Electing to bat first, Galgate got off to the worst possible start losing a wicket to the first ball of the game to skipper Shillitoe (3-8). Wickets fell quickly and regularly as Westgate impressed with the ball and in the field. Super catches from Webster, ‘Crazy legs’ Pearce and Desai kept the pressure on Galgate as they collapsed to 54 all out in the 19th over. Pick of the Westgate bowlers was Z Buchannen taking 4-5.
After a lengthy tea break of 40 minutes, Galgate eventually came out to bowl. With the rain clouds looming an awesome display of power hitting and stroke play from S Gani (28 no) and M Patel (26 no) ensured Westgate got the win they deserved in the 8th over.
IBIS 53–8 Westgate 54-2
Despite heavy rain all over the place, the clouds finally parted at around 3.15 pm and Cross Hill Park became bathed in glorious sunshine. The toss would prove to be crucial as Westgate decided to insert the visitors on a track understandably hard to score quick runs on. The IBIS batsmen struggled against a terrific bowling display and had to settle for mostly singles as Peter Wilson (5-18) and Danny Wilkinson (3-29) gave away very little during their 16 over spells in the game which had been reduced to 32 overs a side. The only batsmen to reach double figures were J.Coulston (11) and A.Earl (11 not out). Between them Wilson and Wilkinson cleaned bowled five of the IBIS batsmen and had two LBWs as they bowled straight and pitched the ball up on the dampish track.
In response Westgate made a slow but steady start despite the loss of Creed. D Troughton took 1-5 from his excellent 9 over spell and had decent support from the youngsters D.Braithwaite (0-14) and A.Blamire (0-15) as runs continued to be a struggle to score quickly. However Westgate always had plenty of time to complete the victory as an unusually patient Dave Lord (28 not out) and the anchorman Rodger Hill (23) put on 45 for the second wicket before Hill fell LBW to D.Irvine (1-8). The winning runs were hit in the 27th over, with Westgate taking 12 points and closing the gap on those whose games had been affected by the downpours.
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Westgate A 141-9 Milnthorpe A 61-6
After the baking sunshine of the first week, we were brought back to reality with a cold, blustery day and a damp wicket.
Choosing to bat first, Westgate got off to a shaky start and when skipper Dave Hannigan ( 19) was neatly stumped, the score had only spluttered to 35-4. Sid Gani (42) batting like a right hander possessed with a left handers elegance, and Mo Patel (25), pulled Westgate out of a hole and put on a 50 partnership for the 5th wicket. The two young blades K Purfleet (23) and A Pearce ( 17) put the Milnthorpe bowlers to the sword, showing a sense of urgency only normally seen from them when last orders is called, in the final overs to end the innings on 141-9. C Norman bowled tightly throughout to claim 4-19 and was well supported by T Wyn (2-13)
After some splendid tea interval scones, the bowlers got off to a ripping start with 2 wickets in 3 overs including a seen to be believed stumping from S Patel off R Shillitoe ( 1-8). They then hit a brick wall as Milnthorpe parked the proverbial bus and set out for a draw from the 4th over. Westgate’s negative bowling seemed to blunt any attacking intentions Milnthorpe might have had. A milestone was reached in the 34rd over, when the number of runs scored surpassed the number of overs for the first time in the game. Skipper Hanningan tired of watching the grass grow and paint dry juggled his bowlers in an attempt to make a breakthrougth to no avail. The boredom seemed to affect the fielders with 6 catches put down. Pick of the Westgate bowlers was S Patel ( 2-13) and S Gani (1-10)
Westgate Sands Storm 157-7 Bela Bulldogs 49a.o.
The under 24 competition got off to a start on Sunday as Westgate Sands Storm met Bela Bulldogs at the picturesque Silverdale ground. Despite the wicket being soaked by the morning downpours visiting captain Andy Hill won the toss and decided to bat first. This did not appear a wise decision as Westgate Sands Storm slipped to 30-4 in the eleventh over, after some early calamitous batting. Scott Dixon (2-28) did the early damage until a stand of 42 between Andy Hill (14) and Aaron Pearce (36) brought the Storm back into the game at 72-5. However it was Pearce’s mature innings, which included five fours, that was to be the turning point in the game as he took his side towards a respectable total. Khan Puffet then continued the fight back with a useful 17 before a fantastic flourish at the end of the innings saw Sands Storm move to their sizeable total. Chris Williams (2-14) bowled an excellent spell for Bela, however he could not prevent 47 runs being added in the last seven overs as all-rounders Adam Dyson (25 not out) and Suchit Desai (26 not out) looked in imperious form and impressed the crowd with some classy shots.
This late swing in momentum was then carried into the second innings and Westgate Sand Storm came out with all guns blazing. Jack Hargreaves (10) and Jakob McManus (12) added 23 for the first wicket but after this the innings became one way traffic. Adam Dyson (2-12) finished a fine all round performance with two crucial wickets, but first change bowler Mark Clarkson produced a bowling display that will be remembered for years. Showing incredible pace and bowling straight with slight movement off the surface Clarkson ripped through the Bela order including taking the key scalp of Chris Williams (3). He finished with the unbelievable figures of 6-5 from his six overs as 9 wickets fell for just eleven runs. Only Whitehouse (17 not out) showed any fight at the end. Sand Storm now progress to the semi final to take on Shireshead Show Ponies.
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Revenge is so so sweet
Westgate 2nds 182 for 7 Keswick 2nds 182 all out
For the second time in 2 days new Second X1 Captain Dave Hannigan called incorrectly at the toss and on this occasion was invited to make first use of what looked like a belting track. Keswick opened up with first team regular Dowson who removed Rob Shillitoe in the first over for a duck. Sid Garni (25) and Skipper Dave Hannigan (28) dug in and ensured Westgate got off to a fine start. The introduction of another first teamer Gaskell and the low bouncing slow turning spin of the youngster Sharpe put the brakes on Westgates momentum. These 2 claimed 2 wickets a piece and Dave Hannigan was run out with a direct hit from the wicket keeper. The fall of this wicket brought to the crease new boy Younnis Suliman who produced a brilliant attacking batting performance and finished unbeaten1 short of what would have been a well deserved 50. He was ably supported by Alan Horne (19) and Andy “Jockey” Wilson (16no). Westgate closed on a very creditable 182 for 7 from their 40 overs
The Westgate bowlers began well bowling good lines and lengths to the Keswick openers. Zac Buchanan (8-1-28-2) made the first break through when Gaskell skied a catch to Saeed Patel at cover. This brought to the wicket the Keswick 1st X1 Captain Weightman who after a tentative start blazed the balls to all parts of the ground. Westgate rang the bowling changes but could find no answer to Weightman (78) with his impressive timing and placement until wicket keeper Andy Wilson came up to the stumps to the bowling of Younnis Suliman. Suliman bowled a good spell (2/24) and was rewarded as Weightman ventured from his crease once to often and was superbly stumped by Wilson. Only Griesdale(22) offered any serious resistant as other batsmen came and went intent on finishing the game with a single blow. All the Westgate bowlers bowled with good discipline and along with Buchanan, Sid Garni (2/34) and Saeed Patel (3/31) were the pick. With the final pair at the wicket 13 were needed from the final 2 overs and Westgate had to call on the skipper to bowl the penultimate over. Under pressure Hannigan bowled a good over that resulted in 6 being required from the final 6 deliveries. Suliman had the responsibility of the final over and he bowled a tight line ensuring runs were hard to come by. With Dowson on strike 2 were needed from the final 2 balls. Dowson played a cut shot out to Andy Wilkinson on the point boundary who gathered and an excellent return to the keeper ensured Dowson was short of his ground attempting the second run and Westgate began their well deserved celebrations.
This was an excellent team performance and completed an excellent start to the season from the new captain and his team.
Westgate 170-8 Shireshead 129-7
Two of the league’s potential title challengers clashed at Cross Hill Park on Saturday with Westgate winning the toss and deciding to make first use of a decent track. Despite the loss of an early wicket, Rodger Hill (32) and Peter Wilson (35) took the score onto 59-1 and set up Westgate with a decent platform for the rest of the innings. Phil Savage (3-34) and Phil Oliver (1-19) bowled extremely well for the visitors but they were unable to stop Westgate’s middle and lower order capitalising in on the decent start. Andrew Hill (18) held the innings together with a patient knock, but it was a sparkling innings of 40 from just 43 balls from all rounder Danny Wilkinson which gave the innings impetus and took the champions to an imposing total. Late runs form Nigel Parkinson (12 not out) and Khanus Puffet (7 not out) took Westgate up to their challenging total.
In response Shireshead were in complete disarray early on as Peter Wilson (4-24) and Danny Wilkinson (2-23) tore through the Shires’ top order without much resistance and reduced the score to 19-5. It was a tremendous rearguard action by inspirational captain Paul Yates (43 not out) which ensured the visitors would not walk home with an embarrassing defeat. As the Westgate bowlers tired in the heat, they were unable to make the crucial breakthrough and ended up just having to settle for the 8 points with Shiredhead taking two. Rob Charles (25) and Phil Oliver (20) gave Shireshead a glimmer of hope but after the horrendous start, they were happy to settle for a mediocre draw.
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Westgate 159-8 Trimpell 101 a.o.
The season’s opener took place at Cross Hill Park in the first round of the Tower Shield on Sunday. Westgate fielded a strong side but Trimpell were on top early on as Westgate slumped to 21-3 with the key batsmen of Rodger Hill, Peter Wilson and Steve Creed all back in the hutch. Steve Beniston did the damage early on and bowled an excellent spell, finishing with the tremendous figures of 3-19 from his eight overs, and was well supported by James McDermid (2-36). Having survived a run out mix up early on, Dave Lord (50) and Andy Hill (36) saved Westgate from a potential banana skin adding 89 for the fourth wicket in 21 overs. Luke Beniston (0-19) bowled a great line and length and kept it tight from his eight overs and youngster S.Dixon (0-32) bowled maturely without much luck. Lower order runs came from Dave Hannigan (16 not out) and Mark Lightfoot (10) to take Westgate to their total of 159.
In response all of Westgate’s bowlers bowled tremendously, not showing any signs of first game rustiness. Trimpell struggled to score runs as Peter Wilson (4-5) and Danny Wilkinson (0-7) gave very little away early on. M Storey (13) and S Pemberton (12) showed some promise but once the asking rate became too high they both perished. M Lightfoot (1-3) bowled an incredible spell with only two scoring shots possible form his allotted eight overs, and he received great support from Steve Creed (2-14) and spinner Andy Hill (3-20). In the end the only disappointment in Westgate’s bowling display came in the form of 27 byes which got Trimpell past the 100 mark.
Westgate will face Shireshead in the League Opener next Saturday at Cross Hill Park .
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