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Moonrakers fight on in Woe Cup

17/ 7/2008

MIDDLETON Cricket Club may well feel like renaming the Wood Cup the Woe Cup after experiences in their second round game against Ashton.

The tie in the John Willie Lees sponsored competition started a week last Sunday when rain ended play with Middleton’s batsmen having faced 18 of their 50 overs.

It meant a return to Rayner Lane every night of the week, but rain again washed out any hopes of play.

Play last Sunday may have been possible, but Rayner Lane was booked for an inter-league match, so it was back on Monday night and the biggest blow Middleton could have suffered.

The Moonrakers had engaged Sri Lankan Pasan Wanasinghe as deputy professional for the match in the absence of Werner Coetsee who has gone on tour with South Africa A,

Wanasinghe started the match at Ashton but he was missing when play resumed on Monday as his pay-masters - Barrow CC didn’t want him to play.

To add to their troubles wicket-keeper Andrew Deakin was unavailable which meant Middleton would be deemed all out at the fall of the eighth wicket.

Perhaps another rainy night might have done Middleton a favour, but the match resumed in light drizzle and continued to see Middleton score 155.

Ashton were four without loss after two overs when the light was offered and taken by the batsmen.

Play was expected to resume on Tuesday night (details not at hand before the Guardian went to press) with Ashton missing two players and having only eight wickets in the shed.

It all seems a bit farcical, but facts are facts.

As for the real stuff, 12 runs were added on Monday night before Steve Davey was caught behind for 24 off the bowling of home pro Ian Daniel.

Tom Read and Jimmy Ryan then reatured in a partnership which was the bedrock of the innings.

They took quick singles, as boundaries were hard to come by due to the wet outfield and some tight bowlng.

They added vital runs, but disaster struck with 10 overs left when Read and Ryan were dismissed within an over of each other.

Read offered a dolly catch to Daniel in the gully, while Ryan got the faintest of edges to be caught for 28.

The lower order also added vital runs as the Moonrakers posted what, in the circumstances, was a creditable total.