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Agonising loss for Moonrakers

31/ 7/2008

SUMMERTIME finally arrived on Saturday as Middleton travelled to The Pollards to face Oldham in the Lake Garage Central Lancashire League. Disappointingly however, the Moonrakers threw away a golden opportunity to win their first away match of the season, falling agonisingly short by just six runs.

Skipper John Punchard won the toss and invited Mel Whittle’s Oldham to bat first, Punchard putting faith in his opening pair of Tom Read and deputy professional Brendon Drew, who had deputised for the Moonrakers earlier on in the season.

With humid conditions, both bowlers struggled to keep the ball straight as swinging deliveries meant wide balls were regular. Despite this, Read was unlucky not to claim a wicket early on when Mohammad edged a fine delivery in between the wicketkeeper Andrew Deakin and first slip Steve Davey.

It was not until the seventh over, when the home side had moved to 27, that the first wicket fell. Mohammad played a loose shot to Stuart Fitton at cover and he was followed the very next ball when the dangerous professional Jayasinghe was caught behind for a golden duck from a brisk ball by Drew.

Drew, the Tasmanian quick, gained his third scalp soon after when he had his fellow countryman Nick Maree cart wheeled for five to leave the home side 58 for three. That soon became 60 for four as Drew’s superb opening spell continued when he had Paul Thompson caught at point by the ever-safe hands of Jimmy Ryan for 18.

Drew’s spell desolated the Oldham top order, and if it hadn’t been for the wides early on, the home side would have been in an even more precarious situation.

In the hot conditions, Punchard rested his main men in order to draw breath and despite a tidy but somewhat unproductive spell from himself, things started to change when Dale Highton was brought into the attack. The slow-left armer claimed a wicket in his first over when he had Fasil-Masih caught my Martin Roberts at mid-on with the score on 81.

This was followed two overs later when Highton bowled wicketkeeper Jason Maher with a beauty to leave the home side in dire straits at 96 for six.

However, Middleton didn’t have it all their own way as a fine partnership between Liam Garnett and Chris McDonnell brought the home side back into the game. The pair ran quickly and put away the bad ball as their run-a-ball partnership of 62 took the game away from the Moonrakers. McDonnell reached his splendid half century, but was dismissed the very next ball by the impressive Highton caught and bowled.

Garnett continued the assault along with Stuart Moore before the returning Thomas Read cleaned up Garnett with a quality yorker in what would be a tidy spell at the death by the all-rounder.

Moore, Whittle and Ryan Mayes all did their best to get the home side as many as possible, and it was only when Moore and Whittle fell to Read and Highton that the Oldham innings finally ended in the last over on 186. Interestingly, this was the first time this season Middleton had bowled a side out in the league.

The Moonrakers certainly didn’t help themselves – by bowling an incredible 47 extras, 38 of them wides, a statistic which in the end would cost them all five points.

Middleton opened up with Martin Roberts and Steve Davey, who together got the away side off to the best possible start. The pair were both seemingly at ease with the Oldham attack before Roberts missed a straight delivery and was bowled by Jayasinghe for 25.

The two experienced men, Davey and Jimmy Ryan, then tried to exploit the Oldham fielding by running quick singles to keep the total moving. However, Davey went one step too far, when he ran himself out looking for a quick single to mid off for 22.

Ryan and new man Drew also continued the positive approach. Drew was looking particularly good, hitting Moore for consecutive boundaries into the sightscreen at the Pavilion End. Ryan too was being effective, playing his usual patient game and waiting for the bad delivery as the moved towards his fourth half century of the season.

However, giddiness once again came over the Middleton batsmen as Drew copied Davey in trying to take a silly run, running himself out on 15 with the score on 93. Things got worse immediately afterwards as Read was bowled first ball by Moore to leave the Moonrakers in trouble.

It was then down to captain Punchard and Ryan to get the innings back on track with a steady partnership of 53. The pair were both looking good, seemingly cruising Middleton to what would be just their third league win of 2008.

But then, disaster struck. Immediately after reaching his half century, Ryan got himself out by playing at a wide ball caught behind – the right hander was furious with himself after getting out when he knew he needed to stay at the crease and see his side home.

Ryan’s departure caused a fatal collapse for the Moonrakers as both Punchard and Stuart Fitton both went on 170 thanks to some good bowling from Liam Garnett.

It was not what the Moonrakers needed – exposed batsmen having to go in and hit their way to victory with only three overs left. The tail tried their hardest, but the experience of Whittle and skill of Garnett got the home side over the line by just six runs.

One cannot help feel what might have been if the Middleton bowlers hadn’t bowled so many extras, and if Punchard and Ryan could have stuck around. However, despite the bitter disappointments, the Moonrakers still went home with a single point after reaching 75 per cent of Oldham’s total.