Woodbank Walloped!
When the score reached 24-0 at Woodbank in the first XI's final away game of the season, there was little to suggest that the team and supporters would be back at Clifton fractionally before 3pm, to find the second team there, enjoying their own victory drink. Tariq looked settled and Humphries had crashed a couple of boundaries against Ryan and it looked like we had a game on our hands. Eighteen runs and ten wickets later they were having tea as the bottom side produced one of the most devastating collapses I've seen since my school team were 10 all out. Ryan was chief tormentor with 6-24, but Richard's eleven overs for ten runs left the batsmen chasing shadows. At 34-5 they even managed a run out that would even have made Ena Sharples giggle and at 42 it was all over, with Ben snaffling the last couple of wickets for four runs.
Joe completed his 500 for the season, but will have been disappointed to be dismissed as Sam (11no) and Mason (16no) brought the game to a conclusion inside seven overs. That ensured a minimum 3rd place finish, but it'll be 2nd if we can nick the points against Denton West and Flixton can do us a favour and beat Roe Green and that will add up to a highly satisfying season that will, however, have left Mike Ayers and others pondering what might have been in those inexplicable games in which we didn't turn up. Ryan needs 99 for 1000 league and Cup runs and just one wicket to reach 50 (league and Cup) in his last game for the club (for now) and Richard needs two wickets to achieve 50 league only scalps for the season. Ben needs 14 for a creditable 300 to add to his under 18 and T20 runs and needs four wickets to reach an excellent 50 wickets in 1st XI league and cup games.