Clifton’s impressive run of three consecutive victories cameto an end on Saturday as they came up against a strong Royton side on whatproved to be a very batter-friendly surface under glorious sunshine.
In conditions where winning the toss carried hugesignificance, Royton made full use of their advantage by electing to bat firston a flat deck, laying the platform for what was always likely to be achallenging chase.
To Clifton’s credit, there were plenty of positives in thefield. The visitors were made to work hard for every partnership, with Cliftoncontinuing to compete and show discipline throughout the innings. Gareth Crosswas once again outstanding, producing a miserly spell of 2-50 from 13 overs,maintaining control and asking constant questions of the Royton batters. BenHamilton also made a strong impact, claiming 3-66, including a key middle-orderburst that helped slow Royton’s momentum just as they threatened to accelerate.
Chasing 262 was always going to require a strong start, andunfortunately Clifton never quite managed to build the partnerships that haveunderpinned their recent success. There were glimpses of resistance,particularly from Parikh, who battled hard for 33, and Stanley, who showedadmirable character to remain unbeaten on 22, continuing to fight despitewickets falling around him.
Royton’s attack found rhythm with the new ball andmaintained relentless pressure. Perera (5-25) and Iqbal (4-44) bowled withaccuracy and made scoring difficult, capitalising on scoreboard pressurethroughout the innings.
While the final margin looks heavy, this result should notovershadow the excellent progress Clifton have made in recent weeks. Onedifficult afternoon does not define a side, particularly one that has shown theresilience, togetherness and quality this group has displayed during its recentwinning run.
With the season now approaching the halfway point, Cliftonremain in a strong position and can take confidence from the cricket they haveplayed over the last month.