It was a busy week for Shildon Railway Cricket Club’s 1st team last week, with the side in action three times in three days from Thursday through to Saturday.
They started at home to current Premier League champions, Richmond, in the Collingwood Fifteens quarter finals on Thursday in receipt of a 32-run head start due to the two division gap between the teams.
Shildon were put into bat and struggled throughout with overseas international Ghafari proving especially challenging.
Shildon’s own overseas, Cordie McKendry, and local boy Loyd Horner, put up some resistance before a couple of late boundaries from Crabtree got Shildon up to a respectable 116.
It would have required something special to defend, and Antipodean duo McKendry and Dinger (3 wickets) tried their best, offering great control against some of the best club cricketers around. But Richmond knocked off the runs four wickets down in the penultimate over.
On Friday night, the 1st XI then welcomed fellow railwaymen, Darlington RA 2nd XI, to the BR in the quarter finals of the Egglestone Cup.
The home side restricted RA to 134-4 with Knowles, McKendry and Dinger again in the wickets.
Shildon showed their class and bounced back from the previous night’s disappointment, chasing the score down for the loss of no wickets in the 13th over.
Forster finished 56* and Sam Telford, scoring his first 50 for the club, finishing on 61* in a fine knock which included three bludgeoned 6s. The finals day will be later in the season.
Next up on Saturday, the first team travelled to Teesside where they took on Middlesbrough in the league. Having won the toss, skipper Greg Upton decided to have a bat.
The opening pair of Upton and Cordie McKendry raced to 33 before the latter was dismissed caught behind for the first wicket.
Jacob Dinger entered the fold and he and Upton proceeded to continue the attack on the Boro bowlers striking some lusty blows as the score reached 100 before Upton was dismissed LBW for 48. Shortly after, Dinger was back in the hut with 35 runs following a sharp catch at mid-off which on another day would have flown to the boundary at lightning speed.
The middle order then came and went with only Ste Forster and Loyd Horner making double figures before a run out left the BR 9 down with the score at 160 and still with 8 overs left.
Things were looking ominous, but Adam Bayles (29 not out) and Dan Richardson (13 not out) pushed the score beyond 200 with a dogged last wicket stand that truly swung the game back in the BR’s favour.
The innings finished on 204-9 putting it down to the bowlers to do the work to earn 25 points.
Cordie McKendry and Ste Forster opened up with the new ball with the latter removing the opening batsman LBW on 23.
That was the last action McKendry had with the ball as both his replacement, Joe Knowles and Forster removed the remaining nine batters between them.
Forster took his first BR 5fer with some exceptional bowling aided by some fine catching.
In particular, Leo Stout, who took three catches in the innings, really put the home side in trouble before Knowles wrapped things up with the batter chipping to McKendry at mid-on for his second catch off the same bowler in the game.
It was a brilliant result considering the latter stages of the first innings with the hard work of the last pair really putting the pressure on and then Forster turning the screw with the ball to bring his side home.
Meanwhile, the 2nd XI had a challenging day at Hackworth Road where they entertained Middletion St George.
Stand-in captain, Rob Marquiss won the toss and elected to bowl, only for the away team to rack up 324-7 off their 40 overs, the MSG number four scoring a brilliant 144 not out.
Young Thomas Jacobs figures were a stand out at 2-32 off 5 overs in amongst the carnage.
The score always looked a challenging one with Shildon finishing on 127 all out, with skipper Marquiss (27) and returning former captain Matty Summerbell (39) reaching double figures.
Next week the 2nd team don’t have a game, whilst the 1st team have completed the turn of their fixtures and will be looking on Saturday to avenge an early season loss and continue their promotion push at home to Marton.
Shildon & District's local community newspaper.
