Another disappointing weekend for Londesborough Park’s senior teams as failings with the bat again resulted in comprehensive victories for the opposition.
The Britcom sponsored 1st XI completed the first half of the season’s fixtures with a home tie against lowly Hemingbrough whose skipper won the toss and invited the Park to set a target. With three key batsmen back in the hutch with only 18 on the board, all dismissed by Thomas Shepherd, that target lacked the potential to be significant. A rally between Michael Drewery (17) and Steve Dawson aided the cause before the former became Shepherd’s fourth victim. Dawson soldiered on to 43 but when he departed the remainder of the attack had no answer to the bowling of Robert Peet who took 4 for 16 to engineer an early tea, the Park dismissed for a rather difficult to defend total of 100. Tom Williamson with 13 was one of only three batsmen to credit double figures.
With nothing to lose the Park made a promising start with the ball, Ciaran Brooke and Tom Sowersby removing both opening bats with just 18 on the board. However a third wicket partnership between Aidan Coulbeck (14) and Glen Couch (53) appeared to have taken the visitors to the brink of success. Charlie Rook and Tom Williamson had other ideas though and proceeded to take 4 wickets which, added to a run out by skipper Tom Eagling, had the opposition wobbling on 99 for 8. Unfortunately it was nearly but not quite as the visitors eased home with 2 wickets in hand.
The Park needs to respond in the second half of the season to move away from the lower echelons of the division. Steve Dawson enjoyed the Harpers one of each and the match ball was generously sponsored by The Griffin, Market Weighton.
Londesborough Park 1st XI 100 (S Dawson 43, R Peet 4-16, T Shepherd 4-27) Hemingbrough 1st XI 103-8 (G Crouch 53, C Rook 3-16)
Life doesn’t get any easier for the Red Lion sponsored second team who faced a mid-table Heslington 1st XI with only 10 players once again. The Park took first knock but, similar to their first team counterparts, lost three early wickets with just 6 on the board. A touch of defiance from Darren Moody (15) and Alex Barlow (14) delayed the inevitable for a while but with extras (25) significantly outscoring any batsmen the innings terminated on 77.
The contest was brought to a swift conclusion after tea as Ian and Harry Clish, Nigel Ayre and Danial Giannini plundered the boundaries despite the best efforts of Steve Mudd who claimed both wickets to fall.
Harpers kept the man of the match fish and chips in the friers this week but The Goodmanham Arms did kindly sponsor the match ball. The only way is up in the second half of the season, starting with a visit to 3rd placed Goole this weekend.
Londesborough Park 2nd XI 77 (T Crouch 3-9, D Toone 3-19) Heslington 1st XI 81-2 (N Ayre 32 no, I Clish 25)