Woodhouse Away - Game 2

Date 29th April 2006 - Woodhouse Away


On arrival at the postage stamp that is Woodhouse Cricket Club you could almost see the Ilkley batsmen licking their lips when they realised the proximity of the boundary edge to the crease! Even Cocky fancied hitting his first ever six in Senior cricket!!!

Team

C Quaife (Capt)
A Bailey
N Cockcroft
P Dover
R Harrison
D Jayes
A Rhodes
M Sant
S Schwerdt
J Varley (wk)
A Wheeler

Captain Quaife was quick to warn against any complacency however and told his batsmen to ‘get set, bat properly and the runs would come’.

After winning his first toss of the season Guppy elected to bat and the opening pair of Simon and Bails strode confidently out to the middle... and what a first over! Aussie Simon promptly smashed Woodhouses’s opening bowler for 20 runs, including a huge six into the beck that runs behind the ground.
Simon, it seemed was in no mood to hang around and got the ICC off to a flyer smashing 45 off the first 4 overs!

Bails was a little more sedate in his approach and was happy to give Simon the strike calmly knocking runs all around the ground before again succumbing to an lbw on 20.

No panic at this point and with Cocky coming in at three the ICC team were a happy bunch of men. Cockcroft got off to an uncharacteristic start, rapidly advancing into double figures before he remembered who he was and swiftly reverted back to self and dead batted the next 59 deliveries!
At the other end Simon was still on a mission and with only 15 overs gone and already on 80 the ICC team were hoping to see its first centurion of the season. Alas, Woodhouse changed its bowling and the new man quickly had Simon caught on the boundary edge.

In walked No. 4 Sant and he soon walked back! Calling a suicidal single off his own shot he was expertly run out by mid on from a superb direct hit.

And so out strode the immaculately attired Paul Dover. He joined the ever-dependable Cockcroft in the middle and the conversation must have been to consolidate for a while. The WCC 2nd change had other ideas though and came up with a cunning plan – Ball 1, full toss. Ball 2, full toss (ah, maybe he knows of Pauls weakness against full tosses, thought the Ilkley dressing room!) Ball 3, half-tracker. Ball 4, genuine half volley that PD smashed straight at cover. Ball 5 – he bowls the delivery of the game, pitches it on a length on leg stump, Paul plays down that line before realises too late that the ball was now heading for the top of off-stump. It flicked the bail and much hollering and whooping from the bowler followed happy in the knowledge that he’d stuck to his plan and worked out the destructive Dover before he got going!

And so with their tales somewhat raised the WCC saw the left-handed Wheeler walk to the middle and smelt victory. With 28 overs still remaining, Ilkley were in danger of sprinting this particular marathon. With 140 runs on the board the two former Burley players knew that at least runs weren’t a problem, survival and the protection of the lower order was the immediate priority. It wasn’t quite the scenario Wheels would have liked to have made his debut for the ICC with his bat but any nerves he may have had were soon dispelled with a tidy single off his first delivery. The two Burley Boys batted well together and clearly enjoyed each others styles of play. The defence-minded Cockcroft was happy for Wheels to play a more expansive and fluent game and with 10 overs left and the hundred partnership in their sights Wheels decided to push on... Shezad the overseas player was on and after dispatching his first two deliveries straight back over his head for huge sixes, Wheels went for one hit too many and was caught on the boundary three short of his 50.

Captain Quaife stepped up to the plate and despite recent eye problems he rolled back the years and showed his class with some lovely shots through the off-side. It was all out attack from Ilkley now and with the lower order going for their shots, the wickets and runs were aplenty and the Ilkley innings ended in the last over as the ICC were all out for 280. Cockcroft was unfortunate to be out lbw close to getting his 50 but credit must be given as he held the innings together and built a platform that that the team felt they could defend.
At this point it is only right to mention the bowling performance of Captain Bray for Woodhouse who bowled terrifically well for 24 overs going for just 46 runs.

A magnificent spread by the Woodhouse tea-lady interrupted proceedings for half an hour, the jam tarts a particular highlight!

And so Rhodes and Harrison opened the bowling. Rhodes can count himself unlucky as after a good first two overs the Woodhouse batsmen decided to get after him and he did end up going for a 2 or three 6's.
The pressure was maintained at the other end by Dick however; whom produced some real jaffa's to keep the WCC pair on their toes and got his reward when he bowled Holmes for 20.
At this point Guppy brought Paul Dover into the attack but the Woodhouse batsmen simply would not allow Paul to settle into any kind of rhythm and unfortunately for him he too was brought off after just 4 overs. This was strong but good captaincy from the skipper and after consultation with his right-hand man Jo Varley he decided to swap Harrison to the bottom end and bring on left arm spinner Cockcroft. This proved to be an inspired decision as Cocky got a wicket with his very first ball!
With Harrison now into the groove at the other end pressure soon began to show when another Cockcroft pearler brought overseas player Shezad to the crease Woodhouse were looking down the barrel. Shezad and partner Pickles weren't about to give up without a fight though and when Shezad decided to get some of his own back on Ilkley, he smashed Harrison to all parts of the ground in one over scoring 26 off it in the process. Cocky again held his nerve though and when he bowled 3 consecutive dot balls the pressure got to Shezad and the Pakistani went for another big shot only to see it rocket straight into the hands of Jayes on the boundary edge. Shezad certainly deserved the generous applause he received from both his Ilkley counterparts and the Woodhouse faithful.
The catch effectively put Woodhouse out of the game with the score at 150-5. On came Jayes himself and within 10 overs the ICC had the game wrapped up. Cocky picked up a great 6-29 and Jayes mopped up the tail taking a quick 3-15.

Ilkley CC 277 all out (Schwerdt 62, Cockcroft 47 Wheeler 47)
Woodhouse 179 all out (Cockcroft 12-4-29-6, Harrison 14-6-62-1, Jayes 5.3-1-15-3)

And so the ICC establish themselves as the early pacesetters at the top of Aire Wharfe Division C. Captain Quaife targeted promotion at the beginning of the campaign and he could not at this stage expect any more from his troops. Nevertheless, he will now be insistent that the team stick to the high standards they have set themselves.

Sunday 7th May brings Division A team Follifoot to Denton Road and this will be a real opportunity for the Ilkley squad to pit their wits against some quality opposition.

Up the ICC!