Cricketers fall at semi-final hurdle
Newcastle's Barrowman is run out as the visitors push on late in their innings
NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY FIRSTS 251-7
UNIVERSITY OF YORK FIRSTS 226 all out
BUCS Northern Conference Cup Semi-Final – Wednesday 2nd June
Photographs by Peter Iveson
York’s cricketers were narrowly edged out in the semi-final of the Conference Cup on Wednesday, as they failed to chase down the 251 runs put on the board by their Newcastle opposition. On a baking hot day skipper Sean Martin won the toss and put Newcastle into bat. Tuesday’s rain meant the wicket was doing a bit and the visitors did well to put such an imposing total on the board. They can be indebted to the work of Ullyott, who made a composed 95 and was unlucky to not reach his ton.
It started brightly for York as Martin comprehensively bowled opener Craig Barrington, who played the kind of shot normally reserved for 20/20 cricket. Joe Austin came in at number three, and was clearly not short of talent. He played a shot a ball and soon departed for an attractive, but all too brief, 23. Having started with a gung-ho approach Newcastle had to dig in, following the fall of the two early wickets.
Purshouse and Ullyott then began to knock the ball around during the middle overs. There were few alarms for the pair but they were unable to do anything more than find singles, with York’s Hudson particularly parsimonious. With the 100 up that man Hudson made the breakthrough, as the obdurate Purshouse attempted a sweep, the ball beat his bat but flicked his gloves on the way through to the keeper.
Poised at 160-3 with ten overs left Newcastle went on the attack. Martin responded by bringing himself back into the attack but the extra pace on the ball only aided Newcastle’s charge. Wicketkeeper Charlie Davy nicked off while chasing a wide one and Ullyott offered a return catch while trying to force the ball through the legside, nevertheless Newcastle’s tail wagged and they managed to end on 251-7. There was a sense that this was a good total, especially as the pitch had been doing a bit earlier in the morning, but with the sun shining down the wicket was only going to get better and hopes were high that York could make it through to the final.
York’s Andy Kirkwood attempts to nurdle a spinner in Newcastle’s attack
Hudson and Oldham started confidently, with Hudson in particular playing some nice shots but his partner Oldham soon fell. Newcastle skipper Austin opened with a spinner from the Pavillion End and when he failed to deliver a breakthrough, he turned to another slow bowler. The change worked as Oldham chipped straight to midwicket and at 37-1 the game was in the balance. With Hudson and Kirkwood looking fairly comfortable at the crease, particularly against the seamers, a great catch tipped the game in the visitors’ favour. Hudson flicked off his legs but outstretched at square leg was Austin who took the catch diving at full length, and proceeded to react as if taking such a screamer was an everyday occurrence.
York needed a partnership to stabilise the innings but it wasn’t to be, Menon went for a booming drive outside his off-stump but succeeded only in edging behind. Newcastle were then able to take control of York’s reply, using their spinners to great effect to strangle the host’s run rate and with an ever increasing required run rate the home side began to lose wickets. Number three Kirkwood who had looked slightly suspect against the spinners showed his frustration by mistiming a drive to mid-off and Felgate soon followed when he too mistimed a drive and picked out a fielder.
Only Rupa was standing tall for York, refusing to give his wicket away while intelligently keeping the scoreboard ticking. What he needed was a partner but that wasn’t to come from Wimhurst who smashed Austin’s off-spin high into the air where mid-off did the rest, and at 119-6 off 31 overs York were staring down the barrel and it seemed that there could be an early end to proceedings.
Newcastle’s star man Ullyott goes on the attack
Rupa however continued, despite seeing the off-stump of partner Hoggart knocked back, and found partners in both Barratt and skipper Martin. When the injured Barratt lost his wicket York still needed 86 from the last ten overs but the tenth wicket partnership of Martin and Rupa nearly delivered, putting on 51 before a disastrous mix-up saw Rupa lose his wicket. Martin soldiered on but it wasn’t to be as he perished attempting to hit over the top and York fell just short.
Martin contemplated on what might have been, but was proud of his side’s performance; “We could have won that today…they kept wickets in hand and we didn’t. It’s a shame, it’s been a great season…it’s a great achievement and we mustn’t forget that”. In the end Newcastle’s target was just out of reach for Martin and his men, but it could have been so different had they been able to call on their full strength side.
NEWCASTLE INNINGS
Purshouse Gloved attempted sweep C Keeper B Hudson 48
Barrington Went for big drive, bowled top of middle B Martin 0
Austin Bowled trying to go over the top B Felgate 23
Ullyott Looped up return catch of leading edge C & B Oldham 95
Davy Caught behind chasing wide one C Hoggart B Oldham 17
Fagan Caught at mid-off attempting big shot C Wimshurst B Felgate 23
Barrowman Short of ground attempting second to deep cover RUN OUT 17
Kapoor NOT OUT 7
Crossland NOT OUT 0
251 – 7 (22 extras)
YORK INNINGS
Hudson Flicked off his legs, great catch Square Leg C Austin B Barrowman 39
Oldham Chipped spinner to Midwicket C Purshouse B Fagan 6
Kirkwood Mistimed drive to Mid-Off C Stanyon B Crossley 12
Menon Caught behind attempting big drive C Davey B Barrowman 6
Rupa Mixup with skipper sees Rupa sacrifice himself RUN OUT 68
Felgate Caught Cover-Point, spooned drive C Fagan B Crossley 11
Wimshurst Caught Mid-On skying a slog C Stanyon B Austin 8
Hoggart Bowled Off-stump by full delivery B Scarborough 0
Barrat Slog sweep down Midwicket’s throat C Fagan B Austin 23
Martin Big drive up in the air to Point C Ullyott B Barrowman 25
Alsop NOT OUT 0
226 All Out (33 extras)
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I don’t I SMASH it