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Agony as Boro miss out again

22/ 7/2008

LITTLEBOROUGH’s match against Oldham at the Pollards on Saturday was the only CLL fixture to survive the wet weather.

But it was scant consolation for the visitors who for the second successive week ran their opponents close, but were beaten by four wickets in a match reduced to 38 overs by rain.

Littleborough, batting first set a challenging target – 203 to win – as they had the previous week. Professional Kamran Hussain was the mainstay of the innings with 81 runs from 84 balls.

Opener Rudd Keiser chipped in with 30 runs, including six boundaries, and Gary Hulme had reached 39 when he was out in identical fashion to last week; stumped by Maher off Chanatka Jayasinghe.

But once again the architect of their downfall was Oldham professional Chinthaka Jayasinghe, who scored 67 from as many balls, including four sixes and three fours, to give the run chase impetus. He found a willing ally in overseas amateur Nick Maree who was unbeaten on 59, he also smashed four sixes and three fours.

Boro’s cause was not helped by Hussain’s penchant for bowling no-balls – 10 in all – as he conceded 71 runs from nine untidy overs.

The bright spot on the bowling horizon was 16-year-old Tom Culshaw who showed his elders how it should be done. On his first-team debut he bowled 7.3 overs, one maiden and took two for 27. His first success in league cricket was the prize scalp of Jayasinghe, comprehensively bowled by the youngster.

Littleborough batted first and lost Curtis Maguire early in the piece, bowled Mel Whittle for six. Keiser and Hulme took the score past 50 before Keiser holed out, caught by Jayasinghe off Garnett.

Hulme and Hussain, though, took the attack to Oldham with a fine stand of 124, before Hulme perished. Hussain was out seven runs later chasing quick runs, leaving Billy Williams (5no) and Danny Thewlis (13no) to take Boro past the 200-mark.

Oldham needed a good start but with just eight on the board opener Brendan Miskella had Chris McDonnell, caught by Culshaw.

Paul Thompson and Jayasinghe mounted a recovery and had put on 71 runs when Thompson became Miskella’s second victim.

Another good partnership followed between Maree and Jayasinghe but with the score on 143 Boro were given some hope when the latter was out. Faisil Masiah and Zaf soon followed and at 156 for six it was game on.

Maree, though, continued to prosper and he and Liam Garnett moved the score on to 175.

Garnett (13) edged Hussain to Williams behind the stumps and a nailbiting finish was ensured. Maree held his nerve and with Maher intent on staying put, Oldham passed the winning post with nine balls to spare.

Oldham v Littleborough

Littleborough

R Keiser c Jayasinghe b Garnett 30
C Maguire b Whittle 6
K Hussain c Mayes b Jayasinghe 81
G Hulme st Maher b Jayasinghe 39
B Williams not out 5
D Thewlis not out 13

Extras 28
Total (for 4 wkts, 38 overs) 202
Bowling: Whittle 12-1-67-1; Jayasinghe 14-2-48-2; Garnett 7-0-45-1; Fasal-Masih 3-0-16-0; Mayes 2-0-23-0.

Oldham

P Thompson c Collins b Miskella 39
C MacDonnell c Culshaw b Miskella 0
C Jayasinghe b Culshaw 67
N Maree not out 59
A Fasil-Masih lbw Hussain 2
D Zaf lbw Culshaw 0
L Garnett c Williams b Hussain 12

J Maher not out 4

Extras 20

Total (for 6 wkts, 36.3 overs) 203
Bowling: Hussain 9-1-71-2; Miskella 10-2-38-2; Collins 7-0-30-0; Thewlis  3-0-32-0; Culshaw 7.3-2-27-2.