Third XI 2009

1 August vs Calverhall (Home)  

Another game that was rained off, the Thirds make the trek to Bishop’s Castle in division 7 for their next match.  

25 July vs Worfield (Away)  

Lilleshall thirds were given a hard time at Worfield in their division 7 fixture. The home side scored a daunting 230-4 in just 40 overs to set Lilleshall a big task.

Ian Dawes took two wickets and there was one each for Henry Sankey and Richard Todd.  Lilleshall were never in the hunt and finally struggled to 104-8 in their 40 overs.  Ever dependable opener Dave Wright made 22 while Dawes top scored with 30 but the rest was a battle to avoid defeat.

Lilleshall entertain Calverhall at Edgmond next Saturday.

11 July vs Pontesbury (Home)  

Lilleshall thirds were edged out by one wicket by Pontesbury in their division 7 Sunday fixture at Edgmond.

Batting first Lilleshall were bowled out for just 119.  David Wright made 15 but fellow opener Peter Maltby was the mainstay of the innings with 50.  But he was fifth out on 84 as the Lilleshall innings lost their last eight wickets for just 39.

Pontesbury lost both openers with the score on four to youngsters Peter Coombes (1-24) and Jack Pierce (1-25).

The rest of the bowlers then worked their way through the Pontesbury innings led by James Gant (4-25). Chris Hadley rolled back the years with 2-18 from nine overs while Richard Todd (1-21) kept up the pressure. But in the end the visitors’ last pair scrambled the winning runs.

Lilleshall have a local derby against Forton seconds at Edgmond next Saturday (2.00). 

4 July vs Whitchurch (Home)  

Lilleshall thirds, denied precious points the previous week when their match at bottom of the table Prees was one of the very few to be called off because of overnight rain, got back to winning ways in division 7 when crushing Whitchurch fourths at Edgmond.

They piled on the runs to make 220-2 in 40 overs. Peter Maltby (28) helped another veteran Dave Wright put on 44 for the first wicket and then Steve Gant took over.  He hit 12 fours and a six in his 89 not out and with Wright (five fours in his 52) put on 158 for the second wicket.

When Whitchurch batted Lilleshall’s under-15 bowlers Peter Coombs and Jack Pierce quickly got among the wickets.

Both trapped an opener with Pierce taking 2-17 off five overs while Coombs came back later to finish off the innings to return 4-32.  In between a run out plus Chris Hadley (2-13) and Joe Byrne (1-26) – who broke a troublesome sixth wicket partnership – whittled away at the middle order with Whitchurch finally being bowled out for 134 to give Lilleshall an 86 run victory and maximum points.

Lilleshall have a Sunday date next weekend when they entertain Pontesbury in their promotion chase at Edgmond.

27 June vs Prees (Away) 

There was disappointment for the thirds when their division 7 fixture at Prees was abandoned after the wicket on a recently relaid square was unplayable after heavy rain on Friday.

20 June vs Hodnet & Peplow (Home) 

Lilleshall thirds are chugging along among the top teams in division 7 and they had an easy victory over Hodnet and Peplow seconds at Edgmond. But a chase for a title has not stopped skipper Paul Wrighton from always giving the youngsters a chance and 14-year-old opening bowlers Peter Coombs and Jack Pierce set the tone.

Pierce didn’t get a wicket but only conceded five runs in five overs while Coombs returned the eye-catching figures of 4-4 in 6.1 overs stretched over two spells.  Thirteen-year-old James Gant (1-12) also did well while the other wickets fell to Dave Bristow (1-22) and veteran Pete Maltby (2-1) as the depleted visitors were bowled out for 73.

Openers Maltby and Wright both with 17 set Lilleshall on their way while Steve Gant was 15 not out. The game was wrapped up by young Pierce who hit 10 not out with two fours from the first three balls he faced to give Lilleshall another 20 points.

Lilleshall travel to Prees next. 

13 June vs Madeley (Away)  

With unavailability hitting the firsts and seconds, Lilleshall thirds predictably were just a shadow of their normal line-up and predictably slumped to their first defeat of their division 7 season at Madeley.

Lilleshall batted first and made 125-6 off their 40 overs. Openers Dave Wright (40) and skipper Paul Wrighton (23) made good contributions while Steve Gant with five sixes weighed in with 40.  But runs were never easy to come by and Lilleshall must have known, with their weakened XI, that the home side had the edge.

But Lilleshall made them fight all the way going down by five wickets. Richard Todd took 3-26 off nine overs and there was a wicket each for James Gant (1-12) and Paul Wrighton (1-12).

Lilleshall entertain Hodnet at Edgmond next. 

16 May vs Calverhall (Away)  

Lilleshall thirds have got into a winning habit in division 7 of the fbc Manby Bowdler Shropshire Cricket League.

A comfortable success at Calverhall made it three wins out of four in the opening fixtures and they are the team setting the standard at the moment.  Batting first, Calverhall had few answers to the Lilleshall bowling and were eventually bowled out for 136.  Youngsters Peter Coombs (1-11 from five overs) and Henry Sankey (1-27 off four) got rid of both openers and then Rob Bagshaw and Chris Hadley got to work with four wickets each.

Bagshaw took 4-27 from 10.4 overs in two spells while veteran Hadley, the fifth bowler to be used after the youngsters had been given their chance, returned 4-32 from seven overs.

Lilleshall lost two wickets for 28 but Dave Wright again stood firm at the top of the order. Drew Wrighton (16) and Jack Pierce (14) – two more promising youngsters – helped him towards the winning target and Hadley, batting at seven, took part in an unbeaten stand of 40 that took Lilleshall to a winning 137-5.

The ever reliable Wright, with four fours and a six, finished unbeaten on 52 while Hadley was 16 not out. 

9 May vs Worfield (Home) 

Lilleshall thirds cricket team are enjoying a blistering start to their division 7 campaign in the fbc Manby Bowdler Shropshire Cricket League.

They defeated Worfield at Edgmond to give them their second win in the opening three games and, but for a last wicket survival act by Ellesmere’s tail-enders on the first day of the season, they would be boasting a 100 per cent record.

Star of their latest victory was spinner Dave Bristow, with his first ever five wicket haul to set up a successful run chase. Young Jack Pierce (1-19) broke the opening partnership at 18 when Worfield batted first but the score reached 48 before Rob Bagshaw (1-30) claimed the second wicket.  Chris Hadley (2-34) got stuck into the middle order before Bristow started his great spell.  Worfield’s 83-4 became 110-9 as Bristow claimed 5-25 off his nine overs and, on the same score, Richard Todd (1-2) plcked out a smart catch off his own bowling to make it 110 all out.

Lilleshall lost skipper Paul Wrighton at 23 but then Dave Wright (45 not out) and Alex Dyer (37) put on 71 in just nine overs for the second wicket.  For Dyer it was his third successive score in the thirties and it was a surprise when he was dismissed. Lilleshall lost another quick wicket but, veteran, Wright steered them to a seven wicket win.

Lilleshall are at Calverhall for their next game.

2 May vs Forton (Away) 

Lilleshall thirds continued their great start to the season.

They came close to beating Ellesmere seconds in their opening division seven fixture and followed by winning at Forton seconds with bowler Rob Bagshaw taking a hat-trick.  Batting first on a slow wicket that produced the odd shooter Lilleshall had Alex Dyer again in prime form. With his team on 29-3, he took the attack to the bowlers and, partnered by veteran Pete Malty (15), added 51 for the fourth wicket.  Dyer hit 34 with five fours before he holed out at cover going for another big shot.  With Maltby dismissed in the same over it was left to Drew Wrighton (17) and Bagshaw (two sixes in his 15) to repair the damage.  But no batsmen was ever in command on that wicket and Lilleshall were grateful to Chris Hadley (15) and Callum Haskew (13 not out) for adding some precious runs at the end as the innings closed on 154-9 after 45 overs.

Forton made a solid start with the openers putting on 19 before Bagshaw struck with his hat-trick and they were all clean bowled.  Bagshaw struck again to make it 32-4 and then, under-15, Henry Sankey (1-33) got into the action.  Veteran Chris Hadley joined the attack and removed dangerous opener Gleeson (29) who had stood firm until caught behind with the score on 72.  Haskew dismissed Ashley Williams (19) thanks to a smart square leg catch by Sankey to make it 98-7.

Two more wickets for Hadley (3-33) left Forton at 104-9 but a last wicket partnership by Phil Anthony and number 11 David Hancox (13 not out) almost saved the match.

They put on on 37 until Maltby ( 1-5) produced the match winning delivery that had the valiant Anthony lbw off the third ball of the last over.  Lilleshall’s next fixture is against Worfield thirds at Edgmond.  

25 April vs Ellesmere (Away) 

In contrast to the First XI, Lilleshall thirds made a good start in division 7 when they travelled to Ellesmere seconds.

Veteran opener Dave Wright with 17 gave the innings a solid start but it was young Alex Dyer who pushed the innings along.   He finally turned promise in the nets into meaningful action with 37 that included five fours and two sixes.

Drew Wrighton and Pete Maltby both reached double figures and Lilleshall finally totalled 166-9 off their 40 overs thanks to 40 from Rob Bagshaw.  Like Dyer, he also hit five fours and two sixes and, batting at number eight, he gave the home side a nasty late shock.

Then youngster Callum Haskew kept up the good work for Lilleshall by clean bowling both openers for just a run each.  Two wickets for Bagshaw (2-30 off 10) made it tough for Ellesmere while Haskew returned with two more wickets for 4-20 off 10 overs.  Meanwhile another budding young talent, Jack Pierce (1-25), got into the act with Ellesmere’s top scorer’s wicket.  Not to be upstaged, veteran Maltby returned 2-10 off four overs as the home side hung on at 132-9.