Bacup CC Match Report

It was another excellent weekend for Bacup Cricket Club with impressive victories in both the T20 competition and the League. 

On Friday evening, First Division Todmorden were the visitors to The Tony Pizza and Kebab House Lanehead Cricket Ground, with both teams having won their first fixture in the competition. 

The visitors batted first after winning the toss and, after an intriguing contest between bat and ball, posted a total of 143 for 5 with Edgar (28), Atkinson (42) and Noah Priestley (21) being the main contributors. Adlum enhanced his growing reputation as a bowler, taking 2 for 24 in his four overs, including the wicket of the Todmorden professional Ed Moore. He was well supported by Jack Bradford with 2 for 28 and Lord with 1 for 28 whilst Dom Boardman again bowled a tight spell. 

Although this was a reasonably challenging target,  Bacup coasted home, winning by 7 wickets with more than four overs to spare. After the early loss of Adlum for 2, the Bacup professional Chirag Khurana and Jack Bradford added 120 for the second wicket to take Bacup to the cusp of victory. Khurana’s masterclass of 74 included 3 sixes and 8 fours, whilst Bradford, with 48 not out, completed the job with the help of Hargreaves who made 11. 

Bacup have won their first two games in this competition and will now entertain more First Division opposition when Middleton are the visitors this Friday. 

Sunday saw Enfield visit The Tony’s Pizza and Kebab House Lanehead Cricket Ground. With plenty of rain around the prospect of play didn’t look good. However, the rain finally relented, allowing a 3.30 start with a 26 over match. 

Bacup won the toss and elected to bowl first. This decision wasn’t looking too good when Enfield piled on 91 for the first wicket with opening batsmen Bracewell (53) and Wright (37) dominating the Bacup bowling. However, the loss of Bracewell, caught by Gansler off the bowling of Jack Bradford, sparked a dramatic collapse, with nine Enfield wickets falling for only 22 runs as Bacup’s deadly duo Khurana and Lord reasserted their control,  with Lord taking 4 for30 and Khurana 4 for 34. Crucially, Bacup conceded only two extras in the entire innings as Enfield finished on 116 for 9. 

If Bacup thought this was going to be a easy run chase they were to be in for a rude awakening when, with the score on 1, Khurana, promoted to opening the batting in a shortened game, was dismissed first ball, caught at slip to a ball that turned sharply from Simon O’Loughlin. When Adlum departed for 17 and Collinge for 1, with the score on 40 for 3, the game was in the balance. Jack Bradford (27) and Lord (16) added 28 for the fourth wicket to put the hosts back on target. Then, step forward Chris Gansler (back from cricketing retirement after a magnificent headloss in the first innings),  who took Bacup to victory with a scintillating innings of controlled hitting, scoring 35 not out in only 18 balls, sealing the win with 8 balls to spare, despite losing Luke Bradford (5), Hargreaves (7) and Rehman (1).

Bacup claimed 10 points finishing on 120 for 8 and gaining revenge for a narrow Worsley Cup defeat at Enfield a couple of weeks ago and now climb to seventh in the table. 

There was no action at Dill Hall Lane with the Second Eleven having their game abandoned without a ball being bowled. The Third Eleven were without a fixture but will return to action with a home game against Darwen on Saturday.