Posted by Josh Cannon
Sale’s U16 team brought home the club’s third trophy of the year – and the U16 team’s second – as they thrashed Radcliffe to complete the Salford Youth Cricket Association U16 2015 Legaue and Cup double.
Despite missing regular bowlers Mal Clarke and Dennis Gornall, captain Dan Osborne had no qualms about bowling first, upon winning the toss.
The decision paid off in the second over, when opener Jordan Booth looped a delivery from Tom Kellett to Adam Holland at midwicket, who took a simple catch to dismiss him for just five and give Sale an early inroad with Radcliffe 6-1.
Lockett and Malcolm – Radcliffe’s number two and three respectively – had added nineteen runs in three overs and were starting to build a solid partnership when Lockett was unfortunate to be bowled by Gill off his pad for seven at just under a run a ball, leaving Radcliffe 25-2, with a quarter of the innings gone.
Noah Duffy came in at four and added a blistering 12 with Malcolm – of which Duffy scored eleven – including a six and a four, but he was out just an over later as, on his seventh ball, he smashed the ball to cover, where Joe Cannon took a sharp catch to remove him and further reduce Radcliffe; now 37-3.
Joe Cannon continued his good form with the ball. Photo by George Franks.
Ryan Williams and captain Callum Malcolm tried to start a partnership that would enable them to rebuild the innings, and the two had slowly and carefully added nine before the temptation of the big shot grew too much for Williams, who hit a short one from Joe Cannon straight down the throat of Gabe Smith at deep backward square leg. Williams out for a very patient four – leaving Radcliffe in trouble at 46-4 with just over half the innings remaining.
This trouble was seriously compounded as Radcliffe then lost a further three wickets (four in total) for the addition of no runs to the scorecard. They had gone from the verge of trouble at 46-4 to total trouble, at 46-7. Firstly, Luke Entwistle was bowled by Joe Cannon trying to cut first ball, and, after Ben Lloyd Slater survived the hat-trick ball, captain Callum Malcolm was out – this time bowled by Gabe Smith – as he tried to charge down the track for 15, which was, at that time, Radcliffe’s highest score of the innings. Trent Turrel was then bowled second ball by Gabe Smith to make the score 46-7 and almost certainly condemn Radcliffe to defeat, barring a catastrophe from Sale’s perspective.
Cannon and Smith were then taken off by Sale captain Dan Osborne, which allowed Radcliffe’s Ben Lloyd Slater and Ben Austin to rebuild the innings somewhat and take them to a more respectable score. After Paddy Crump Raiswell’s over had been taken for eighteen, the returning Joe Cannon, in his last over, got the breakthrough Sale were looking for, as Ben Lloyd Slater offered a simple return catch to Cannon himself and he was forced to depart for an excellent twenty-six (Radcliffe’s highest score), with the score 92-8.
After Austin and Thornhill had added fourteen together, Gabe Smith had Austin and number eleven Case gone – and so closed the Radcliffe innings – as Austin first steered the ball straight into the hands of Tom Kellett at backward square leg and the Radcliffe man had to leave for a rapid twenty-five, coming off just 17 balls with three fours. With one wicket left, Radcliffe were 106, but this was soon 106 all out as Smith bowled a straight delivery that Case missed – dismissing the number eleven for a first ball duck and ending Radcliffe’s innings on a below-par 106-10 in exactly eighteen overs.
Sale celebrate bowling Radcliffe out for just 106. Photo by George Franks.
With a below-par score posted by Radcliffe, Sale knew they could take their time in the chase, and that they needed to make sure they kept wickets in hand – as losing wickets would likely be the only way they could lose the match.
As has often been the case this year, Sam Battersby took on the more attacking role, whilst Joe Cannon played a more quiet role, making sure there would always be a set batsman should his partner fall.
After taking ten from the first over, both batsmen began to settle into their roles and the partnership had added 48 – of which Battersby had scored the majority – when Battersby hit a short ball from Luke Entwistle straight into the hands of Callum Malcolm on the boundary, who made no mistake and forced Battersby to depart for twenty four, with four fours in his 27-ball knock.
Cannon was joined by Dan Osborne, as the two looked to steer Sale home as quickly as possible and with as little worry as possible. At first, they were content with taking the singles and reducing the runs required ball-by-ball. Soon, though, Dan Osborne took the initiative and began to put his foot down, taking the majority of the 22 runs off the bowling of Ben Austin’s solitary over, putting his second life to good use after he was dropped on the boundary by Callum Malcolm.
With one run needed, Osborne stroked it for a single – which Joe Cannon came through to accept – and with it, Sale had beaten Radcliffe and taken top position in the Salford Youth Cricket Association U16 2015 competition, overtaking Monton & Weaste, as Sale ended the season with their fourth consecutive win, and league-leading seventh win out of ten games.
Sale CC U16: Salford Youth Cricket Association U16 League and Cup Double Winners 2015
Sale Cricket Club 