First Team - Radcliffe Home

From the Papers...

Oldham Evening Chronicle

Royton’s sigh of relief as losing run ends

ROYTON registered a morale-boosting 10-run victory over Radcliffe in a match which saw the balance of power shift on several occasions.
Royton looked sure to post a huge total when they raced to 168 for one with plenty of overs to spare.
But a batting collapse saw them reduced to 211 for eight and yesterday’s visitors to the Paddock suddenly had a foothold in the game.
That foothold changed to a huge stride forward when, after suffering the first-ball loss of opening batsman Ash Gorsi, Radcliffe eased their way to 94 without further loss thanks to leading amateur Bruce Cruse and professional Pasan Wanansinghe.
But, just as Royton succumbed, so too did Radcliffe. The loss of Wanansinghe was a setback, but it was their failure to push on during the middle of their innings which proved so costly and allowed the home side to rescue a game which looked to be slipping through their fingers.
Radcliffe finished their 50 overs on 201 for six, Cruse falling for 85 in the final over.
Taking first guard, Royton made a flying start thanks mainly to Australian batsman Anthony Percy, who dominated an opening stand of 85 with Matthew Ward (10).
Home professional Iqbal Imam emulated Percy’s aggressive style, hitting Stu Kelly for 16 in one over on his way to an attractive 48.
Having bludgeoned his way to 50, Percy was more circumspect during the second part of his innings and the loss of Imam, trapped leg before by Wanansinghe, heaped more responsibility on him.
After Ryan Harding became the visiting professional’s second victim, Percy decided to take the attack to the Sri Lankan, but paid the penalty.
He was lucky to see a mistimed shot fall between fielders, but his next-ball attempt to hit Wanansinghe out of the ground went wrong and Phil Hayes took a comfortable catch at long-on. Percy’s knock of 88 came off 119 balls and included seven fours and four sixes.
Royton skipper Lee Gibbons made a bright and breezy 20 before Radcliffe skipper Graham Simpson took a fine catch off his own bowling, and the home side’s innings fizzled out to an ultimately-disappointing total.
Simpson deserved much of the credit, bowling well at the death to return figures of four for 44.
After Gorsi was caught behind by Gareth Lees off Glenn Dickinson’s first delivery, Radcliffe took command.
But Royton paid man Imam was introduced to the attack and gradually turned the screw.
Wanansinghe looked to be in control until he edged Imam to slip, where Gibbons took a fine reflex catch.
Cruse and Simpson steadied the Radcliffe ship, but the dismissal of the latter for 24 sent shock waves through the visitors’ middle order and runs became hard to come by.
Throughout all this, Cruse did his best to steer his side to victory, but his batting partners came and went without maintaining the required run rate and it was already a lost cause when he holed out to Percy in the deep for 85.
After two nine-wicket drubbings the previous weekend and defeat at Littleborough 24 hours earlier, this was just the tonic Royton needed. Hopefully, they can push on from this.

Back To Fixtures