Junior Parkrun growing by the week
Brayton Academy Junior Parkrun launched on June 6 this year with 53 children completing the 2km course.
Sport -
July 31, 2021
Selby under-13s 76-5 Ackworth under-13s 75-5
It was a very hot and sunny evening as Selby Cricket Club’s under-13s travelled to Ackworth last Tuesday (July 20) to play in the Yorkshire Car Company Cup Final against the host club - and they were looking to add the cup to the league that had been secured a couple of weeks earlier.
The pitch looked a good one for batting, and there were some deliberations on whether to bat first or put the opposition in to know what score they would need to chase. Skipper Emma Brewer won the toss and decided, despite the hotter conditions, to field with the prospect of knowing how many to chase was the deciding factor and with a strong bowling unit behind her, the young Selby team were up for the challenge. It was the regular opening bowling pair of Caspar Gray and Joe Bugg to get them underway, and Gray was immediately into his accurate line bowling, before a lovely cover drive by the Ackworth opening bat Finnlay Perkins saw the first boundary for Ackworth.
In the second over, Bugg soon got his radar on and a boundary off his first ball was followed by another boundary off his third with another good shot, as Ackworth raced to 14 off just the first nine deliveries. However, both Bugg and Gray soon pegged them back with some excellent bowling and just two more runs were scored in the next 18 balls halting the quick start. At the end of their three-over spells, Ackworth stood at 27-0, which gave them a good platform on which to build a good score. The first bowling change of the match for Selby brought on Rhys Roddick and Jack Huddlestone, and they both got into a good rhythm, restricting Ackworth to the odd single before Selby’s excellent bowling got the breakthrough, when Roddick bowled Perkins for 16. In the following over, Huddlestone used his slower ball variation to deceive the other opening batsman to loft it to mid-on, where Gray took a good catch and get Selby right back into the game with Ackworth now on 37-2 off ten overs. Roddick continued to ask questions of the batsman and soon picked up a second wicket, as the batsman spooned it up for an easy catch for Jack Huddlestone.
After another tight over from Huddlestone, (1-6 off four overs) it was Roddick (3-9 off four overs) again in his final over who struck via a fantastic one-handed reflex catch by Caspar Gray to leave Ackworth on 41-4 with just six overs remaining. Sam Dickinson and Kayden Lane were next into the attack and continued to pose problems for the Ackworth batsman. However, they realised they needed to start attacking more to give Selby something to chase, and they looked to up the rate with the odd boundary, but by the end of the 18th over, they were still looking short on 60-5. A late flurry at the end added 15 important runs to the score, as Lane (1-15) took another wicket with a fine catch at point from Zac Kierans, as Ackworth finished on 75-5 to finish off a brilliant bowling and fielding display, which included some important fielding from Harry Mcloughlin and Jack White. The score looked a little bit short on the fast outfield but still gave plenty of work for the Selby batsman. After a well-deserved break to refuel, the opening batting pair of Kayden Lane and Jack Huddlestone strode out looking to build a solid foundation for the rest of the innings after some previous good opening partnerships in recent weeks. However, that plan didn’t last long, as Lane departed in the first over as the ball just squirted under his bat and knocked a bail off to leave Selby chasing the same score in 19 overs with nine wickets remaining. In the next over, Huddlestone, who was joined by Rhys Roddick, watched the ball carefully and picked off the bad balls with two delightful shots to the boundary to get the rate quickly back on track. A similar pattern emerged over the next few overs, as some good running and the odd boundary saw Selby reach 23-1 after six overs.
Just as Huddlestone (18) looked like he was there to stay, he played the first loose shot of his innings and was caught at cover for 18 off 22 balls. The next over seemed to turn the tide firmly in Selby’s favour despite losing the opening batsmen as Harry Huddlestone had replaced his brother and hit a no-ball head high full toss for four, which was quickly followed by five wides as the bowler felt the pressure. After a short delivery in the final ball of the over, Huddlestone got onto it quickly, he smoked the shot through the leg side, however, it was straight at a fielder who somehow held on to it at the second attempt. Roddick, at the other end, had remained composed throughout his innings and he was joined by Joe Bugg, who has played several key innings through the season and continued the run-scoring. By the end of the 11th over, the Selby team looked in a strong position at 49-3, needing another 27 to win.
It was never going to be straightforward against a good Ackworth team, and the neutral umpire raised his finger from minimal appeals to give Roddick (12) out lbw. In the last ball of the 12th over, another wicket fell as Caspar Gray was caught with Selby wobbling on 52-4 as the following over saw a maiden and the superb Selby support were feeling the tension. Sam Dickinson joined Bugg, and they slowly started to find the gaps, but with five overs to go and 19 more needed to win, a big effort was required. Bugg and Dickinson scored ten off the next over to release the pressure that was building, including a lovely guided shot by Bugg. It was still nail-biting stuff as two runs came off the next over with a couple of chances missed by Ackworth, and just as it looked like Bugg (14) would see them home, he was caught to give Ackworth hope at 71-5. A single from Dickinson meant it just needed a boundary to win, and after Alfie Laverack saw off the remainder of the 18th over, and with the Ackworth fielders closing in to protect the singles, it was Dickinson who hit the ball hard, and it flew to the boundary to give Selby a fantastic victory to win the cup with ten balls remaining. There was huge applause from both sets of supporters on a great game of cricket played by both teams that had ebbed and flowed throughout the game. However, the young Selby team used the experience of previous tight games to see them home and lift the trophy in front of the jubilant Selby support and secure the league and cup double.
Selby Cricket Club’s U13s secure the cup and league double with a victory over Ackworth. (29-07-107 SU)
