Leicestershire Seniors: June Round-Up & July Fixtures

The weather has been in the national headlines and news channels in recent days, and it has certainly played a part in the seniors’ fixtures during June, and not for good reasons either. It isn’t unheard of for a cricket game to be called off due to rain, but the extreme heat guidelines have put paid to a handful of matches too. This is where a game must be cancelled if, 24 hours before the scheduled start time, the forecasted temperature is 32 degrees or higher. It’s disappointing when it happens, but entirely understandable given the demographic of the participants.

Despite this several games have been played across the three age groups, over 50, 60 and 70. The 50s first XI completed one game against Huntingdonshire at Kibworth CC and it proved to be a resounding victory for Matt Bashford’s men. A disciplined and miserly all-round bowling effort (Carl Crowe and Prakash Patel each snaring 3 for 19) meant that the visitors were unable to break the shackles and an all-out total of 121 was never going to trouble the powerful Leicestershire batting line up. Raja Hayat (53), Chris Grimes (35*) and Craig Wilson (20*) secured the comfortable nine-wicket win in 20 overs. The 50s second team managed two games in June having had two others cancelled. Both results went our way. At Cropston the visitors were Cambridgeshire and, halfway through the Leicestershire innings, they probably wished they’d stayed at home as Raja Hayat hit the bowling all around the parish on his way to 121 off 102 balls. Five other batsmen reached at least 20 and the eventual total of 328 for seven proved to be well beyond the reach of the Cantabrigians as they crumbled to 181 all out in the 41st over.

The three Over 60s teams experienced mixed fortunes during June. The first XI suffered one cancellation but won their other two games to secure their place atop the Division 1 Midlands group. For too long Warwickshire has been the bogey team for our lads, but this particular dragon was slain in quite devastating fashion at Nuneaton. A creditable bowling performance, led by Duncan Kingham (three for 28) resulted in a total of 201 for seven. This should have been a relatively straightforward task, but at 49 for five the prospects were looking decidedly grim. Enter that man Kingham once more. In 89 minutes of utter carnage, he smote 11 fours and six sixes on his way to 116 from 78 balls to leave the Bears wondering what had just happened. The win was achieved by three wickets with 16 balls to spare. Probably the individual performance of the season thus far. Oxfordshire arrived at Countesthorpe and came up against that old war horse Russell Spiers. You can’t turn back the clock, but every now and then you can wind it up. 6.4 overs of mesmerising left-arm ‘spin’ brought Russ five for 28. The all-out total of 199 was reached in relative comfort once Raja Hayat had clubbed his way to a punishing 80 from 59 balls. He was ably supported by Guy Rollins (44), Brad Peake (31*) and Richard Sharp (32*).

The 60 second team suffered the loss of two games to the weather but won one and lost one of those completed. Northants came to Langtons and stole the game due largely to a mis-firing late middle-order. A terrific effort from the bowlers restricted visitors to 167 for five from their 45 overs. It should have been a breeze but the sum total of 20 runs from numbers 5 to 9 put paid to that idea.103 all out was a gross under-achievement. Things looked a lot rosier after the trip to Lincolnshire brought a commanding victory. Another outstanding bowling show resulted in Lincs never getting above three runs per over. Their 115 all out total was due largely to the outstanding and miserly efforts of Glyn Isaac (one for 15) and Jitu Naik (four for 14). The supporting trundlers did their bit and the batsmen found no trouble at all in reaching the target in 24 overs, Nigel Clarke (25), Stuart Cross (49*) and Simon Rolington (29*) doing the honours.

The 60s third XI lost two games to the weather and unfortunately suffered heavy losses in two others. When Buckinghamshire came to Countesthorpe they found Ashok Patel (53) and Simon Rolington in pretty much mid-season form, but the resulting total of 194 for

seven proved to be less of a hurdle than might have been. Mind you, it took them until the 42nd over to reach their target. The Warwickshire match at Bitteswell is probably best glossed over in short time. Suffice to say that 89 all out is not going to be enough runs to win too many games. The resultant ten-wicket loss can only be a spur to better things in the second half of the season.

The Over 70s also played two games during the month, but sadly neither of them produced a win. The opening overs at Grappenhall saw Cheshire having to graft for their runs as the John Smith and Dave Perry applied the brakes. Perhaps it would have been better after all not to have taken any wickets as the lower order rattled along at much better that a run a ball. However, 209 runs should have made for a reasonable chase, but it was not to be. The Chesire bowlers must have taken notes from the early skirmishes because runs proved tough to make and 147 for four wickets was a disappointing effort. It was a similar story at Ashby Carrington CC where the Warwickshire bowlers made life difficult for our lads. Rod Wood (40) and Martin Foulds (42*) were the mainstays, but 124 was never going to be a difficult task for the visitors. There’s work to be done and the big lesson must be that scoring faster could lead to larger totals.

The fixtures for the month of July are appended here.