Roundup the Ladies Open and had a great game in the Ladies July stableford competition. Cathy had a fantastic score of 41 to take the win by five shots from Angela Wheeler. County player Emma Tipping was third. Jim Hetherington, who has been working as head teaching pro at Greetham Valley for N1 Golf, has now decided to leave N1 and join Greetham as club pro with immediate effect. Jim has been a PGA professional for almost 40 years and has specialised in coaching for the past 12. The July Medal is split into three divisions with almost 90 players taking part. Eleven handicapper Jon Herbert won division one on countback from the in-form Graham Smith, both men had a net score of 70. Third place was also decided on countback after three players scored a net 70. Two handicapper Trevor Smith took the place and also claimed the lowest gross with a brilliant 73. Adam Clegg and Dave Pusch were fourth and fifth respectively. Mark Mousley won division two with a gross 86 (net 71), and also won the lowest gross prize. Club secretary Dennis Millington was second with a gross 89 (net 73). Former captain Bob Beverley took third with a gross 84 (net 74). The winner of the July medal, however, came from division three: 20 handicapper Robin Bell shot an 87 to win the medal, division and lowest gross. Another 20 handicapper Bill Skinner was second with a net 75 and Jeff Challis was third.
// Cricket Ufford
Ufford’s report on their game against Eaton Socon pretty much sums up July: “We went to Eaton Socon to watch ex-England bowler Alex Tudor’s brother and team mates mopping and sweeping the pitch while we sat in the dry in the clubhouse. “We’ve never seen such a torrent of energy in one place! “And then... guess what? It rained again and they gave up so we had to go and sit in the pub and talk about pressing cricketty stuff for ages. So we are still top of Hunts One and almost top of Rutland 2 on Sundays.”
Laxton
Laxton nearly conspired to throw away a much-needed win against Thrapston after the sterling work of groundsman Jimmy Ireland ensured that cricket defeated the Great British weather. With a forecast of cloud followed by late afternoon sun there was no surprise to see Laxton captain Will Kinnear opting to bowl first, especially having seen the verdant wicket which lay protected under the covers. Thrapston opted for a bold strategy of choosing their batting order by lottery and it
looked to have backfired spectacularly as Laxton tore through Thrapston’s opening and middle order. Opening bowlers Adam Renton (3-32) and Robert Howe (7-27) were ably supported in the field with excellent catches snaffled by Will Kinnear and Jacob Howe in particular. At 26 for 9 Laxton’s players had one eye on the tea which was making its way to the pavilion and they were made to pay for their profligacy. Thrapston’s regular run scorer Paul Spicker showed his team mates how to play on a damp track as he played his way to 68 not out. Spicker was backed up by Chris Perry who, having survived a couple of scares on his way to 43, finally succumbed to a genuine edge to keeper Hales. Laxton went into tea shell-shocked as Thrapston set the Park 138 to win. Thrapston’s opening bowlers set out their task with vigour as they sought to replicate the line and length of Laxton’s opening pair. It was an approach which bore fruit as Laxton lost three cheap wickets to slump to 36 for 3 from 16 overs. Opening batsman Renton (23) got a good start but after he was caught off the bowling of Perry, and with Howe (21) and Hales (13) both soon following, Laxton were struggling at 70 for 6. Captain Will Kinnear came in at number eight after suffering an injury to his hand during Thrapston’s innings. It was time for a captain’s innings and he did not disappoint. Both Kinnear (36*) and Kevin Dobbs (25*) survived a couple of half chances before carrying their bats through with 10 overs to spare. This was a game which Laxton could ill afford to lose, but they almost did so in the most dramatic fashion. There were definite positives to be taken out of this performance though and looking forward to the second half of the season, Park will hope to build on them. That is, if the Great British Summer can be defeated.
Uppingham
Uppingham played Market Overton at the Castle Hill ground after some of the worst weather this summer with more than 20mm of rain falling on Friday. Marko won the toss and put Uppingham in to bat after a heavy shower in the morning had reduced the game to 25 overs a side. Opening the Uppingham innings, Jamie Dumford (18) and young Jamie Richardson (78) gave them an excellent start of 53 for the first wicket. Mark Cox (84*) batting at number three then put on a partnership of 94 before Richardson, who batted with great maturity for his age, lost his wicket caught and bowled. Uppingham closed their innings on 207 for the loss of just three wickets in 25 overs to record their highest score this season in the
Rutland league. In reply Marko opened with S.Rose (26) and J. Weaber (6), Weaber the first wicket to fall run out by Mark Cox with a brilliant direct hit on the wickets. Rose rode his luck dropped twice before Stu Lambie clean bowled him for 26 runs. Australian Bradley Apps top scored with 29 before Colan Bartram claimed his wicket caught and bowled, and Oliver Monks (21), the only other Marko bat to reach double figures, lost his wicket to Ben Collins (4 for 21). Marko lost their last six wickets for just 40 runs with Danny Dumford again claiming three wickets for just 21 as Marko were bowled out for 119 runs.
Uppingham Town
Uppingham Town won the Rutland Twenty20 Cup. It was always going to be Uppingham’s night at the Lime Kilns with the club’s first and second sides both reaching the Rutland Twenty20 Cup final, but it was the 1st XI who had the upper hand throughout a lowscoring match. The seconds batted first and struggled to score on the damp, slow wicket, making just 69 all out in a fraction under their alloted 20 overs. It was a total that the 1st XI rattled off with three overs to spare, but at the expense of five wickets of their own on a tough wicket for batsmen. Dave Fish opened the innings and top scored with just 13 as the bowlers dominated and the seconds lost five early wickets for just 34. Alex Ashwin claimed three for 14, and Danny Dumford two for a measly five runs, but all six bowlers were economical. In reply Uppingham 1sts fared little better as Chris Howe (4 for 9) ripped through the top order taking the first four wickets for just 30 runs, as well as an excellent catch to remove top scorer Max Collins (17) as the firsts slumped to 47 runs for five wickets. Danny Dumford (11) was the last wicket to fall, taken brilliantly by a flying Fish catch, claimed one-handed, diving to his right off the bowling of Will Armstrong. That brought Alex “Smasher” Ashwin to the crease and he quickly rounded off the innings and the match. First he cracked a big six back over bowler Armstrong. He took a big swipe and missed his next shot but then slammed another boundary to end proceedings. Uppingham skipper Jamie Dumford said: “It might look like a low-scoring game but the wicket was very bowler friendly. After all the rain, they did well to get the game on at all.” Given the dominance of the bowlers it was no surprise when Alex Ashwin and Chris Howe were named man of the match of each side. “It was a nice night for Uppingham,” added the skipper. Continues over >
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