Lincs County League: Louth Seconds hold Cleethorpes to draw

Buoyed by their emphatic win over Scunthorpe and the team debut of England Ladies' wicket-keeper Lauren Winfield, Louth Second XI went looking for back-to-back wins.
Louth Second XI skipper Arran Brindle EMN-160516-143214002Louth Second XI skipper Arran Brindle EMN-160516-143214002
Louth Second XI skipper Arran Brindle EMN-160516-143214002

With Cleethorpes winning the toss and batting first, Stewart West clean-bowled Harrison in his first over, only for it to be given as a no-ball.

After a steady start West breached Fanthorpe’s defences in the eighth over, and four overs later Reg Koen dismissed Harrison with a sharp catch from Winfield.

Skipper Brindle brought on leg spinner Zain Siddiqui who had Tolson, caught West, in his first over, and at 49-3 the game looked evenly balanced. Carlton began to up the scoring rate, but should have been run out on 35 only for the umpire to be unsighted and unable to confirm the dismissal. Astute fielding by Medler ran out Mansfield, but by this time Carlton had already reached his 50.

Clewett’s carefree attitude further increased the scoring rate before Carlton (76) was finally dismissed after Brindle deftly guided Clewett’s stinging drive onto the stumps at the non-striker’s end.

This was the final wicket for Louth as Cleethorpes posted 244-5, Clewett finishing unbeaten on 76.

The home side’s chase faltered in the third over as West was caught by Carlton on the boundary.

Winfield had made her England debut on this ground, and she began to score freely, hitting some powerful boundaries.

The Louth scoring rate slowed as former England international Brindle was dismissed and Winfield was caught in the deep, again by Carlton, for a rapid 32.

Worst followed as Siddiqui was run out in the ninth over (51-4).

A solid 50-run stand between John Medler and Dan Rankin pushed the hosts toward their target, and when Rankin (24) was dismissed in the 28th over, big-hitting Koen replaced him and the chase was again within grasp.

Hope faded when Koen holed out to Cliffe’s towering catch for a quickfire 28, reducing Louth to 143-6 in the 38th over.

When Medler was dismissed in the next over for a hard-working 42, the remaining Louth batsmen chose to shut up shop and deny Cleethorpes victory, eventually closing on 167-8.

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