Firsts secure six-wicket win against Patterdale: Park keeps them down and Langholm knock off the runs in 35 overs

Cricket

LANGHOLM 1st team secured a six-wicket win away to Patterdale last Saturday.
The home side looked set for a score of more than 200 but five wickets from skipper
Graham Park helped keep them down to 183.
Langholm knocked off the runs in 35 overs, largely because of Tony Steele anchoring the innings with 69.
On winning the toss the Langholm skipper elected to bowl. This didn’t look to be the correct choice because the wicket offered very little to the opening bowlers Park and Steele.
It was more through persistence that Steele claimed the first wicket with Housby bowled off his pads for 14 with the score on 36 in the ninth over.
Fellow opener Patterdale skipper D Kelso found the short boundary with regularity and, with the support of Taylforth, the Patterdale score reached 100 in the 21st over.
With the score on 113, Park reintroduced himself into the attack and first ball had Kelso caught behind by keeper Duncan Elliott for 65.
Taylforth took up the slack and played some shots. Along with Beatty, he took the score past 150.
Beatty fell for 10, bowled by Bailey Donaldson with the score 166 for 3 in the 33rd over. The next over proved decisive. The home side lost three wickets in three balls as Park claimed his first hat-trick.
He clean-bowled Ireland for 1 and Wilson for 0. Hunter faced the next ball and got the bat onto it but, unfortunately, he lobbed it straight to Ross Rae who took the catch. All of a sudden the home team was 173 for 6.
Next to go was Pitchford, bowled by Donaldson for 0 to reduce Patterdale to 178 for 7. Park claimed his fifth wicket by bowling Taylforth for 76 with the score on 182.
Only one more run was added as Donaldson cleaned up the two remaining wickets, Ryan Johnstone taking the catch to dismiss Beaty for 0, then Bailey himself taking a caught and bowled off E Kels.
The bowling figures were Park 5 for 36, Donaldson 4 for 47 and the ever-reliable Tony Steele 1 for 19 off 10 overs.
In the end, it was a good effort by Langholm to keep the score to 183, although a decent batting performance was needed.
Langholm got off to a quick start as Elliott hit a four and a six off the second over but fell LBW to Kelso for 11, with the score on 14.
Ticking along
Tony Steele joined Graham Park and they took their time but kept the score ticking along at just over four an over.
They had added 52 when a mix-up saw Park run out for 21. With Langholm 66 for 2 after 15 overs, the game was still in the balance.
Nicky Piszczykiewicz joined Steele and, as usual, with Big Nick at the crease, the run rate climbed, especially with his “non-cricket shots”. One six would have cleared the long on boundary twice.
They added 66 for the third wicket, with Tony passing his 50 before another run-out. Good fielding ended Nicky’s innings for 29.
Langholm needed 52 with 15 overs and 7 wickets left. Donaldson joined Steele and they took the score past 150 and looked set to win the game without the loss of another wicket.
Unfortunately, Steele was out with the score on 162, bowled by Shepherd for a vital 69. Rae joined Donaldson and they quickly knocked off the remaining runs, winning the game in the 35th over. Bailey finished on 19 not out and Ross 12 not out.
In the end, it was a good solid performance by an understrength Langholm side but Patterdale must have fancied their chance at 166 for 2, with 7 overs left.
With the skipper rolling back the years to claim five wickets, supported by Donaldson with 4, they kept the score manageable and Tony, continuing his good form with the bat, made it easy in the end.