Poor batting display rules out promotion: Langholm display gives the opposition a comfortable eight-wicket victory

Cricket

LANGHOLM travelled to Staffield on Saturday knowing a win would keep them in the promotion hunt.
Unfortunately, it wasn’t to be after a poor display with the bat meant Staffield sealed a comfortable eight-wicket victory.
Duncan Elliott, captain for the day, won the toss and decided to bat. The wicket looked good.
He opened with Duggan as Langholm looked to post a competitive total.
He was first to go for four after mistiming a hook shot straight to the fielder.
John Bell (0) was next in and next out in exactly the same fashion, both wickets falling to the bowling of the Staffield skipper Tuer.
Tony Steele joined Duggan but didn’t last long, going for a duck LBW to Tuer’s bowling.
Langholm were struggling as Stewart joined Duggan who was batting well at the other end.
Stewart stunned the crowd with a mighty six before being bowled by the spin of
Thomlinson.
Andrew Paisley came to the crease and he seemed to suffer from vertigo, having never batted as high as six. He stuck around for a while but the scoreboard wasn’t moving.
Just as Duggan (35) tried to press the accelerator, he was out, caught trying to hit Thomlinson over the top. Paisley (1) soon followed trying the same shot.
Steven Johnstone made six before being bowled by O’Neill. Three ducks followed for Aidan Wilson, Jay Gordon and Brady Wilson.
That left Langholm 63 all out, with Ryan Johnstone not out on two. A poor batting display on a good pitch.
Langholm knew 63 wasn’t anywhere near enough but stuck to their task admirably.
Steele and Paisley opened the bowling and both had good spells without reward because of solid batting by Tuer and Armstrong.
Steven Johnstone replaced Paisley and picked up two wickets almost straight away, having Tuer (21) trapped LBW and clean-bowling Armstrong (9).
It was up to Thomlinson (24no) and Bamber (5no) to see Staffield home which they did with relative ease. Steven Johnstone finished with 2-5 from his three overs.
Another defeat for Langholm means promotion is now very unlikely but the team will keep fighting until the end of the season.
LANGHOLM 2nds lost by only one wicket to Wigton 3rds in a thriller last weekend.
Davie Gordon (35) and Stuart Duggan (45 not out) shone with the bat and Jay Gordon starred with the ball, taking four wickets.
Captain John Bell chose to bat and fell for a duck with the score on 7, bowled by Blackburn.
Davie joined Jay and both looked comfortable, taking the score to 26 before Jay was run out coming back for a second run, scoring 7.
Stuart Duggan joined Davie and they frustrated Wigton, scoring at a good rate and putting on 65 runs from 16 overs before Davie was caught off Wilson’s bowling, having scored 35.
Jaimie Ashton Smith joined Duggan for four overs before playing the ball onto his stumps, with Wilson taking his second wicket for 3 with the score on 104 from 29 overs.
Ryan Johnstone was the next to fall after scoring 2, bowled by Reed. Jake Park joined Stuart and they put on 18 before Park was stumped off Reed’s bowling with the penultimate ball of the innings, having scored a confident 5.
Tony Steele faced only one ball, finishing 0 not out and Duggan 45 not out and Langholm on 127.
Langholm’s bowling innings started badly in the damp. Wigton openers Wilkinson and Oliver scored 30 runs in the first five overs.
When opening bowlers Steve Jeffrey and Ryan Johnstone found their rhythm and as the ball started to dry, Wigton began to look frustrated, with Jeffrey bowling five maidens from his eight overs.
Bowler Jay Gordon trapped Wilkinson LBW for 23 and bowled Wilson for 3.
This started a collapse in Wigton’s innings. Ashton-Smith struck in the next over when Jackson hit a full toss straight to Jeffrey. Gordon bowled the opener Oliver for 23.
Park removed Blackburn for one, caught by Jeffrey. Gordon took his fourth wicket and third in three overs when clean-bowling Charters.
The dangerous partnership of Reed and Johnston looked to increase the run rate. Johnstone removed Johnston after chopping one on to his own stumps after scoring 14.
Reed looked to hold the strike but Davie Gordon and Ashton Smith did good work in the field to run out his partner Easton for a duck.
In the 33rd over, with Langholm needing two wickets, Steele took a fabulous one-handed catch off his own bowling to remove Reed on 43.
Pearson hit a 4 two balls later to take the win.
This was a good effort from all the bowlers in tough conditions.