Audlem Seconds Defeat the Weather

Audlem seconds defeat the weather

In two consecutive matches Audlem 2nd XI have not only overcome their opponents but also avoided the worst an English summer can serve up.

At Wedgwood the team scored 164-5 on a doubtful wicket with a stodgy outfield, Richard Wilson (38), Atiq Hashmi (54) and Reg Farnell (23) being the main contributors. The home side settled down to wait for the forecast rain but were dismissed for 75 with Jasper Mitchell (3-21), Jamie Roberts (2-32), Reg Farnell (1-7) and Charlie Hine (4-12) ignoring the musical accompaniment of The Th3rd Coming at the neighbouring Charity Fun Day and eking out their opponents in 32 overs. As the teams reached nearby Trentham on the way home, the heavens
opened and Wedgwood's hoped for deluge arrived half an hour too late.

A similar forecast hung over Sunday's match at home to Whitmore. The visitors invited Audlem to bat and the home side did just that, plundering 225 runs for the loss of just 4 wickets in 29 overs. Ronnie Farnell (63), Atiq Hashmi (60 not out), Dan Thorburn (29), Charlie Hine (26 not out) and Paul Thorburn (15) all batted beautifully, although mention must also be made of Zar Ahmed who racked up 14 runs from 11 balls, therefore for the first time in many seasons scoring at faster than a run a ball.

Skipper Chris Shenton's calculated declaration and the early tea invited Whitmore to reach their target at just over 4 runs an over, but as the teams took the field a light drizzle had ominously set in. However, despite Ron Farnell being removed from the attack for encroachment by an eagle-eyed umpire and Charlie Hine donating 5 runs for picking up the ball with the ball-drying cloth, the visitors were
blown away for 99 all out in 26 overs.

Ron Farnell took 2-10, brother Reg 2-18, a new streamlined Simon Swift 3- 32, Jamie Roberts 1-15 and Charlie Hine 2-8. Sharp catches were taken by skipper Shenton and keeper North and more regulation efforts by Hine and Atiq as the game closed in poor light shortly before the rain increased in its intensity.

Other teams had less luck with the weather and with three matches for Audlem remaining, the team sits proudly on top of the table, 44 points clear of unbeaten Moddershall who still have two games in hand and 92 points ahead of Caverswall in third place. The games in hand will be played two weeks after Audlem's last match on September 10th, bizarrely for a Sunday League Competition on Saturday 23rd and the following day's match (or the weather!) could possibly decide the outcome of the championship on September 24th.

However, before any of this, Audlem still have three tough matches ahead of them, starting with a visit to Bagnall Norton on Sunday

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