Hyde Progress In ECB National Knockout

Hyde were 84 run winners in their first match of this season's ECB National Club Championship against Liverpool comp side Leigh CC.

Leigh won the toss and elected to bowl first. Partridge and Luke Young opened for Hyde and got off to a good steady start making a 68 run first wicket partnership before Partridge was caught by Foster for 41 off the bowling of Allan. Allan got his second not long after dismissing Luke Young for 30, who was said to have been caught behind by Hibbert. Fisher made 9 before he was caught off the bowling of Foster. Just as Leigh were thinking they were getting on top, some big hitting by Duffy and Elliot Young, 51 and 50 respectively, took Hyde to 195-5. In the final overs, Allcock added a quick fire 37 including 3 sixes, joined by Cranmer (11), Humphreys (11*) and Whittaker (3*) to take Hyde up to 250-7 off their 40 overs.

Leigh came out to bat with Hulbert and Farrar, who faced the bowling of Whittaker and Hannah. Hulbert couldn't match the scoring of Farrar early on, only managing 4, being bowled by Hannah. Farrar scored a decent 25 and punished anything short and wide with six 4s but was eventually bowled by Whittaker. Forster came to the crease looking to get Leigh back into the game, joined by Shallcross, with the pair managing 33 before Turner got the wicket of Shallcross, helped by a catch from captain Partridge. Leigh, despite the wickets in the top order, were going at around a rate of 6 an over, being continued by Foster and Smith to keep the pressure on the Hyde bowlers. Cranmer replaced Hannah and finally got the breakthrough trapping Foster LBW, much to the batsman's confusion, for 37. Smith kept the game going, playing some excellent shots in his well worked 40 but the visitors didn't have much to support him. Elliot Young bowled excellently and virtually cleaned up the tail finishing on figures of 4-36 as Leigh were bowled out for 166.

The game was, for the most, closer than the scorecard suggests, but it was Hyde who earned and deserved a place in the next round to be played on Sunday 12th May against Bradshaw.

By George Rothwell