The team of Askham alumni assembled at the RI for thei invitational tropy. The team consisted of Hall, Wood, Dale, D Knight, Cox, Mason and Jim McCullogh. Due to some issues with team and player numbers the original 7-a-side turned into an eight a side competition, and Rob Smythe joined the Askham ranks for the day. Jim McCullogh looked particularly fresh, having emerged from his three days of little sleep at the Leeds festival. The team had a strategy – see out the first game, then commence steady drinking to reach optimum performance for the final.
The first game was against John Latham’s York RI team and the team began well. Openers Pete Wood and David Knight dispatched the ball over the short boundary several times, before Woody was retired on 25. Chris Cox then came in and batted in a similar style with some splendid sixes. Smythe, Dale and Mason provided good support as the team managed a mammoth total – 121 off 7 overs. The RI chase never really got going as they struggled to make 2 runs an over, with some tight bowling throughout. A few wickets fell and the game was won fairly easily.
The second game up was agaisnt Drillington (?), who provided more resistance than the previous match. Askham batted first again and set a solid 80 odd score, with Chris Cox batting particularly well. The bowling from Askham was tight again and they managed to win the game despite some resistance from the opposition.
Having qualified for the final, Askham reversed the batting order for the third game against the team they would play in the final – John Bull. Askham bowled first and kept the John Ball down to a respectable high 70s total. McCullogh and Hallthen opened, with Hall remembering his scoring shots (the sweep and the streaky edge), hitting a few fours, including falling over during one, before he was stumped. Jim McCullogh was at his most informative, instructing the umpire several times when there had been wide balls whilst he was batting, which was appreciated by all (though perhaps not the umpire). Steve Mason played a marvellous innings during this match, deciding to pepper the western terrace with several big sixes. Rob Dale also chipped in well, but wickets continued to fall, which left Woody needing to hit a 6 off the final ball for Askham to win. This wasn’t to be, so Askham lost the “warm up” final.
After a splendid tea, the final between Askham and John Bull was a rather different affair, Askham returning to their previous batting line up and also being invited to bat first. Woody and David paced their innings a bit more as the bowling was tighter, before Chris Cox came in and upped the rate considerably with further sixes. Supporting innings again from the two Rob’s and Steve Mason saw the total at 77, which was defendable but tight. Jim started off the bowling well, though a couple of his balls were hooked to the boundary to keep the run rate respectable. David followed up and got a much needed wicket in his over, as things continued to be tight. Two of the best bowling performances of the final followed – Rob Smythe and Steve Mason saved their best bowling for the final, both only conceeding singles or twos in order to keep the scores down. The same couldn’t be said of Albert who – bowling at the cunning Steve Bellerby – produced a few dot balls, but also got hit for two big sixes that kept the match on edge. A tight penultimate over from Chris Cox ended in a final ball six, leaving John Bull ten to win. However, Mr Wood had the ball and wasn’t going to let the Askham party be spoilt…he bowled very tightly and with pace and kept the John Bull to singles, eventually leaving them needing a 6 to win off the final ball…with the game and trophy going to Askham.
Overall it was a great team performance – superb batting from Knight, Wood, Cox and Mason, excellent keeping from Dale, great bowling from Jim “Curtly” McCullogh and some reasonable spin bowling and thick-skinnedness from Hall (who was peppered with abuse from the RI western terrace). The team hope to defend the trophy next year!