Cricket: Copley's record return

Jun 18 2009 by Andrew Brook, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

RYAN COPLEY smashed 95 from 44 balls to set up victory and a record total for Hoylandswaine against Linthwaite in the Twenty20.

The Haigh Lane club’s decision to bat first proved to be the right one as they posted the season’s highest innings of 245-5. The openers soon got into their stride as they brought up 50 in five overs.

Linthwaite struck early on but the partnership between Copley and Ian Simon put them on top and at the half way stage were 105-1. Simon carried his bat for 45, which contained seven fours and one six.

The outcome of the game could of been a whole different story if Copley had been caught with the eighth ball of the match. After the early chance, he cashed in by smashing ten fours and six sixes in his innings. Everything was coming out of the middle of the bat before he was finally caught out on the boundary edge in the 15th over.

Adam Bashford also contributed by coming in with only four overs remaining and made a brisk 40 where he cracked 23 off just one over. All the bowling figures made for sorry reading as Hoylandswaine set their mammoth total.

Trying to chase down the giant score, Linthwaite got off to the worse possible start losing two wickets in the first two overs.