Cricket: Premier slot the incentive for and Marsden and Kexborough

Sep 18 2009 by Mel Booth, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

MARSDEN and Kexborough promise a classic encounter tomorrow as they go head to head for a place in the Drakes League Premiership.

They contest the Conference Play-off Final at Scholes’ Chapelgate ground (noon) when two big bands of enthusiastic supporters can expect to see plenty of fireworks.

Marsden have an extremely solid batting line-up and the all-round skills of overseas man Peter Lombard under the captaincy of wicketkeeper Matthew Butters.

Kexborough have 700-run skipper Mark Bray leading their challenge and the teenage exuberance of Jordan Geldart, Ben Potter and talented all-rounder Michael Jepps at the forefront of their challenge.

It’s an enticing prospect and a big day for both clubs – Kexborough having secured their play-off place in the Frank Platt some time ago while Marsden confirmed there’s only last weekend, pipping Lepton to second place in the Cedar Court by just one point.

The winners will join Hoylandswaine and Kirkburton in the top flight next season and it’s too close to call.

Kexborough are at full strength and club secretary Andrew Hinchliffe said: “We are developing well as a club with a lot of young players in the side who have been together for two or three years now, so this will be excellent experience for them.

“At the beginning of the season we wanted both our teams to finish in the top four and we’ve done that, but for the firsts to finish runners-up and be in this final is a bit of a bonus.

“It will be a test, we know that, but hopefully if we can perform on the day we can do the business and get the job done.

“We beat Marsden at Hemplow during the season, so they might feel they have a point to prove over that, but we are going into it with the aim of playing as well as we can and hopefully rewarding the good number of supporters we are expecting to be there.”

Bray, Adam Wiles, Jepps and overseas man Ankur Sondhi will be at the top of the Kexborough order, followed by quick-scoring duo Darren Donoghue and Ben Potter.

Keeper Scott Shillito and veteran Neil Hinchliffe have bags of experience and the line-up is completed by Danny Mulhall Geldart and Russell Dales.

Bray, Jepps and Wiles) all achieved their ECB Level 2 coaching qualification during the winter and they have run an introduction to cricket course for Under 10s this season, attracting 12 to 15 each week.