One down, two to go!
That’s the message from unbeaten Delph & Dobcross as they landed the Total Indoor Cricket Solutions T20 Trophy on their own ground against Broad Oak.
Set a target of 155 by the Oak, who lost influential Charlie Roebuck run out in the first over, Delph were guided to victory with nine balls to spare by a splendid unbeaten 68 from Indian Premier League player Shree Goswami.
Captain Chris Laker said: “It’s a fantastic win and an absolute pleasure to be part of such an amazing team.
“We’ve got a great group of lads and, hopefully, this is one down and two to go for us.
“You can never take anything for granted and you’ve just got to keep on trying to win, but we are nine points clear in the Drakes Premiership and we’ve got the All Rounder Sykes Cup final against Shepley this coming Sunday, so it’s good to have the T20 in the bag.
“Our aim is simply to keep on doing the business now we are at the business end of the season.”
Broad Oak won the toss and elected to bat, but the disastrous run-out of the explosive Roebuck, followed in the fourth over by the loss of Harvey Booth for eight, set them back.
Kiwi Henry Cooper – the first batsman to 1,000 league and cup runs this season – then shared a 76-run partnership with Jack Hargreaves which took the underdogs to 94-3 after 12 overs, Andy Gleave taking a smart catch to dismiss Cooper off Greg Buckley for 33 off 32 balls, which included two fours and a six.
Hargreaves went to his 50 with successive sixes in the next over, but he was also out for 57 off 52 balls, including four fours and five maximums.
The Oak quickly lost Harry Franklin, but skipper Dom Finn pushed things along with five boundaries in his 33 not out off 22 deliveries.
Shakir Muhammad celebrated taking two for 33 and Buckley had two for 28 as the Oak posted 155-8.
In-form Buckley then gave Delph a cracking start and, despite losing Laker to Cooper in only the second over, he guided them to 84-1 in 10 (the Oak had been 73-2 at the same stage).
Buckley went in the 11th over, brilliantly caught by keeper Matt Butters off France for 52 off 39 balls, his innings including four fours and four sixes.
If the Oak thought they had a sniff, those hopes were clinically dashed by the classy Goswami and the experienced Graeme Simpson.
They shared an unbroken 62-run stand to the finishing line (158-2), with Goswami hitting nine fours and two sixes in his 42-ball 68 not out, and Simpson adding four timely boundaries in an unbeaten 27 off 25.
“We were clinical and professional and we’ve been like that all season,” added Laker.
“The team were without Arron Lilley, who is an absolute superstar for us, but as usual different people have stood up when we’ve needed them and got the job done.
“Greg Buckley has been very consistent this season and backed his skills again, then Shree and Simmo did a brilliant job.
“In the field, it’s very easy for the ball to start flying about, but we stood together and never really allowed that to happen.
“The bowlers were very clinical, we took all our chances and, all in all, I thought it was a very impressive win.”
