MALLORCA 1ST XI vs LILLEY CC TOURING XI
Lilley (190-2, G. Tompkins 89*, A. Flannagan 59*) beat Mallorca (187 all out, A. Allbones 4-39) by eight wickets
Lilley inflicted a rare Saturday defeat on Mallorca courtesy of a fine all round performance with bat and ball. The home side won the toss and there was little surprise when Mallorca elected to bat in warm, sunny conditions at the MCG.
James Ashby took the new ball despite being restricted to a few yards run up by injury, coupled with Taz Qureshi's seam from the pavilion end. The pair produced a tight opening spell and it was pressure which told when local run machine Muckleberg took an ill advised single to Gareth Tompkins and paid with his wicket after a neat under arm throw by the South African.
Tompkins inflicted further damage on Mallorca when he took the ball first change, castling Heaton (9) and then the dangerous Bodsworth (21) as Lilley took control.
Tony Allbones, playing his fourth match of the season for Lilley, was still wicket-less for the club until this trip. The MCG is a ground that will forever be etched in history books for Lilley, the site where Ken Hammond last year bagged his 500th Lilley wicket, so it was perhaps fitting that Allbones bagged his first victim for the club here. As it was, it came via an LBW decision from umpire Dave Carman.
With the duck broken, Allbones proceeded to rip through the Mallorcan lower middle order, taking 4 for 39 in the process.
The only thorn in the Lilley side was left hander Bell, who had earlier survived a controversial caught and bowled by Allbones. The batsman prodded the ball back have misread the pint sized medium pacer's slower ball. The ball looped kindly straight to Allbones, however umpire Carman immediately said 'not out'. The batsman remained unmoved, claiming his 'eyes were closed' so didn't know if it was a bump ball. It was, of course, nothing of the sort.
With that life under his belt, Bell continued to smash the ball around the ground. He almost got an amazing let off when on 68 he spooned the ball high in the air towards Andy Flannagan. Inexplicably, Tony Allbones, charging in from the next town down the road and nowhere near the ball, called for the catch. Unsurprisingly, the ball evaded both fielders and Bell almost survived. Fortunately, the Kempstonian made amends in magnificent style, pinging a flat throw to replacement 'keeper Taz Qureshi who whipped off the bails - Bell run out for 69.
Andy Flannagan came into the attack for rotational purposes but proved he is more than a mug with the ball, conceding just two runs in his over and snaring the wicket of Hijaz, magnificently caught by Mik Carman, comfortably Lilley's best fielder of the day. GT wrapped up the innings, bowling Leggett for 1 to finish with 3-25, Mallorca well short on 187 all out.
Ashby and Brad Tompkins opened up for Lilley against Barrett and the pacey Bodsworth. Lilley had 21 on the board when they lost Tompkins for 11, bowled unluckily off his pads. Younger brother Gareth replaced him and he and Ashby began finding the boundary regularly. GT took a fearsome blow on the chin when fast bowler Hijaz produced a near perfect bouncer, but the blow appeared only to focus Tompkins more. Ashby was dismissed leg before for 26, aiming a wild hack across the line against the miserly Scholes.
That would be the last success for Mallorca however, as the ever increasingly drunk Lilley supporters crowd roared with joy as Tompkins and then Flannagan passed the fifty mark with ease. Each boundary brought a chorus of the batmen's respective theme tunes, Andy Flannagan's 'Andy Flannagan, Andy Flannagan' (not to the tune cheepy chirp cheepy cheep or anything of it's like..) and GT's "It's all about you", a nod to the Cape Town born all rounders admiration of himself!
Lilley romped home by a comfortable eight wickets. The beers flowed into the night, as Andy Flan entertained the crowd with various numbers on the pavilion electric guitar, with very occasional vocals from some of the Lilley massive!