Madussar Bashir bowls career best against Hollingworth on a bloody hot day!
I thought last week’s was a good game up at Dinting for Brian Stone‘s men, but where last week it was a combined team effort of batting and bowling, today was all about one man, Madussar Bashir.
After uncharacteristically losing the toss, Brian’s team were put into the field by Hollingworth’s captain Simon Lee, given how Ravi batted last week, and the subsequent destruction of their batting line-up, it was probably for the best, all things considered.
With his first two overs a maiden, Muddy opened his account in his third, bowling Sikander Khan for 5, to earn a wicket maiden.
His 4th over he conceded 2 runs, but narrowly missed out on another hattrick with one of those runs, but still picked up three wickets, bringing his tally to four.
The 9th over, Muddy’s fifth rewarded his unplayable deliveries with a double wicket maiden, dismissing Syed Ali and Harry Sanders, at this point, Hollingworth were now 10-6, due to some equally conservative, albeit not as devastating bowling at the other end by James Patel.
His sixth over was equally demoralising for the visitors, with Muddy claiming another three scalps for just one run, leaving Hollingworth clinging to a meagre score of 16-9, but must have been biting his nails throughout the next two overs bowled from the other end hoping he wouldn’t miss out on a bowlers Holy Grail; a 10fer, having not being able to see it off in his seventh over.
However that amazing goal was achieved with the same clinical bowling up to that point in the fifth delivery of the 15th over, Madussar’s eighth, when just after “ruining” his figures with a boundary in the previous ball, he bowled Hollingworth’s final wicket, to claim victory and adulation from (virtually) everyone in the ground, Hollingworth finish all out for 26 runs.
After a short interval, it was a just a small matter of besting that total, and despite Hollingworth picking up two consolation wickets of Alex Wilde (4) and Stuart Nock (0), opener Ravi Patel (22*) on the back of his century last week and Dave Cramner (0*) at the other end took just 8.5 overs total to complete the rout by taking a single with the teams tied on 26.
Well done Stalybridge 2s, and obviously to Muddy on your (assumedly) club record bowling figures, 10 wickets is uncommon enough, but for ALL to be bowled has to be a massive rarity.
Final result and scorecard: Stalybridge CC 2nd XI win by 8 wickets.
Next week, the opponents will be Hayfield at their ground, followed the week after with a return to Gorse Hall Road by Charlesworth & Chisworth.