York CC Vs Dunnington CC – NKO Round 1

At Clifton Park, April 28. York won by 108 runs. Toss: Dunnington. A devastating spell of new ball bowling from Guy Darwin and Jonathan Moxon blew away the Dunnington top order as York brushed aside the challenge of the visitors, who lost their first six wickets for just seven runs, to ease into the second round. The home side who had earlier been put in to bat suffered an early blow when Oliver Batchelor was caught at the wicket by wicket-keeper Daniel Barrett off the bowling of Jonathan Anderson in the fourth over. On a wicket which appeared to lack pace Australian James Billington was caught in two minds and checked a drive shot sending a simple catch back to bowler Luke Kilby. Harry Franklin turned out to be playing the anchor role but it was confusion between himself and Nick James which resulted in a run out when the latter was late to set off having played the ball to gully and as a result failed to beat Kilby’s throw to the bowlers end, it left York on 73-3 at the halfway mark of their 40 overs. A further 10 overs passed yielding 50 runs before Franklin fell to the spin of seam bowling of Alec Drury one short of what would have been a hard fought half-century, his demise came courtesy of a gentle prod into the hands of extra cover. Tom Brooks looked to accelerate the scoring with an enterprising 30 of 41 balls but his departure with five overs to go and the total on 148 sparked a collapse as three further wickets were lost before the innings was closed on 178-9, Guy Darwin batting with an injured finger remained not on 31 not out (off 21 balls) the only batsman with a strike rate in excess of 100. What followed after the interval was as breath-taking as it was unexpected. Moxon was first to strike knocking Adam Sutcliffe’s off stump out of the ground in his first over. Darwin took the catch in his follow through when Chris Pereath struck a full toss tamely back at the bowler, his second wicket came in the middle of a somewhat unconventional hat-trick from Moxon who struck with the final ball of his second over and the first two of his third. The result was that within 5.2 over of the start of their innings more than half the Dunnington line-up had been and gone. Daniel Barrett, batting at No8 was the first to show any signs of a fight back striking three fours as he took the vast majority of the strike in a stand worth 33 with Luke Kilby for the seventh wicket. Daniel Woods replaced Moxon, who had taken four wickets for 18 runs in five overs, at the Shipton Road end and the move paid an immediate dividend when Barrett was trapped lbw. The spinner picked up his second wicket thanks to a fine reaction catch by Nick James at slip who adjusted well to take a fine single handed catch low to his right.  Two became three when, with the total on 69 David Brent swung across the line to a straight delivery and was bowled. The last wicket went to teenage spinner Clarke Doughney making his debut in the competition for York, having already beaten the bat on a number of occasions he was rewarded when finding the edge of last man Jonathan Anderson’s bat wicket-keeper Brooks making no mistake. The visitors had been bowled out inside 27 overs to lose by 108 runs.