Cp080706

So 7 days after the record breaking victory over Pudsey St Lawrence and Whitehall travelled
to High Royds to play Crompark, and if previous encounters were anything to go by would
have some tail at the end of the game.

The Yorkshire day humiliation a few years ago is now immortilased as Whitehall threw away
a seemingly won game, and last season's spicey game when Tom took wickets and battered
the bowling to all parts, you'd expect this game to be no different.

Whitehall had to make some enforced changes from the week before. Steve Haw and Mick
Wright were on holiday, Dean's knee still hadn't healed, Duncan was somewhere pottering
about and Phil SImpson was working. So 5 dropped out from the 10 the week before,
however Aidan jetted in from Spain to play, Bob Finch made his 2nd appearance of the
season, James Mahoney and Tony Thompson made their first league appearances of the
season Anthony Petch returned from a week off, and making his first appearance for the
club was Bhaven Mistri.

So Whitehall lined up as follows: A Thompson, A Dunne, J Bainbridge, S Mace, P Dockerty,
R Finch, B Mistri, J Mahoney, M Wood, A Petch, C Thompson.

For the first time in 2006 Wood lost the toss, but skipper Halliday elected to bat first, so as
with every game so far in the league, Whitehall fielded first.

Simon opened up from the Guisley end of the ground with Joe at the Menston end of the
ground. The early exchanges were very tight with neither team dominating the other.

It was the ninth over before Whitehall struck. Joe clinging on to a return catch to send Whyte
back to the pavilion for 18 with the score on 26. It was another 8 overs before Whitehall
struck again and another 26 runs had been added when Joe trapped Clark for 19. 52-2.
Worryingly Simon was struggling to find any rhythm and after 20 overs he was replace by
Chris Thompson. Yet again Chris took a huge wicket and dismissed Andy Halliday for 0.
67-3 Worryingly for Whitehall C Halliday at the other end was looking assured and beginning
to amass some runs. Joe picked up his 3rd wicket 4 overs later and dismissed G Whyte the
same way he'd dismissed his name sake taking a return catch. The score was 70-4, and
although still not perfect Whitehall's effort in the field had improved and on a flat dry wicket,
im sure Crompark won't have been happy. The only real worry being Simon's terrible luck,
for the 2nd game running he took no wickets and the number of chances missed of his was
becoming a worry.

In Joe's next over he took his 4th wicket of the game have Ashgar caught behind by
Mahoney making his debut behind the stumps. 78-5 now and Whitehall were dominant.

However Halliday at the other end was closing in on his 50, and a useful stand of 30 with Ali
took Crompark past 100 and they were starting to look dangerous, but in Paul's 2nd over
Bob Finch clung on to his 2nd chance of the day to send Ali packing. 108-6. Bob Pritchard
was next to the crease and in the next 2 overs Pritchard and Halliday helped themselves to
14 runs, a breakthrough was needed and quickly. Halliday reached his 50 in the period of
play, but 4 balls after reaching the milestone James had his 2nd wicketkeeping victim as
Paul found the edge. 122-7. Paul proceeded to tidy up the tail by bowling the last 3
batsman, Foster for 1, Pritchard for 17 and Jennings for 7. This left Crompark at 146 all out
off 40 overs, giving Whitehall 50 overs to find the runs. When you consider the wicket
Whitehall were happy in keeping Crompark below 150, and 200 wouldn't have been an
unreasonable score.

So Whitehall began the chase, with Tony Thompson and Aidan Dunne opening the batting.
The first over went ok, as Tony struck a lovely 4 off of Fosters bowling. However the 2nd
over started badly, as Aidan fell victim to an inswinging yorker. If that was bad enough 4
balls later with the score now on 6 Joe was caught behind. Now Whitehall were in trouble.

3 overs later, and trouble didn't even come close to the situation they found themselves in.
Firstly Tony was bowling by Foster for 8 and 2 balls later Paul failed to trouble the scorers.
Whitehall were stuck on 20-4, without a win away from Becketts Park, and regonised
batsmen few and far behind. Things looked bleak. Bob and Simon settled the ship somewhat
and 6 overs later Whitehall were beginning to consolidate a little. Simon had continued in his
assured form with the bat. However Foster picked up his 3rd wicket of the game when he
bowled Finch for 7. 32-5, with 2 batsmen yet to bat all season, Wood not feeling great with a
bit of flu and Petch and Thompson who'd not batted much all season to come. Things looked
bleak.

Then Mistri came in to bat, and decided to take the game to Crompark. Within in 5 overs
Whitehall had gone from 32-5 to 87-5 in a flash, with Mistri scoring most of the runs, with
balls sent to all parts of the ground. However at 87 Whitehall received a body blow. Foster's
constant appealing had finally worn the umpire down when Mace was ajudged LBW following
a very long stride. Crompark back on top at 87-6.

James now came to the crease. Mistri made Whitehall's first 50 of the season and in the
process Whitehall limped past a 100. But as Paul turned round to us all and said "James will
get stumped here", Foster ran in, beat the bat and Halliday took the ball close to the wickets
and Whitehall were now 7 down with 101 on the board. That wicket brought Wood to the
crease, and not feeling 100% confidently saw of the rest of the over scoring 2 off the last
ball. Mistri continued where he left off and only 5 overs later 2 overs later with the score at
108 2 big overs were bowled. The first was the 21st over and both Wood and Mistri helped
themselves to 4's. Also in this over we started to see Crompark's frustration as Foster
tossed the ball away as Wood reset himself after a disturbance in the field. That over took
the score to 117. The next over, Ali's second, really saw Whitehall close in on their target as
Mistri despatched the first ball over the 5 fielders patrolling the long off/long on boundary.
123-7, then after a easy single Wood tucked 2 fours either side of Foster at square leg to
take the score to 132. 15 required. The next over saw Mistri take a quick single then Wood
again scoring 4 down to square leg Whitehall to within 10 of the win.

Ali's 3rd over started the way his 2nd had ended with Mistri finding the boundary again. 6 to
win. Next ball and with the field still mostly up at long off and long on singles were easy to
take, and the next ball proved this. 5 to win. The next few balls were saw off easily, and then
the 5th ball of the over was driven through the covers for 4. Whitehall now had level the
scores and couldn't lose. But Foster's 1st ball of his 13th over hit Whitehall hard as he
ended Mistri's wonderful innnings of 79 as Mistri tried to win the game in one blow. 146-8,
out strode Petch. And his first ball was short and outside leg and all it took was one swipe
and Whitehall were home, some how.

Crompark didn't take the defeat well and some players stomped off the pitch. But Whitehall
were jubilant, finally they'd won away from home. 2 classic wins in the space of a week.
When the book on Whitehall's history is written they'll be a chapter on this week.

Carlsberg don't do cricket games - but if they did they'd end like this.

I'm sure even Steve smiled when he got his text to tell him the result!!

Next week back to our teeny tiny postage stamp ground to play bogey team Cookridge