WPC170606

Whitehall travelled into the glorious surrounding of south Bradford to face fellow title
challengers Wibsey Park Chapel.

Whitehall made two changes from the side that beat Shipley with Dean coming into to
replace Petch, and the man mountain Duncan Elsey replaced Canada bound Dave Bond.

So Whitehall lined up as follows: D Wright, M Wright, A Dunne, J Bainbridge, P Dockerty, M
Wood, S Mace, P White, C Thompson, D Elsey and M Palmer.

Things didn't go well from the start for Whitehall as Aidan and Joe got lost on the way to the
ground and the Wright clan arrived only five minutes before the start.

For the 6th time in 2006 Woody won the toss and as per usual put Wibsey into bat.

This decision seemed to be a good one as in the 4th over Joe managed to get Walsh to
miss time a drive straight to Dean (who was field with Paul keeping for the early part of the
game). And at 17-1 Whitehall had made a good start. Only 3 overs later Whitehall managed
to take 2 wicket in an over. Firstly Simon bowled Patel for 9, which left the score at 33-2.
Only a couple of balls late, good fielding by Martin, and a good throw had Low short.
Controversy followed as the ball had stuck Paul and rolled onto the wicket.

However this was the last slice of luck Whitehall would get all afternoon, as Simmonds and
Iqbal built a big partnership. A number of chances were grounded and mistimed shots
managed to find the gaps. A big turning point was when the ball was despatched over the
fence out of the ground, when the ball game back, it wasn't the same ball Whitehall had
used to start with. Coupled with some well timed shots before Whitehall could take stock,
Wibsey had flown to 117-3. Then the first bowling change brought a quick wicket. The 2nd
ball of Chris' spell brought the breakthrough Whitehall desperately needed. Chris had Iqbal
playing a similar shot to Walsh, with the same result with Dean taking a tidy catch.

Whitehall had found a way back into the game, but again this was only a short rest bite.
Ricky Allen joined Simmonds in the middle, and the pair just carried on from where Iqbal had
left off. During this passage of play, things went from bad to ludicrously poor as Martin pulled
his hamstring chasing a lost cause. Whitehall were now down to ten men, and looking at a
huge score to chase.

Paul Dockerty game on to bowl towards the end of the innings and took 2 wickets including
the wicket of Simmonds for 83. Allen went on to make his first 50 and Wibsey finished on
252-6 from their 45 overs. The weather had turned around and the baking heat had turned
to the usual Bradford gloom.

Whitehall began there chase with Dean and Mick opening the batting. Dean was first to fall
after only 4 overs when Jennings had him bowled.

Aidan came to the middle, and with Mick's help moved the score on to 48 before Gould
caught Aidan for 17, Joe followed 4 overs later when Iqbal took a return catch to leave
Whitehall at 55. The fall of Joe' wicket brought Paul to the crease.

Mick was out 5 over later, and Wood followed another 4 overs later and Wibsey were
sensing a big 6 points.

But Paul and Simon battled hard, and showed Whitehall weren't going to roll over and die,
with something of a fight. They saw off the last 21 overs, and with less than 10 to go
Wibsey's heads dropped and Paul helped himself to so lovely stuck boundarys. As Whitehall
innings entered the last over Paul was on 48, a quick single took him to 49, but Simon
blocked the rest of the over to keep Paul stranded on 49 (which seemed to be a result for
Wibsey).

Whitehall were poor in the field and ultimately this cost them the game, but Simon and Paul
battled hard to rescue a point from the game for Whitehall, surely things will turn around
away at bottom club Castlehill.