Lancashire League: Ramsbottom Cup (27 Jul 1998)

27 July 1998

Don't write us off warns Rushton

The Lancashire Evening Telegraph

If Cherry Tree feel as though they have again got one hand on the Vaux Ramsbottom Cup, which they won so convincingly last year, then Earby skipper Steve Rushton is determined to make them think again.

There's no doubt that double-holders Cherry Tree are comfortably in the driving seat in a game full of drama, twists and turns and some fine cricket.

They gave an exhibition of the awesome batting depth in their ranks, allied to a hint of the bowling bite which makes them still, arguably, the best team in the Ribblesdale League.

But Rushton, despite being offered a last request to go with the blindfold, doesn't believe his team are backs to the wall in front of the firing squad just yet.

Earby are chasing 224 for victory, have professional Jonathan Harvey back in the pavilion and, with only 20 overs remaining, are 83-4.

The message from the skipper, however, came out loud and clear - "Don't write us off."

A former Read player, Rushton knows the small ground well and explained: "It's not a daunting prospect to get 224 at Read.

"Yes, it's a lot of runs, but it is certainly gettable.

"They are a very good side. But we haven't got where we are in the league or cup with nothing.

"And, in a cup match, you don't play for a draw. It will come down to whether we can get a couple of good overs, then the run rate won't matter and we can do it."

There is logic in Rushton's stance but he has already seen Cherry Tree retrieve two potentially disastrous situations and they are unlikely to hand Earby a third opportunity to take control when the final resumes tonight around 6pm.

At 15-3 with the pro Naeem Ashraf gone, Cherry Tree were in dire straits. But they salvaged that situation thanks to an excellent partnership between Andy Holroyd and Michael Veevers.

But then came another slump to 96-6 and Earby were back in command until the depth of the Cherry Tree batting was revealed in full.

Paul Reed and Lee Kennedy came together and not only staged a revival, they did it with such staggering strength and speed that they put on 105 for the seventh wicket.

If there is a more powerful number eight batsman than Reed, I'd like to see him in action. He plundered 58 runs - riding his luck a little it's true - by blitzing whatever was bowled to him.

Four sixes and three fours came along in an innings which lasted a mere 50 deliveries and Kennedy's support was crucial as he hit 55 from 53 balls with one six and five fours.

Not as spectacular as his partner but equally effective and entertaining.

Earby's task looked even tougher when Ashraf and Gary Bolton got to work to have them reeling at 10-2.

But the key wicket was that of Harvey, who looked to have settled into a groove and played the day's finest shot -- an exocet of a cover drive off his counterpart.

Just when he should have been thinking about milking the later bowlers, however, Harvey had a rush of blood and tried to pull John Hughes. His mis-timed shot dropped into the safe hands of mid-on Veevers.

"Some teams can rescue themselves once, but not twice," admitted a rueful Rushton about the Cherry Tree innings.

Earby have managed it once, can they now match their opponents and do it again?

It looks a long shot.

Source :: Lancashire Evening Telegraph (https://www.reednews.co.uk/let/)