Denaby’s Downfall.

Hickleton Main 93 for 9 Denaby and Cadeby 89

After the favourable impressions I had formed of the Denaby team for quite three parts of the season. I must say the players have disappointed me in the ‘galloping decline’ that has latterly robbed their play of its former effectiveness.

On Saturday, Denaby succumbed to Hickleton Main, on the latter’s ground, a closely-contested game ending in a win for the home team by a wicket and four runs. Denaby, like Mitchell’s enjoyed the felicity of taking first innings, but with Beckett again bowling in his best form the earlier batsmen experienced a sorry time. Smith and the brothers Robinson were all sent back for cyphers, D. Bury got four, and P. Bury a bare single. Denaby did so badly that at one time they looked like being out for a very small score, but W. Smith chipped in with a useful 14, whilst later A. Wharton clearly proved that the bowling could be hit by rattling up 42, a fine contribution in the depressing circumstances.

Thanks mainly to these two, a total of 89 way reached, and this for a long time seemed likely to bring victory, as the earlier Hickleton batsmen, like their opponents, signally failed to do themselves justice, a series of useful scores by the later men just robbing the Denaby bowlers of the spoils of s particularly keen game. Hickleton owed a great deal to W. Daykin, who put on 20 not out at a critical time. From the above comments, it will be rapidly seen that it was a ‘tail-enders’ match. L. Robinson, for Denaby, took four wickets for 20 runs, and Beckett, for Hickleton, the same number of victims at a run more expense. As I have pointed out before, the coming back to form of Beckett with the ball, and it is perhaps fortunate for Mitchell Main and South Kirkby that last season’s champions dropped in for the unprofitable time that marred their record in mid-season.