Mexborough & Swinton Times, Friday, 10 August 1934
Wrong Tactics
Mexborough Miss Their Chance
It was not possible to start the game between Denaby and Mexboro’ on Monday until 3-45 and even then bowlers were considerably handicapped by the wet ball and treacherous conditions under foot. The “gate” was naturally affected, an unfortunate circumstance as this match had been set aside for the Denaby groundsman’s benefit. Under difficulties the Mexboro’ attack did quite well and would have done much better had the bowlers been backed up in the field. However, one or two of the Mexboro’ players appeared to be suffering from the after effects of a little Bank Holiday conviviality, and sufficient runs were given away in the field to put Denaby practically out of danger of defeat.
The captains agreed on an hour and threequarters’ batting each, and thanks to some hefty hitting by Joe Wright, backed up by good efforts by Wainwright, Vollans and Mountney, Denaby profited to the full by Mexboro’s fielding lapses and made 186 for 9. Mountford (5 for 55) and Blagborough (2 for 43) bowled quite well for Mexboro’, who, however, never really looked like getting the runs once David Brown had been dismissed.
The Mexboro’ captain alone seemed to realise that runs were wanted quickly and while he was in there always seemed a chance of victory. He was eventually stumped in going down the pitch to Wainwright and afterwards had to sit and watch the majority of his colleagues exercising something akin to the caution associated with a do-or-die effort to save the game. Burkinshaw’s 60 took him nearly 90 minutes to make, and although there were six more wickets to fall Dawson and Mountford stone-walled through the last few overs with most misguided determination. Even granting the accuracy of the Denaby attack in which Wainwright (2 for 19) and Dickinson (2 for 41) were most successful, the tactics of some of the Mexboro’ batsmen were incomprehensible. Scores:
Denaby: E Wainwright b Mountford 33, I Greenwood b Blagborough 2, J Wright b Blagborough 46, A S Vollans c Burkinshaw b Mountford 19, C Mountney c Targus b Mountford 16, H Foster c Greenwood b Pegg, W Criddle c and b Mountford 11, G Allen st Targus b Mountford 19, C Downing c Burkinshaw b White 12, W Holland not out 9, W A Dickinson not out 0; extras 1; total (for 9 wkts dec.) 186.
Mexboro’: D Brown st Allen b Wainwright 21, R Burkinshaw c Mountney b Dickinson 60, C Pegg b Wainwright 9, R White c Greenwood b Dickinson 30, W Dawson not out 17, E Mountford not out 7; extras 18; total (for 4 wkts) 162.