South Yorkshire Times, July 14, 1951
Century Against Thorncliffe Gives Denaby Man Average of 85.83
Denaby & Cadeby 171 For 5, Thorncliffe 168.
“He’s batting like a County man,” was the opinion of Denaby Secretary, Amos Jones, on Saturday, after a century by opening batsman Arthur Ellis. Arthur, still in his early twenties, is on his top form this season and Yorkshire could do far worse than give him a trial. There are many less competent batsmen in county cricket. Arthur’s 100 on Saturday were beautifully made in 80 minutes. He was chiefly responsible for the comfortable 171 for 5, with which Denaby replied to Thorncliffe’s 168. The thirteenth four to come from his bat gave him his century, his second of the season and then he gave a hard catch to bowler French when Denaby were only six runs away from victory. Arthur has what may be the best batting figures in the Yorkshire Council this season. They are:
Inn. N.O. 100’s Rns High’st Avge
12 6 2 515 106 n.o. 85.83
Jack Munden gave him early support, scoring 28 in a first-wicket partnership of 68, and by then the match was half won.
Thorncliffe’s 168 was a laborious effort against good bowling, but an attack which was weakened by the absence of young pace bowler, Forest. Cowan was most successful taking four for 40, and Richards backed him up with three for 35. The rest of the work fell on the shoulders of Downing (one for 47) and Cory (two for 34) Fisher, who scored a century for Thorncliffe, in their earlier meeting with Denaby, was the largest obstacle to Denaby’s winning ways, staying to score 56 attractive runs. Ridge made 39 and Moore 29.
An interesting comparison, incidentally, one which well illustrates Denaby’s crowd- drawing cricket, can be found in the number of overs bowled by each side.
Thorncliffe’s 168 came in 51 overs, Denaby’s slightly larger score, and for fewer wickets, in only 39. Last week’s victory over Hallam came in 13 fewer overs than the Sheffield side had needed, and in the previous week, when Denaby scored 200 runs more than Frickley, they took only nine more overs.
Those figures are among the things that make Denaby the biggest entertainers in the Council this season, as they have been for the last three.