South Yorkshire Times July 9, 1955
Steel, Peech’s Wipe Out an “Adverse Balance”
Some excellent individual bowling feats, extremely good batting and an exciting finish – these were the ingredients of the game between Steel, Peech and Tozer and Denaby and Cadeby, played at Brinsworth, on Saturday. The result – a two wickets victory for Steel, Peech and Tozer – wiped out the “adverse balance” of the six wickets defeat suffered at the hands of Denaby and Cadeby earlier this season.
Heroes of the game? There were two from each side, Denabys Dick Cory and teammate J. Forrest, and S. P. T.’s Harold Pope and Albert Beech. Corey scored an excellent 39 and Forrest had an analysis of five for 47, but Beech and Pope went even better – the former scoring a confident 54 and the latter taking seven for 43.
Denaby soon lost opener Norman Oakley who snicked a ball from Leslie Gascoigne down his leg side for wicket-keeper Reg Robinson to take a good catch. Arthur Ellis was then joined by Dick Cory and they took the score to 48, Ellis looked the safer batsmen of the two, although both batted well. It was a brilliant catch taken by 16-year-old Albert Shaw that sent Ellis back to the pavilion. Taylor came in to join Corey, but although he was in for some time, he failed to score and finally fell victim to Pope. Cory was caught at mid-off by Anderson off Pope and Waddington was run out for eight by Roger Cutts, another 16-year-old, who was fielding at point.
Wickets followed in quick succession, Peter Downing was leg before wicket to Pope for 12, Hurst scored a single before being bowled by Pope, Jones scored three before being bowled by Ken Cook. Last man, Wakefield, hit a skier of Pope to S. P. T. Skipper, Joe Wilkes, fielding at mid on, and his capable hands terminated the Denaby and Cadeby innings with 103 on the board.
Shortly after the tea it looked as though this might well be sufficient to give the visitors the points. Ken Cook was cut to a good catch by wicket-keeper Hurst and Joe Wilkes was run out when attempting a second run. The score then stood at nine and things looked extremely black for S. P. T. But Albert Beech who had been confidently weathering the storm, was joined by Harold Pope and the score crept to 37. It was at this point that a ball from Forrest was into the air by Pope, and Taylor took a catch at silly mid-off. Pope had them made 12.
Green did not stay, but a partnership between Beech and Harry Hill greatly improved their position, but when he had scored 14 Hill guided a ball from Davies into the hands of Ellis fielding at slip and trekked back to the pavilion. Beach was finally out for 54 – bowled by Forrest.
The two 16-year-olds, Albert Shaw and Roger Cutts, got together and the former scored three singles before falling to Forrest. After a shaky start, Cutts, who was playing his first game in Council cricket, batted steadily and went on to score 8 not out. Following Shaw’s dismissal Robinson came in, but with 102 on the board Forrest had him caught by Wakefield at mid-off. Anderson clinched the issue with a single.