Denaby’s Big Victory

Denaby travelled to South Kirkby, and experienced the great satisfaction of being the first to pull up South Kirkby in their successful career. With the latter defeat goes the last record of an unbeaten league certificate, so far as the season is concerned. The result is especially gratifying to Denaby who have only to maintain such fine form to loom more largely on the championship horizon.

It was a smart performance, and contributed materially to sustaining interest all around in the competition, which bids fairly to bringing a keen fight for final honours. Here again scoring ruled low, batsmen, with one or two exceptions, scraping about, vainly endeavouring to meet the deceiving ball with their full face of the bat.

Yes, at South Kirkby the bowlers had a rare old time, thanks to the “gentle rain from heaven above.” Denaby took first innings but only two of the team distinguished themselves with the bat, Scott showing a stubborn defence and scoring 17, while several of his colleagues were coming and going at, short intervals. But the campaign of cricket was seen when Knowles came to the crease. Not only is he a good wicket-keeper, but a batsman well aware of inclusion even when Narroway, the regular stumper, is playing. On this occasion he came to his side’s rescue with a vengeance, rattling up 38 not out in the same sparkling manner that marked his display against Hoyland a few weeks since. It was a great innings in the circumstances, and well worth watching.

Ramsbottom took 8 of the Denaby wickets and he had a particularly fine record up to the advent of Knowles.

A total of 86 did not present an impossible task to a side of the calibre of South Kirkby, but with Scott and Robinson making the ball talk more than a little it proved far beyond their powers. Jessop with 19, and Charles with 18, were the only bats to make anything like a decent show, and with the last wickets falling at 45, Denaby broke a record and won the same by 40 runs. Knowles stumped Charlesworth smartly, and only allowed one extra to help the South Kirkby batsmen. What would Mexborough give for a wicket keeper like Narroway or Knowles?