Mexborough & Swinton Times, July 28
Cricket
Yorkshire Council
Denaby Draw at Frickley
T.Smith´s “Hat-Trick”
An inspiring display was given by the Frickley batsmen yesterday (Thursday), and Denaby had only their bad blunders in the field to thank for the total the home side knocked up. G. Soar, generally on the smart side in his fielding, had a terrible afternoon, actually dropping five catches at point: Tibbles also failed to take a “sitter” in the slips.
The visitors opened well enough, getting the wickets of Shields and Taylor for only 14 runs. Leslie Smith and James, favoured by good fortune, of which the former had a very good share, carried the score to 85.
Several bowling changes were made but it was left for Worthington to bring about a separation with a ball that Smith hit round. James, let off very early, went on to make his best score of the season, hitting ten 4´s. He was batting the better part of two hours. Thompson Smith was double out, Narraway catching a bell he had snicked, and then whipping off the bails to make sure, and both umpires give him the verdict.
Denaby tried no fewer than seven bowlers – including R. soar, Crossley and Ford – before 150 had been scored. Play became almost stagnant for a spell when Clem Smith and Oldknow were together, neither taking any risks. The game all round had been very unattractive to watch, with no enterprise in the batting, and the fielding was very poor. The Frickley batsmen showed a lack of judgement in running between the wickets that cost them many runs.
It was a welcome relief when Oldknow got fairly hold of Shoosmith and lifted him to the boundary. The Denaby fieldsmen were again sadly at fault when a misunderstanding resulted in their being at the same end of the crease, but Clem Smith was allowed to get back.
Worthington got his third wicket when he bowled Oldknow. He was easily the most successful bowler, only 19 runs having been hit off fourteen overs from him, he had added two more wickets to his “bag”.
In an over from Shoosmith, Barber was twice missed by Harrison and Tibbles. In Worthington´s next, McGuire was let off in the slips. A worse fielding display than Denaby´s in this match has rarely been seen on the ground.
Worthington finished the business at 5.15, bowling Joe McGuire. His 19 overs and a ball had cost only 27 runs, so that he got his six wickets for an average of 4.5 runs apiece – a splendid bit of work in a total of 198.
With two hours and five minutes left to them, Denaby had a good chance of getting the runs. Tibbles, however, was let off behind the wickets when 19, Oldknow dropping a sharp catch off Thompson Smith´s bowling. The same batsman scored at a good pace, being particularly partial to Barber´s bowling. Twenty-seven off four overs by the latter caused Clem smith to bring on Joe McGuire at 43.
Frickley made little better showing in the field, for James dropped a simple chance in the slips from Tibbles, who was 37, Thompson Smith again being the suffering bowler. There were also faults of ground fielding. This miss of James´s however, cost nothing, for Tibbles was bowled with the next delivery but one.
Then came a productive stand between Narraway and Greenwood, the former doing most of the scoring until a glorious ball from T. Smith found his stumps with his score at 29.
Greenwood was given the benefit in a very confident appeal for a catch behind the wickets, also off smith. Another “bailer” by the same bowler moved Worthington just before seven o´clock with the score at 120.
Greenwood was at last tempted to hit at one of Clem Smith´s and played on. Denaby´s position became desperate. The departing batsman´s 43 had occupied him for ninety minutes.
Taylor dropped a skier from Shoosmith off Thompson Smith, completely misjudging it. In the closing stages of the game, the same batsman gave another hard chance to Thompson Smith.
The next wicket did not fall until 7.25, the professional´s slow ball getting Shoosmith. The score was 150. Smith´s last ten overs had cost only 18 runs.
Denaby managed to save the game, a good deal of credit being due to Luther Robinson, who held his end up under the severe handicap of a badly inflamed eye.
Thompson Smith bowled better than his figures suggest. He got six wickets for 68
Frickley Total 198 Denaby (for 7 wickets) 158