Chris Allinson: Another 60. When will it be 100?
Allinson must make that leap to three figures
Opener Chris Allinson compiled another fine 60 as off-spinning skipper James Finch led Yorkshire Academy to an 11-run victory over Yorkshire Senior Schools.
Academy won the toss to start the 2008 Cricket Week at St Peter's School, York; they decided to bat, and turned in a good performance.
The more experienced players held the batting together, and on a slowish wicket 199 proved a competitive total.
Allinson's 60 contained many fine, forceful shots - it was the third Academy match this year in which he has reached 60 but failed to go on to three figures.
Dominic Sharp took responsibilty for the middle-order, and dominated the attack: six of his first seven scoring shots were fine fours. The bowlers wilted. Wickets fell in the late chase for runs, but the batsmen were in charge. Max Davidson's 4-34 was reward for a good piece of medium-paced bowling, and skipper Chris Marsden, though wicketless, bowled tightly.
Adam Waite fell in Allinson's second over - but a stand of 49 followed between Marsden and Gareth Phillips. Gary Rhodes had Phillips well caught behind by James Morgan, and Marsden was caught by Michael Chadwick off Finch.
The body blow to the Senior Schools batting came when Moin Ashraf and Sharp were introduced: both claimed two wickets, and the middle-order was exposed. With the score 76-6 wicket-keeper James Tattersall arrived to play an excellent innings of 49 not out. His partner, Max Davidson, eventually fell to Sharp for 16, and the Senior Schools were 11 in arrears.
I think Tattersall will be moved up the order to solve the middle-order weakness in the later match of St Peter's week.
Yorkshire Senior Schools Innings (maximum 50 overs): C Allinson c Waite b Motteshead 60, I Hartley b Scott 3, J Morgan (wicket-keeper) c Waite b Davidson 11, Ashley Lyth b Murphy 18, D Sharp c Sedgeley b Davidson 43, G Randhawa c & b Davidson 23, B Mosena not out 19, J Finch (captain) b Davidson 4, C Younes c Davidson b Scott 4, M Chadwick not out 0. Extras (lb 10, w 2, nb 2) 14.
Total(8 wickets, 49 overs) 199.
DNB: G Rhodes and (12th) M Ashraf.
FoW: 1-12, 2-54, 3-85, 4-127, 5-169, 6-176, 7-186, 8-191.
Bowling: J Rudge 10-1-40-0, S Scott 10-0-34-2, M Davidson 10-2-34-4, C Marsden 10-2-28-0, J Murphy 5-1-26-1, A Waite 2-0-15-0, S Motteshead 2-0-12-1.
Yorkshire Academy Innings (maximum 50 overs): A Waite c Morgan b Allinson 2, G Phillips c Morgan b Rhodes 39, C Marsden (captain) c Chadwick b Finch 19, H Singh Ryatt c Lyth (Ashley) b Sharp 1, R Sedgeley b Ashraf 1, S Scott c Chadwick b Hartley 17, F Rehman c Morgan b Ashraf 4, J Tattersall (wicket-keeper) not out 49, M Davidson c Chadwick b Sharp 18, J Murphy not out 16. Extras (b 1, lb 12, w 4, nb 5) 22.
Total (8 wickets) 188.
DNB: J Rudge and (12th) S Mottershead.
FoW: 1-8, 2-67, 3-68, 4-71, 5-71, 6-76, 7-122, 8-154.
Bowling: M Chadwick 8-0-40-0, C Allinson 5-1-24-1, J Finch 10-2-15-1, G Rhodes 5-1-18-1, D Sharp 3-0-19-2, M Ashraf 7-2-24-2, C Younes 1-0-12-0, G Randhawa 4-2-3-0, B Mosena 1-0-6-0, I Hartley 3-0-14-1.
Umpires: Derek Brockles and Clive Reynolds. Scorers: HD Galley and Miss E Fletcher.