Captain Cook Sails To Victory At Mkt Deeping

Lindum 1st XI started the 2019 ECB season with a stunning and professional 102 run victory on an unseasonably warm, sunny day away at Market Deeping (It’s always good to get the longest drive out of the way first!)

The lineup included two debutants. Rob Cook who joins the Lindum as 1st XI captain, club captain and coach from Sandiacre Town in Derbyshire. Rob comes back to Lincolnshire after a decade away from the county. He is a proud member of the ‘One cap wonders’ with a solitary minor counties cap for Lincs. Probably and more importantly though, his wife, Jodie, has also joined the club and has a much better cricketing CV. Liam Redmond joins the Lindum this year from Scunthorpe Town CC and slots straight into the line up. Liam is a member of her majesty’s constabulary and from early signs, seems like a kit badger! Redders will add some steel in the middle order and the low arm Phil Taylor’s will prove useful during the season.

We must add here that a familiar convict baby faced, wet behind the ears spinner returns back to the Lindum this year. Ben Rolfs has arrived back for another season from Melbourne, Australia. I know every man and his dog was excited to hear the news when Ben agreed to come back for another crack. We just hope his parents make the trip over again too!

Somehow, which is still baffling to many, Lindum lose the toss on a red hot day, on a used wicket which looks flatter than the A15 and get asked to bat first. It was seen that Cook struggled to hide his joy! However, things didn’t go to plan with Morley-Barnes trapped LBW early on and stalwart reserve garden gnome, Bishop, deciding to run himself out after thinking he was as quick as he was 10 years ago (14-2). This brought debutant Cook and former captain Tomlinson to the crease. Both deciding to roll back the years to the Lincolnshire junior county days, batting with freedom, adding 60. Charlie decided he was Brian Charles Lara and threw the sink at a very wide ball, edging behind for a breezy and classy 40 (74-3). Rolfs joined the skipper on the stroke of drinks and both dug in to grind out some early runs before cashing in on some tiring bowlers in the heat. A partnership of 117 broke the back of the Deeping bowlers with Rolfs reaching his half century before falling with only a few overs left (191-4). After a shakeup in the order, the swashbuckling talent that is Tom Lindsay joined Cook for some late order “Clean hitting”. However it was Cook who decided to push the accelerator, bringing up his first Lindum century in the last over with a popular sweep shot (I think he was too tired to hit straight!) The innings closed on 231-4 after 50 overs, a stunning effort in the heat and sets the tone for the rest of the season nicely.

After an indifferent tea, highlighted by a multilayered mixture of easter delights covered in chocolate, it was time for the bowlers to earn their corn and get stuck in. ‘Big Red’ Joe Peatman decided that 2019 was the year of hitting the stumps, made inroads early bowling Smith for 4 (9-1). With the heat and flat nature of the pitch, it was always the day for short sharp energetic spells, and when allrounder Lindsay came onto bowl from the ‘Big Hedge End’ things were always going to happen… good or bad! Lindsay, we must say here, is a bit of a magic man, Paul Merson really, but without the drugs and gambling (that we know of anyway)… but talent wise; very similar. After deciding to attempt a caught and bowled chance that landed 7 yards away from his best efforts he managed to hide his disappointment by bowling Judd around his legs (54-2). The magic man struck again with Bishop taking a smart high catch behind the pegs (62-3) From there on, the three spinners of Rolfs, Benson and Cook strangled the line up. With the run rate and pressure ever climbing, chances would arise and that they did. Smart catches from Tomlinson and a casual Redmond in the deep, 7 wickets fell to spin. Benson taking 2-24 off 12, Rolfs snaring 1-30 off 7 and Cook topping off his day to remember with 4-15 off 8 overs. Deeping were bowled out for 129 in 42 overs and a maximum 20 points to the Lindum.

Beers on the outfield followed, with a superb Fines Master debut from the better looking Taylor brother and a stunning performance first up provides real momentum into next week. First team manager, Kempton was proud of his fresh white board, full of ticks and positives. Let’s roll that onto next week at home to Louth!

UTL