Old Glossop roll back the years at Compstall

Despite a successful start, as captain Cannon finally won a toss and opted to field, the seconds stumbled through a poor all-round display at high-flying Compstall as tempers flared on a hot and sticky day. The years were indeed rolled back – this was a performance of which Pat Rowbottom and Harry Hall would be proud.

Having elected to bowl on what looked like a lively, green track, the Old Glossop bowlers could not find any life in the wicket, and struggled to respond to sensible batting from the Compstall openers. This was despite diligent work early on from opening bowlers Ivan Twist and Matt Parker, who managed to restrict Compstall largely to ones and twos.

However, Compstall were generally untroubled, and no wicket had fallen when Keith Mitchell and James Wright replaced Twist and Parker twelve overs into the Compstall innings. The story of woe continued, as the batters began to assert their increasing authority, defending the good balls and ensuring that the bad ones were given the necessary treatment. Mitchell and Wright were both taken off after only a few unproductive overs between them, although Mitchell did appear to have a good shout for caught behind turned down by the umpire. The Compstall opener reached 50, as he helped a particularly loose ball from Wright towards Twist at fine leg, who promptly helped the bobbling ball into a nearby flower bed. As an increasingly frantic Twist searched for the ball, and undertook a fair amount of weeding at the same time, the umpire muttered to Wright, “I certainly wouldn’t want him doing my garden”.

In an attempt to add a little variation to the OG attack, Cannon came on to bowl some of his left arm spin, and was a little unlucky not to gain a wicket during his six overs. The Compstall openers each chipped into gaps off the bowling of the skipper.

Wickets finally fell as Twist and Parker were reunited as the Compstall innings drew to a close. The Compstall opener was trapped lbw by Twist having played some wonderful shots in a fine innings, but he and the other Compstall batters were surely aided by some truly terrible work from the Old Glossop fielders, who managed increasingly to turn ones into twos and twos into threes. Catches were also dropped by James Wright (two in two balls), Cannon and Jon Wright. Indeed, the only OG fielder to emerge from this game with any credit was Steve Allcock, who fielded well throughout and contributed an excellent run-out. The Compstall innings ended with the home side having notched up 211 for 5, with Parker and Twist  finishing with two wickets apiece.

Old Glossop were unhappy with their display in the field, but it was agreed that the fast outfield, combined with the depth of the OG batting order, meant that there was life in this game yet, even if there wasn’t in the Compstall pitch.

It was therefore in determined mood that Martyn “Airwolf” Parker and Jon Wright looked to provide Old Glossop with the perfect start, and they did indeed begin well. When Wright fell for 15, there were 40 runs on the board. However, Airwolf, nephew Mikey Parker and Steve Allcock all fell in quick succession. Each was caught out, as Old Glossop did exactly what Compstall had not done – playing the wrong shots to the wrong balls.

This left Jamie Cannon and Chris Traynor to attempt to repair the Old Glossop innings. Each played some excellent shots in a valuable middle-order partnership which nudged Old Glossop beyond the century mark. However, Old Glossop hopes faded fast when Traynor was caught out for 19. He was then followed rapidly by Matt Parker, who was run out by Cannon having failed to trouble the scorers. With Cannon now joined at the crease by young Will Reddington, the OG captain decided to hit out, and played some nice shots before being bowled for around 25.

Nothing short of a miracle could save Old Glossop now, as James Wright went into bat with the score at 115 for 7. Reddington thumped a quick 12, before he was caught out at mid-on. Vice-captain Keith Mitchell now took his guard in the knowledge that he was effectively last man, with the legendary walking wicket Ivan Twist now padded up and waiting on the pavilion porch, ready to take his bow. Wright and Mitchell moved the score on to 137, before Wright was bowled out for 11.

The crowd now looked on in anticipation as Twist strode confidently out to bat. Which shot would he pull from his repertoire today? To the amazement and wild applause of both sets of players and even the umpires, Twist produced a near-perfect forward-defensive as he avoided the golden duck with which he has become almost inextricably linked. He then caused further scenes of wild abandon as he smashed an impeccably timed straight drive over the head of the anguished bowler. Was this the beginning of the miracle so desperately required by the Old Glossop boys? Alas, it was not to be. Twist finally succumbed to a full toss, which, in truth, he missed completely, leaving him to troop back to the dressing room having contributed a gallant 4. Mitchell was left undefeated on 9.

Wright compounded the misery by forgetting to pay for tea.

Overall, this was a sad day for Old Glossop, but Compstall are surely a good outfit who simply played the better cricket on the day. However, things will surely have to improve next week when OG play host to Hayfield, another of the league’s high-flyers.