This week Milford 1st team embarked on their 2nd longest road trip of the season. Away to Malton & Old Malton 2nd XI. The possibility of tailbacks on the A64 saw an early start and a variety of routes chosen. Amazingly everybody turned up well in time, helped no doubt by car sharing now been allowed as COVID restrictions have been eased slightly. We can also use changing rooms as long as social distance protocols are implemented and spectators can come to the ground. Cricket teas are also allowed but the rules are the same as they are for pubs & restaurants so very few clubs will be offering them. Milford have agreed to wait till we are able to offer the buffet style that we have become accustomed to and I think we do really well.

Once again it was an unchanged team and fingers crossed, we might be able to get a full game in this time. Weather forecasts all week had been switching between good and bad and dark grey clouds and rain that had been encountered on the way to Malton didn’t bode too well. Prospects for play looked even less likely when we eventually arrived at the ground. Blocked gutters & hoses on the Malton covers on Friday night had left the end closest to the pavilion soaked. The home team pilled sawdust on the end in attempt to soak up as much as possible and get the game started. Surprisingly after a light roll it didn’t look too bad though there would be quiet a contrast between either end. Might be interesting batting on it.

This is our first visit to Malton and very impressive it is. A huge ground to the south east side of the town next to the rugby union ground. The soccer club must share the ground, but the clubhouse had a large bar & function room with spacious changing rooms. Will be a nice place to visit when everything is fully opened. Only downside is the clubhouse is east facing so the sun is behind for most of the match. A real minus when the weather is as cold as today.

Fortunately, Malton brought the boundary rope in a bit, so boundaries were within range with a good hit, perhaps lengthwise wasn’t quiet as imposing as the width. Once again Milford’s skipper Alex Ward won the toss and wisely decided to ask the home team to bat. As mentioned in previous reports the current league rules seem to offer easier point scoring chances for teams that bat 2nd.

Rather against all expectations the match started on time, Steve Winspear and Sean Nesbitt opening the bowling. Ironically Sean was soon putting back sawdust onto the wicket which had earlier so fastidiously been brushed off.

Both Malton openers started cautiously, probably wanting to get a good idea of what the pitch was doing. The bounce seemed pretty consistent at each end, though it wasn’t whizzing off the surface. Sean seemed to be getting a fair bit of movement and really tied down his end. This season it has seemed Steve has made a conscious effort to keep the ball pitched up and this has led to him been driven quiet a bit. He was again today but these shot only went to prove how slow the outfield was as time and again the batsmen were surprised not to see their shot race to the boundary rope.

Steve should have had the first wicket, but he dropped a caught & bowled chance. Malton opening batsmen Colin Palmer breaking his bat handle in the process. He looked more comfortable with his borrowed replacement. His team-mates reckoned Colin’s broken bat should have been sent to the Antiques Roadshow.

It was Sean who stole the show in the opening half of the innings, having a hand in the first 3 wickets. He forced Jack Pinder to hole out to Harry Jackson for a 20-ball duck to open his account, then bamboozled Palmer into leaving a straight one and most impressively of all claim a run out of Matthew Lock when hitting the wickets when he had only one stump to aim for.

Sean’s heroics left Malton on 71-3 off 26 overs, the pace of the game very steady. It was certainly a day when the ball dominated the bat. James Bramley replaced Winny at the far end and virtually tied down the end. His first 8 overs going for only 22 runs. Sean finished his spell with 2 for 23 off 12 overs.

Malton seemed determined to use all their 45 overs and hope something around the 150 mark would be defendable. Danny Foxton, coming in at 4, played the anchor role. Trying to minimise the risk as wickets fell all around him.

Earlier in the innings Milford had been guilty of spilling a few chances but in the 2nd half all the catches were held. Harry Jackson finishing the day with the best bowling stats with 3 for 41 and it was nice to see Winny come back at the end to claim a couple of wickets. The steady dribble of wickets as the innings progressed stopped Malton building up any real momentum and as the innings closed the home side were left on 138 for 9. That didn’t feel enough but you only know how good it was till the other side has batted and to be fair our performance at Tadcaster the other week when chasing another modest target didn’t bode well.

So, to the tea break and the sun had started to make an appearance, that didn’t help the nithered scorers much as we were sat in the shadow of the club house. The flask of hot coffee the only defence against the chilly wind. Home made BLT butties today. Nice smoked rashers of bacon on half a banquette with a bit of iceberg to pretend it was almost healthy. Once again Paprika Walkers Max were the accompaniments, had to use them up though to be fair they worked quiet well with the sandwiches.

The Milford batsmen took to the field and we certainly had the best of the conditions, the cloud was breaking up and sunshine started to regularly bathe the ground. Alex Ward & Harry Jackson once again opened the batting. A nice steady start was all that was required, keep wickets in hand and with just 3 and a smidge runs per over needed we could chug along nicely till the 30 over mark and then see where we stood.

Our start was helped when Malton’s opening bowler Josh Mann found his radar to be all over the place. A succession of wides gave us the perfect start, 11 free runs in his first over was not what his captain was looking for. To be fair he seemed to get things a bit more under control after that and forced his way through Harry Jacksons weak forward defence to bowl him for just 6.

This couldn’t be a repeat of Tadcaster again, could it? Fortunately not, Ben White has started the season in top form with the bat and goaded on by the home fielders kicked started his innings with the first 6 of the day. This seemed to ignite Alex at the other end and the score was soon adding up. The 50 mark was passed in the 12th over and by halfway Ben looked nailed on to score his 2nd fifty of the season.

Alas Ben will have to wait as he holed out on 43. If Malton thought that with the loss of White Milford might bottle it then they were to be mistaken. Alex took over the cudgel, repeating Ben’s feat of hitting a maximum. Together with Pete Batty he navigated Milford to a comfortable 8 wicket win. Alex finished with his best of the season 61 not out. Though Alex dominated the closing overs there was still time for Pete to produce the trademark back foot drive through cover point. The way it raced over the outfield showing how much the pitch had quickened up since the start.

A very impressive performance sees Milford jump up the table but next weekend’s home game against current top of the table Pickering should be a cracker. Fingers crossed we are blessed with decent weather and I don’t need to bail out the scorehut.