Stand thwarted by rain again (From Prestwich and Whitefield Guide)

Stand thwarted by rain again

3:00pm Thursday 9th August 2012 in Sport

STAND travelled to Roe Green looking to make up for an abandoned home fixture earlier in the season but ended in similar circumstances.

A burst drain and an unfit outfield caused the match at the SCG to be halted and Stand headed to Worsley hoping for better fortune and maximum points.

A shower just before midday added a touch of zip to the outfield, but the sun came out and play got underway on time with the home side winning the toss and batting first.

It proved another good toss to lose for Stand as Carl Sutcliffe had Higson (seven) caught behind, before Scott Butterworth snaffled a smart caught and bowled chance to remove West without scoring, thus restricting the home side to 10-2.

Opener Birch and Stevens moved the score along to 37-2 after 15 overs in what were difficult conditions, before Stevens (14) was caught by Chris Holt at backward point off Sutcliffe.

Birch’s prolonged innings came to an end in the next over as he spooned Matt Curphey’s loosener to Butterworth in the cover and departed for 11.

A total of 37-4 soon became 37-5 as Haynes fell to the Holt/ Sutcliffe combination.

The hosts did manage to get off the unlucky 37, before a five-minute-long monsoon hit the area at 2.15pm and pretty much flooded the ground, which suspended play.

However, the sun immediately came back out and the home side performed somewhat of a token mop-up operation, without seriously looking interested in getting back on.

After letting nature take its course to dry out the ground, the umpires decided that play would restart at 5.30pm (three hours and 15 minutes after the downpour), with Roe Green having seven overs left to bat.

They faced two of the allocated overs – moving the score along to 64-5 – before the umpires decided that the ground was unfit and play was abandoned for the day.

Sutcliffe claimed 3-28 with Butterworth and Curphey taking a wicket apiece.

Stand face Flowery Field at the SCG on Saturday with the third team hosting Deane & Derby on Sunday.