17 September - Thimbleby (Away):  Chop Gate (112/2) beat Thimbleby (111) by 8 wickets.

The End

The last game of the year saw the Gate up against another under-strength side.  After putting the home side in the early breakthrough again proved elusive and the score reached 53 before the first wicket fell.  Again Cook found wickets hard to come by and with only 7 wickets to fall new he was up against it.  Eventually, after suffering again with dropped catches, Max finished with 2 wickets and missed the 'cut' by only 2.  Ian Vout showed his future potential, taking 2 wickets for only 7 runs to wrap up the tail and Andy Daniel top scored with 45.

Batting, the Gate laboured to 39/2 from 18 overs before Chris Lane and Neil Stockton knocked off the remaining 73 in only 9 more overs, Lane ending on 41 and Stockton on 44.

CGCC Web Man of the Match:  Chris Lane 

16 September - Swainby (Home):  Chop Gate (172/8) beat Swainby (90) by 82 runs.

Dynamic Dave Plunders Sixty

Dave Austin was the toast of the Gate as he made a mockery of a tricky pitch to blaze his way to his first league 50 and his highest score in a 10 year CGCC career only two weeks after posting his first cup 50.  Sent in as a make-shift opener 'Irish' Dave, in partnership with the Grinder, posted 98 for the first wicket, dominating the scoring with 64 before holing out.  The Grinder reached 49 before being bowled trying to increase the scoring rate.  None of the other batsmen showed such a liking for the pitch or the bowling though John Melling slapped a lovely inside-out 4 off the last ball.

The bowling was opened by Stockton and Cook, both needing 4 wickets to feature in the League Averages for 40 wickets or over.  Early wickets failed to come and Swainby's under-strength side reached 46 before the first wicket fell in Stocktons' second spell.  He quickly wrapped up the required wickets but, try as he might, the wickets wouldn't come for Cook.  A change of ends provided no change of fortune for the veteran seamer.  Part-time bowler Chris Lane took 2 wickets and the innings was mopped up by Dougy Pincott.  With his first ball in competitive cricket anywhere Pincott sent down a 'giggly' which bounced twice before knocking back the unfortunate Coatsworths' middle stump.  The ground erupted and Cook fell over backwards in frustration.

CGCC Web Man of the Match:  Dave Austin

9 September - Scruton (Home):  Chop Gate (82) lost to Scruton (83/8) by 2 wickets.

Bowlers On Top In Defeat

Chop Gate batted first in a game of two poor sides, the defeat by Everton at the Riverside being only partially to blame.  Max Cook top-scored with 20 as the home batsmen stuttered to 82 all out.  Scruton found run-scoring equally difficult,  Barritt (29) and Brass (18) proved to be star men with both bat and ball after taking 9 wickets between them.

CGCC Web Man of the Match:  Max Cook 

2 September - East Harlsey (Home):  Chop Gate (40/1) drew with East Harlsey (146/6) in a rain abandoned match.

Rain Ruins Reply

Rain again intervened to deprive the Gate of the chance of another victory as this game fizzled out amidst increasingly heavy showers.  East Harlsey batted first and posted a useful total of 146, Stuart Hodgson (62) and Dave Willey (36) the major contributors.  The Gate bowlers held a tight line to restrict the scoring but found wickets hard to come by, Lane (2/34) and Cook (3/38) the only successful bowlers.

The Gate set about the target with determination but were finally thwarted by the weather with the innings well placed at 40/1 after 15 overs.

CGCC Web Man of the Match:  Jimmy Scott for producing the "best tea ever seen at the Gate" (Mark Lane).

28 August - Stafford Place (Away):  Chop Gate (98) drew with Stafford (52/8) in a rain affected match.

Lane Produces Incredible Knock In Moral Victory

Mark Lane was the star of the show as the Gate threatened to overturn Staffords applecart for the second time this season.  A thunderous storm threatened to put off the game entirely but play did eventually start 35 minutes late on a sticky dog of a pitch.  Mark Lane produced as many highlights at the crease as he did in his hair, carrying his bat for an unbeaten 52 from 109 balls (7x4, 1x6).  The innings was a shining example of dogged resistance on a pitch that proved too much for many other batsmen with only the Grinder himself going on to make double figures with 12.  Connor and Robson did  the majority of the bowling and picked up the majority of the wickets, 4 and 5 respectively.

Opening bowlers Tait and Cook were soon in amongst the Stafford batsmen reducing them to 3 for 3 and 28 for 6 but time was pressing.  The introduction of Stockton saw another couple of wickets fall and Stafford were teetering on 40 for 8.  With only 6 of the allotted final 20 overs remaining the experienced pair of Paul Weston and Steve Livingstone battoned down the hatches and survived a full scale cordon of close catchers, the like of which can rarely, if ever, have been seen in a Chop Gate match, to share the points.

CGCC Web Man of the Match:  Mark Lane

19 August - Hutton Rudby (Away):  Hutton (114/9) beat Chop Gate (84) by 30 runs.

Win Chance Slips Through Fingers

Bowling first, the Gate got stuck into their high-flying rivals with a vengeance as Neil Stockton captured the first 5 wickets with a fine display of swing bowling, reducing the home side to 23 for 5.  Wickets proved harder to come by at the other end and a good partnership between John Hurford and Johnny Bailey moved Hutton out of the 'total humiliation' zone.  Ian Reid top scored with 30 as the bowlers tired but the chance to restrict the home side to a very gettable total on a difficult pitch was lost as a relatively easy catch was missed that could have restricted the total to 89 with a further 25 runs being added.  Max Cook claimed 4 wickets and John Holmes took 4 catches behind the stumps.

The Gate innings began just as a large wedding reception started at a neighbouring farm.  We were all greatly amused by the sight of the Ginger Grinder prodding the ball back down the wicket to the strains of the wedding bands version of 'Let Me Entertain You'.  Run accumulation proved difficult as Huttons' superior bowling resources restricted the scoring rate with none of the Gates' top-order batsmen imposing themselves on the innings.  As the runs dried up wickets began to fall at increasingly regular intervals as the batsmen lost the plot.  A lot of aimless swishing failed to produce the desired result as the Gate finally fell an embarrassing 30 runs short and we were left ruing the cliche 'Catches Win Matches'.

CGCC Web Man of the Match:  Neil Stockton

12 August - Gt. Smeaton (Home):  Chop Gate (84/3) beat Smeaton (81) by 7 wickets.

Long Win Wait Ends

Chop Gates five match wait for a win ended as they took the points from a crucial 'wrong-end-of-the-table' clash with Smeaton.  Fielding a depleted side, the Gate were surprised to find themselves up against a side that was possibly even more depleted than our own.

Smeaton lost wickets at regular intervals with only Rob Meynell (31) and Andy Barber (17) making double figures with Neil Stockton and 'Super' Rog Healey claiming 4 wickets a piece.  The Gate were rocking with the loss of 3 early wickets but the arrival of Dave Austin and later Neil Stockton at the crease saw the innings steadied and no remaining wickets were lost.  Austin finished with a fine 47no (still no 50 for the Gate though) and Stockton ended up with 20no.

CGCC Web Man of the Match:  Dave Austin

6 August - Broughton (Away):  Broughton (198/8) beat Chop Gate (162/8) by 36 runs.

A Disgrace to the Game, the League and Themselves!  reports Stand-in Skipper Stockton.

In sport it is quite common to hear people or teams being described as 'bad losers' but, let's face it, no-one actually likes losing, do they?  What is much less common but no less disturbing are 'bad winners' yet this term can truthfully be applied to each and every player currently representing the Leagues most successful team of the last 15 years or so.  Even the tiny minority of Broughton players who didn't participate in the shameful tactics are guilty by association for doing nothing to stop it.

Things started poorly when, after asking if one of their players could score for us while we fielded, a common practice in this league, I was told by their scorer that they wouldn't do it because no-one liked it (who does?) but that she would do her best on her own.  During the Broughton innings a squall of heavy rain descended on the ground and I requested that the teams come off until it stopped, their Captain, who was umpiring at the time refused saying it would blow over.  As the rain got heavier I again requested the teams come off, Smiths' response was to take off the Umpires coat, throw it to the ground and storm off the pitch shouting that I had "got what I wanted", the rain cleared almost immediately but this petulant man failed to re-appear to finish umpiring the over.

Amidst all this, Smiths' brother Mark set about compiling an excellent innings of 99no as Broughton set a formidable total of 198.  Mike Tait, an ex-Broughton player produced a fabulous spell of bowling conceding only 47 from 17 overs as runs flowed freely at the other end.  Several confident LBW appeals were turned down as Broughtons' batsmen realised they could plant their feet in front of the stumps with impunity as the 'home' umpires appeared totally reluctant to give a decision.  Out of eleven sets of results published in the Sunday Sun I could find only one example of an LBW being given against a Broughton player.  To add a twist to the tail I took a hat-trick late in the innings, including the home Captain, but we already felt the target was too high.

From the start of our innings Broughton showed their true colours, verbally abusing (sledging is too polite a term) and intimidating every batsman and our umpires as we set about the total.  We were behind the clock practically from the start and the only worthwhile partnership (64) was produced by the two Lanes, Mark going on to make another 50 despite taking a couple of painful blows to the inside of his knee which eventually necessitated a runner and Chris making a stylish 33.  The departure of these two put an end to any realistic challenge but this didn't stop the abuse as Broughton gracelessly achieved another 4 points.

Broughton will almost surely win the League again this year but they play with a total absence of magnanimity, completely refusing to anything unless they see a direct benefit for themselves.  Their attitude to opposing teams and players is generally poor, from their barman through to the players, they feel they have the right to carry on as they see fit without any fear of retribution or reprimand - a tone, it has to be said, that is set by their Captain who appears to instigate this sort of behaviour.  To attempt to stand up to the intimidation serves only to make matters worse.

Don't get me wrong, the will to win is the most essential attribute of any sportsman and I am not averse to a bit of opposition and umpire-baiting myself but his went totally beyond the acceptable.  The most shameful aspect is that this approach is not an isolated example.  It is time that the League took this Club to task and, if necessary, imposed neutral umpires on all Broughton games as their approach to the game is just plain wrong.  The likelyhood is, though, that nothing will happen as Broughton consider themselves the 'power-brokers' of this League and without the collective support of the remainder of teams Broughton's tactics will continue to provide undeserved success.  What is most puzzling is that they are a good side with good players who could probably be just as successful without behaving like spoilt children.  Think on.

CGCC Web Men of the Match:  Mike Tait and Mark Lane.

5 August - Crathorne (Home):  Chop Gate (166/7) lost to Crathorne (168/3) by 7 wickets.

Crathorne Pull a Mooney

A solid batting display, with 8 home batsmen reaching double-figures, was undone in double-quick time as Crathorne Captain Paul Mooney savaged the bowling attack as the Gates poor run continued.  The Gate had put up a reasonable score thanks in part to a widespread case of 'butter fingers' amongst the opposition, Mark Lane top-scoring with 37.  However, this looked woefully inadequate as Crathorne set about their task with gusto.

Crathorne rattled up 38 from the first 4 overs, Mooney was eventually dismissed for 47 from 31 balls but fellow opener Marshall batted solidly for a fine 61 and the target was reached with 6 overs to spare.

CGCC Web Man of the Match:  None.

29 July - Kirby Sigston (Away): Kirby Sigston (48/0) match drawn - Rain

A rock hard track and a baking hot day promised a run-feast at this short-boundaried ground.  Sigston's openers played and missed on countless occasions as the humidity rose but still managed to put on a promising start.  The days entertainment was ended though as a cloud-burst of almost biblical proportions engulfed the ground and it wasn't long before we all splashed off to the pub.

22 July - Maltby (Home):  Chop Gate (160) lost to Maltby (206/5) by 46 runs.

The Taxman Cometh! writes The Bard of Bilsdale.

The visit of title chasers Maltby put an end to the lose one, win one season as, you guessed it, we lost again!  Barber and Hutchinson put on 111 for the second wicket in quick time, scoring 73 and 57 respectively.  The good work was carried on by Paul Frank with a quickfire 28 as Moneybags rattled past the 200 mark.  Neil Stockton was the only Gate bowler to register any significant success, taking 3/49 from 13 overs, as the rest toiled to restrain the batsmen.

In reply, the Gate lost the wickets of Lane and Scott for 33 and were always behind the clock, John Holmes taking 72 balls for 24.  Stockton tried to up the tempo reaching 37 from 48 balls before holing out to Ray Rix.  The veteran spinner ripped the heart out of the Chop Gate middle order, taking 4/32 from 6.  Dave Austin hit a quickfire 14 and Frank Rose a valiant 26no but wickets were falling regularly and the testing total proved to much.

CGCC Web Man of the Match:  Neil Stockton for a reasonable all-round performance.

15 July - Kildale (Away):  Kildale 160/6 beat Chop Gate 157 by 3 runs.

Oh Pod!  The Gate Turn to Mush in Tight Squeeze muses Neil Stockton.

The turn of the season failed to bring a change to the Gates' fortunes as this lose one, win one season continued.  Kildale started well, if slowly, against good bowling from Stockton and Tait but the breakthrough just wouldn't come as the opening pair put on 73 for the first wicket.

Opener Pierson top scored with 60 and was well supported by Doughty Jr. (37) as Kildale reached an impressive total.  Chop Gate were reeling as 3 wickets went for 37 until Lane and Stockton teamed up to confound their reputation for being unable to bat together.  Hesitant running and calling showed how little time this pair have spent at the crease in recent years but this soon gave way to some handsome strokes and pinched singles as both batsmen reached 50 in a partnership of 93.  Stockton was out unluckily just after reaching his half-century as a ball from Pierson squeezed under the bat and trickled back onto the stumps leaving 30 needed from 6 overs.

Two more quick wickets put the game on a knife-edge as Lane continued to bat solidly.  The penultimate over went for 11 to leave just 6 needed with only 1 wicket in hand from the final over.  A scampered 2 byes raised the stakes but Lane was the last man out with 2 balls remaining as a ball from Sonley failed to bounce as high as expected and he was bowled for an excellent 68.  We were left to rue some crucial missed chances as the push to get up the table faltered (again).

CGCC Web Man of the Match:  Mark Lane for another fine, if futile, knock.

8 July - Thimbleby (Home):  Chop Gate 149/8 beat Thimbleby 147 by 2 runs.

Teesside writer, poet, Director of the 'Verb Garden' and cricketing novice, Dougy Pincott, tries his hand at sports reporting.

When the North Yorkshire Hills smell the summer breeze then you know that cricket isn’t going to be far away.  A 13 mile trek from Middlesbrough led me to my first ever local cricket match.

“Wicket’s movin’” was the murmur as the middle order crashed, Pearson taking 5/12, but John Holmes played a steady innings culminating in a fine 53, complimented by a great partnership with Mike Tait (25) who smashed his miserable average into the distant past.  Mark Lane was his usual commanding self, cocky with the bat, nifty footwork and an air of grace that confounds his years.  However, when he got to the crease he displayed an erratic temperament, which was to be his downfall for a measly 5 runs.  Neil Stockton, my host for the day, managed only a single but erased that sore point with some fine bowling and a somewhat X-rated delivery style.

150 was the target and the tail-enders almost managed it but failed by just two runs.  Thimbleby started batting steadily reaching 68/3 after 22 overs and it was at this point I decided to leave this sedated sporting arena and try out the local faire.  Everything you’d expect from sausage rolls to egg sandwiches, cakes and scones and the odd horse fly in your tea.  But, as the locals might say, “Just beef protein lad, get it down yer”. 

Leaving the hospitality shed I noticed that Thimbleby had reached 104/3 and I felt my lift home might be a little stressful especially as grunts and whines about dropped catches were spreading round the field of play.  Things weren’t going to plan until, after some fine attacking bowling from Mike Tait and Max Cook, Thimbleby were beginning to wobble adding only another 7 runs before the sixth wicket was taken by some clean, straight bowling and good catching by George Cook.  The trees in the distance were beginning to dance and the locals new that the weather was taking a turn for the worse.  Four wickets remained and the light was failing fast, encouraging some rash shots in the hope of smashing their way to victory. 

The Skipper rallied the troops for one final assault, cursing every dropped catch and cheering every good piece of fielding, he knew it was looking tight.  Just then my lift home looked as though it going to be just a little more relaxed when Neil Stockton blocked a certain 4 with his shoulder and head encouraging schoolboy giggles to echo around this picturesque ground.  Missed throws and mis-aimed shots were turning this match into a lottery and then a naive hook was gleefully accepted at square leg and Chop Gate no longer needed the bonus ball, they could win it outright and the self-belief was back!

My other travelling companion, introduced briefly as Irish Dave proffered before the match that he was a ‘fielder and a fielder only’.  If I’ve learned this much about the sport, it is that he was right.  There were also a few all-rounders in both teams, but they were all round the waist not necessarily the field, but this added to the enjoyment of the match and their girths never hindered their passion. 

Thimbleby 120/8, leaving 30 runs for victory off 5 overs.  It was swaying nicely back into the Gates favour prompting thoughts of celebratory beers and discussions of tactical wizardry and the false sense of security that was surely the overriding behind the Gates wobbly, over-confident start.  The rain was now positively favouring the bowlers and the sloped wicket was a daunting sight for the opposition batsmen drawing some nervy defensive play in what was an entertaining final 8 overs.  It was anyone’s game and it all came down to one thing – which team had the bottle and inner strength to defy the elements and their opponents.

It all came down to 11 runs off 24 deliveries with 2 wickets remaining.  Thimbleby veteran, Pearson, was lashing out at everything thrown at him but was bowled middle stump by Cook bringing the nail-biters out into the rain for what must be on of the closest finishes this season if not for a long while.  But, what do I know, on my first visit to this Yorkshire village tradition?  If I was a gambling man I think a straight throw to the batsman’s jawbone might have been a tactical play that my neighbours in Middlesbrough might have adopted but no, this was, and still is, a gentleman’s game.

145/9, 4 runs to win from 6 balls, this is when cricket becomes interesting to me, 5 balls and 146.  The rain lashing, Neil Stockton takes a long run up, the bat smacks the ball back to the bowler who blocks it.  Three balls left, 4 to win, the batsmen go for two.  The ball’s thrown back to the ‘keeper who dives to break the wicket and “Howzat!”  My first match sees my mates’ team win but if they say it’s this tight every week I might just come again.  Bellowing out from my dry car seat vantage point, “You luckee, luckee b*stard” I was interrupted by Mark Lane who retorted, “It’s not like that every week, you know”.  

“Good game, good game”, was the cry from the shed and all at Chop Gate went home with that warm feeling of satisfaction that oozes through the bodies of winners.

CGCC Web Man of the Match:  John Holmes for a vital 50.

1 July - Swainby (Away):  Swainby 94/4 beat Chop Gate 92 by 6 wickets

Red Faces All Round apologises Neil Stockton

Glenn Shimwell, Swainby's Angry Viking, was not the only player on view with a red face today as the Gate went down to the bottom side.  We have had quite a bit of fun at Swainby's expense this season, as they seek to re-establish themselves in the League after a year in the wilderness, but were made to eat our words after a truly inept performance.

Stand-in Skipper Dave Austin failed in his duty to win a crucial toss.  Swainbys' two previous wins both came at home and were based on the principal of putting the opposition in on a slow wicket with uneven bounce and then seeing if their opponents would get themselves out for a score small enough for their generally inadequate batting to chase.  We did!

It started well enough with Mark Lane and Jimmy Scott looking in good touch but Jimmy was the first to go for 12 soon followed for 10 by Lane, both bowled by Shimwell, in what became a sad procession.   The middle order folded for a string of single figure scores with only Stockton (19) providing watchful resistance until the pressure told and he was bowled attempting an injudicious slog.  Kev Brown chipped in with 12 down the order but his 3 boundaries served only to show the Swainby batsmen how easy it really was.  Shimwell was the leading bowler with 6/39 as his curious mixture of beamers, long hops, wides and one decent ball an over bamboozled the Gate batsmen into submission.

The Gate tore into Swainby and two wickets in an over by Stockton reduced Swainby to 4/2 and memories were rekindled of the last time we played there when Swainby collapsed to 27 all out.  Sadly, there was to be no repeat as Mark Kerr boosted his growing reputation with an excellent knock of 47no during which he offered only one chance.  With Tait curiously out of form further breakthroughs just wouldn't come,  Kitching also batting well for 36, until it was too late as Swainby made the target easily.

CGCC Web Man of the Match:  Robin Baker - for forcing Shimmers to palm an easy c&b chance to a fellow fielder who also dropped it, providing the only laughs of the day.

24 June - Scruton (Away):  Scruton 121/7 lost to Chop Gate 122/3 by 7 wickets

Thank Plews!  The Gate Cruise Home. writes Rudyard Kipling

With both sides fielding weakened teams this was never going to be a classic.  Scruton had their premier batsman Dave Plews, who scores runs against us for fun, absent at the North Yorkshire Show,  The Gate, fielding first, had Scruton on the rack as Neil Stockton and Max Cook had Scruton reeling at 43 for 6 and it looked like an early finish was on the cards.  That was until Greensitt and Bell combined to put on an unlikely 68 for the 7th wicket as a number of chances went begging.  

The bowlers, while unlucky to wrap things up early, at least restricted the scoring rate to a manageable 3 an over.  Stockton taking 4/37 in 14 overs and Max Cook with 2/34 off 10 took the bulk of the wickets to fall, Tait with 0/22 off 10 was his usual economical self and Lane Sr. took another 'Golden Arm' wicket before straining his groin somehow.

The batting got off to it's usual chugging start as Greensitt started with 4 consecutive maidens.  However, with limited bowling resources the batsmen started to take command.  Mark Lane batted through the innings with a runner (the manic Dave Hill and later the dismissed Grinder) leading to some hilarity around the boundary as Lane set off for a couple of singles, completing one.  Dave Hill and Jimmy Scott upped the rate with swift 20s and the Lanes saw us home with 6 overs to spare.

Hardly riveting stuff but it sets the Village Cup Regional Final against Wolviston nicely...or so we thought.

CGCC Web Man of the Match: Dave Hill - excellent entertainment as a 'runner' and some good hitting.

17 June - East Harlsey (Away):  East Harlsey 146/7 beat Chop Gate 145/6 by 3 wickets

Gate Timed Out As Harlsey Piss Us Off! grumbles Neil Stockton.

After irritating us the night before in the Gjers Cup with bails that couldn't be knocked off, East Harlsey further got on our collective nerves by refusing to bring the start time forward by more than half an hour to accommodate England v Germany.  To compound this they then took nearly 3 hours to bowl their overs as all their bowlers took run-ups similar to Curtley and Courtney but delivered the ball at a pace more fitted to Crown Green bowling.

Seeking to atone, in the only way he knows how, for a duck in the cup game, John Holmes played a virtually strokeless innings finally departing for 17 after over 25 overs of grinding dullness.  Mark Lane, for much of the first 20 overs out-scored by the Grinder, progressed to another 50 but yorked himself trying to up the pace.  Neil Stockton provided a late flurry of runs to post a reasonable target on a featherbed pitch.  Dave Willey took the bowling honours going straight through to finish with 4/57.

After a couple of good early wickets, Chop Gate bowlers struggled to make further inroads, the usually useless Gary Bliss making 50.  Your reporter was forced to leave for the football but Mark Lane made a fight of it with 3 late wickets but an unfortunate and undeserved bad over by Max Cook swung the balance back to Harlsey.

To compound the misery for MoM Mark Lane (and 3 accompanying players) a smash on the A19 delayed his arrival at the Big Match party until half-time.  However, he still managed to win the sweep on the time of the first goal and England won so it wasn't all bad.

CGCC Web Man of the Match: Lane Snr - a classy knock and pushing his way back into the bowling stakes.

10 June - Stafford Place (Home):  Chop Gate 152/5 beat Stafford Place 49 all out by 103 runs

Stuffed Place! rehashes John Holmes.

Chop Gate's long break from Langbaurgh league action due to the inclement weather didn't do them a lot of harm as they swept to a comprehensive victory over Stafford Place.

Put into bat on a wicket offering something to the seamers,  Chop Gate's reliable opening partnership of Holmes Senior and Lane Senior laid the foundations of the innings in an unspectacular but essential fashion.  Stafford's opening bowlers, Robson and Livingstone had kept it very tight and with only 25 on the tins after 15 overs,  the sound of snoozing could be heard from the home team dressing room.

Fortunately for Chop Gate, Robson was tiring and he was forced to bring on his change bowlers.   With a mixture of wides, short deliveries and full tosses Stafford's back-up bowlers completely lost the plot.  Robson tried 3 change bowlers and between them 6 overs went for an astonishing 57 runs.

Mark Lane was now in cruise mode as his score rattled along.  This was in part helped by Lane's determination to hog the mediocre bowling.  The tactic of repeatedly calling his skipper though for a bye after a wide had been called was very effective in rotating the strike in his favour.   Lane enhancing his 'Greame Hickesque' reputation by totally bullying the change bowlers into submission.

With the openers posting an excellent 102 stand in 30 overs,  Chop Gate had the makings of a big score.   When the skipper was bowled by the persevering Livingstone for 33,  the batting seemed to lose its way.   Lane soon followed for a well made 68 and it required some lusty blows from Dave Austin at the end to get Chop Gate up to an eventual close of 152.   Livingstone stuck at his task well to finish with 3-60 from a full allotment of 20 overs.

CGCC Web Man of the Match: Stockton for a devastating display of seam and swing somehow forgotten by the reporter.

20 May - Gt. Broughton (Home):  Chop Gate 47 all out lost to Gt. Broughton 48/0 by 10 wickets

CHUMP GATE FISH SUPPER TURNS SOUR rambles Richard Holmes.

A packed ground, bolstered by Broughtons' traveling army of knitting wavers, watched Chop Gate slump to their first humiliating 10 wicket defeat of the season, in a damp squib of a game. The Lord Mayors Show of the previous week resembled nothing more than a Lord Lucan party, “absent”! After the game there were rumours abound of a major dressing room rift following a 2-hour behind closed-door inquest. It was later disclosed that Captain Holmes refused to allow anyone to leave until they all said they were sorry. When asked about the rift Chop Gate supremo Brian Cook would only comment “shouting…….shouting, we’ll have none of that here, this is a local club for local people”. Chop Gate allrounder Mick Tait summed up the mood in the camp with “we were sh*t man, even George admits he was sh*t.”

Broughton won the toss and put Chop Gate in on a damp slow wicket. The Chop Gate batsmen failed to get to grips with the conditions and were easy pickings for Broughtons' only two bowlers. Harris (6-25), no longer charging in like a rhinoceros, produced some devastating in swinging yorkers and was aided and abetted by the  'allrounded' Briddock (4-18). No fewer than 8 Chop Gate batsmen had their timbers tickled, highlighting a need for them to go back to basics. Returning batting star Lane although out of sorts, top scored with 19, however, Broughton old boys Tait and Scott failed to trouble the scorers. If not for a late last wicket flurry from Stockton (14) and Brown the score would have looked far worse than 47 all out in 28.5 overs.

Broughton openers Cook and Smith looked in no trouble as they knocked off the total with ease inside 16 overs, despite frequent appeals for LBW that were about as likely to be given as a hand job in a nunnery.

Broughton cruise on to another season of title contending whereas Chop Gate look destined to once again qualify for next years Bob Lowther trophy.

Chump of the Day  – 11 Chop Gate Batsmen

Champ of the Day – Mrs Magician for her fishy excellence (here, here! - ed.)

Match Rating  – Very Poor

Overall Winners – Mr & Mrs Magician scooping £28 from the teas resulting in a very nice Chicken Parmesan each.

Highlights of the Day - The inclusion of prawn sandwiches on the tea menu and a call from the boundary that Andre White was indeed a 'ponce'.

CGCC Web Man of the Match: Stockton for his gritty attempt to salvage a lost cause.

13 May - Crathorne (Away): Crathorne 111 all out lost to Chop Gate 113/3 by 7 wickets

Great Scott!!! Jimmy Freezes Out Crathorne reports Neil Stockton

Chop Gate sent shivers through the league with a stunning victory at title contenders Crathorne for the second year running.  Jimmy Scott in only his second game for his new club, struck a half century, including some blistering offside shots, as the Gate romped home with overs to spare 

The first choice bowling line-up of Neil Stockton and Mike Tait teamed up after the cessation of activities at the Riverside to put in a Top Ten performance claiming all Crathorne wickets.  The Gate were in command of the scoring rate from the start as the home batsmen struggled.  The policy of keeping Danny Murdoch at the crease with a string of missed opportunities backfired slightly as the hapless opener went on to make an almost unbelievable  53.

None of the other Crathorne batsmen made much impact as the stranglehold was maintained.  Mike Tait conceded only 5 runs from his first 8 overs and picked up wickets regularly, taking a fabulous 7/43 in 19 consecutive overs.  Alan Clemmit threatened briefly to post a respectable total with consecutive sixes but Tait's guile and experience finished him off two balls later.  Ably supported by Stockton (3/34), looking lively with the new ball, and Brown, Crathorne never looked comfortable.

Fears that the absence of Mark Lane, getting his priorities all wrong by going boozing in the Lakes, and the Ginger Magician (again) might hamper the run chase proved groundless as Scott took charge after the early departure of Chris Lane.  In partnership with the Ginger Grinder, his determined mood heightened still further when an opposing bowler yawned at him, the pair took the Gate into the comfort zone.  Crathornes much lauded bowling attack toiled to make an impression before Scott was out for exactly 50 soon followed by the unfortunate Austin. 

The Grinder produced a trademark innings, striking the winning runs with a boundary but failing to register a 50 by one run (a six was just a little too much to ask), as the Gate cantered home.  

CGCC Web Man of the Match:  Mike Tait - a match-winning bowling return.

6 May - Kirby Sigston (Home):  Chop Gate 120/7 lost to Kirby Sigston 121/9

'Gate Lose Out in Tense Finish! reports Mark Lane.

The alternative attraction of a pointless draw between doomed Watford and feeble Middlesbrough cost Chop Gate victory with the likes of Mike Tait, Neil Stockton, Richard Holmes and Chris Lane getting their priorities all wrong (again). 

Whilst they bored themselves rigid at the Riverside, a dramatic last wicket partnership saw the farmers of Kirby Sigston home despite a gallant effort from a depleted home side in an early-season Bilsdale thriller.

With eight balls remaining, colossal farmer Bill Town secured victory by blasting a mighty six over square leg from a long-hop by Kevin Brown who, up till then, had kept things tight as the game went down to the wire.

Things had started fairly promisingly for the Gate with signing from Langbaurgh League champions Great Broughton Jimmy Scott shaping up quite nicely before dragging an innocuous Town delivery on to his stumps.  John Holmes and Mark Lane teamed up in a familiar partnership that saw the side cautiously move to 53-1 at the halfway mark.

The pair departed in quick succession in their bids to boost the scoring rate but the expected collapse did not ensue with the likes of Dave Austin, Frank Rose and Dave Hill making solid contributions to Chop Gate’s 40-over total of 120-7.

When Kirby Sigston replied dangermen Thompson Snr. and Thompson Jr. perished early on to the old-stager Max Cook, who went on claim four wickets.  Wickets fell at regular intervals until Kevin Clarkson was joined at the crease by a young farmer and they edged their side very close to victory.

With the game slipping away from Chop Gate Mark Lane returned to remove both batsmen but it was all too late.  Thank God the football season’s finally over.

CGCC Web Man of the Match:  Max Cook - life in the old dog yet!

1 May - Maltby (Away):  Rained off

Poor weather throughout the preceding week put paid to this one and meant we missed out on our favourite 'away' teas (even Mark Lane has one here).  The supreme irony of early season cricket is that you can have a gorgeous day with not a cloud in the sky and a heat haze shimmering across the road and still not get a game in.  Next week will be -5° and blowing a gale and we'll be playing, guaranteed!

29 April - Kildale (Home):  Rained off

Nothing was more certain that this match wasn't going to take place.  The usual blank start, will we ever play on the first day of the season again?  Our Pitch Inspectors report of a play rating of 0/10 proved to be chillingly accurate.