The Twelfth Man 2020

© The Cricketer and Getty Images Features A t Houghton Main we have a proud history of competing in the National Village Cup which culminated in a victory at the Home of Cricket in 2006 when, led by Ernie He- seltine, we overcame Timsbury by four wickets. In more recent history, certain- ly within the five years I’ve been with the club we haven’t had much success in the competition, only reaching the national stages once over that period of time. However, 2019 had a different feel about it with a settled side, all eligible and willing to play, we knew we’d go far. After beating Ackworth with ease in the first round, Simon Ward making his first century of the tournament, Luke Salis- bury a member of the playing eleven made an almost prophetic tweet:- We made it to the regional final with ease, beating Frickley Colliery by 182 runs, Imran Khan having a day to re- member making 127 and taking 5 for 22 and running through Great Preston to dismiss them for just 55 with Khan and Biswick Kapala doing most of the dam- age. So, our first real test was against Crossflatts of the Craven League who had overcome Streethouse, our his- toric rivals in the previous round. After posting a sub-par 144 our bowling trio of Kapala, Khan and Michael Bates put in a performance to share eight wickets and restrict the home side to just 103, something that would become a com- mon theme in later rounds. The first national game saw us travel to picturesque Studley Royal within Foun- tains Abbey’s grounds who were in the hunt in the York Senior Premier League at the time. The combination of Kapala, Bates and Khan again took eight wick- ets, Khan collecting a hat-trick to steal the limelight, restricting the hosts to just 115. Openers Simon Ward and Ian Simon wasted no time overhauling the total in the 16th over, Simon making a quick fire 66. Our first home game of the national rounds saw us face reign- ing champions Folkton and Flixton. Early wickets took us to 78 for 6 but a 79-run partnership between Callum Honeyman (47) and Jamie Allinson (32) saw us re- cover to post 164. The Houghton Main bowling attack again showed its quality in the second half shooting 2018’s win- ners out for just 58, Honeyman adding three wickets and two catches to his tal- ly for the day. The quarter final followed a similar path, hosting Egerton from Manchester. Struggling at 108 for 7 a 43-run partner- ship between Imran Khan who made 66 and Michael Bates, 23, saw us make 166. Again Kapala, Khan and Bates stepped up with the ball to take 7 wickets but as the visitors closed in on victory it was Adam Cutmore, filling Honeyman’s fifth bowler slot who took two vital wickets PRIDE OF SOUTH YORKSHIRE AT LORD’S Last year, Houghton Main CC of the South Yorkshire Senior Cricket League reached the final of the National Village Cup at Lord’s in September. In this specially written article Michael Bates , First XI Vice-Captain tells us what it was like to reach and play in the final… Nice to be back out on a cricket field especially with the best side I’ve been involved with for a National Village Cup game. Maybe, just maybe!!!