Goole denied second holiday win by rain

Published on 31st August 2006 in Sport

THE HORNSEA GROUND STAFF did their best, but in the end visitors Goole were robbed of a second holiday win by a thunderstorm on the East Coast on Monday.</p>

With Yorkshire due in the town on Tuesday, the home club could have done without water seeping under the covers after rain on Sunday night, but both teams were willing to play and not surprisingly Hornsea asked the visitors to bat on winning the toss.</p>

The pitch was always going to misbehave and Mark Shipp and Lee Hayward were early victims of balls that kept low.</p>

With frequent rain showers concentration, and wondering what a decent total would be, were difficult to predict.</p>

Gaurav Kapoor (30) and Andy Rodgers (21), both in form with the bat after their Saturday win over Carlton, batted well until the Indian was out on the resumption after a rain break, yet another ball keeping down on the wet pitch.</p>

Goole lost several overs, but captain Neil Foster made an excellent 52 not out, and although he lost Rodgers, run out going for three(!), he found a willing ally in Dave England, the two of them showing their experience. Together with a late assault from Steve Hicks they reached a decent 159-7 given the conditions.</p>

The Hornsea reply was soon under immense pressure as Richard Mann and Dave England turned the screw from the start.</p>

In fact, they were reeling at 45-6 after 25 overs, the Goole opening bowlers unchanged throughout, when the heavens opened spectacularly and finished the game.</p>

The Hornsea ground staff did their best to mop up, but a culmination of the weekend rain had taken its toll.</p>

Mann finished with 3-32 and England, who returned to the side after missing the Carlton win, took 2-8 in twelve overs as he bamboozled the home batting.</p>

These columns were mentioning the prospect of relegation at one time, but if you take the opposite view and look at the positions that Goole have been in during abandoned matches, i.e. Whitkirk at home recently and this game at Hornsea, they could have been challenging for Premier Division cricket with better luck.</p>

Leaders Thirsk provide the opposition this Saturday, when Goole will seek revenge for one of their poorest days of the season a couple of months ago in North Yorkshire.