By Gerry Wolstenholme
Andrew Mercer, assisted to a great extent by Gareth Cordingley who made a superb 75, led his Darwen side to victory in the final of the Thwaites Cup at Birch Hall on Saturday. Winning the toss and batting first, Darwen made 210-8 in their 40 overs and then bowled Blackpool out for 157 in 39 overs.
Chris Clarke and Chris Lowe opened confidently for Darwen and the latter had struck two nice fours in his 13 at which point Michael Taylor clipped his leg stump and Darwen were 20-1 in the seventh over. Keith Semple never really found the form that he had showed at Old Trafford when making a century the previous Sunday but in fairness Chris Clarke monopolised the strike in a partnership of 50 in 14 overs. Semple had only made 14 when Steven Croft picked up an excellent catch at short extra cover in Charles Boucher's first over and that was 70-2 in the 21st over.
Chris Clarke was third to go when he had made 44 and Boucher again was the wicket-taker as he caught and bowled the opener at 79-3 in the 23rd over. Gareth Cordingley thereafter took over the main role and he played some superb shots, including the shot of the day a drive through the covers for four that beat the fielder on the boundary who was stood less than three yards from where the ball flashed past him. And that fielder was Michael Moore, no mean fielder, who had already stopped a couple of Cordingley drives with well-timed dives. Jeff Hacking was Cordingley's first partner but his stay at the crease was short-lived although he did strike one huge six on his way to nine before David Baker behind the stumps juggled a catch off Boucher at 107-4 in the 29th over.
Cordingley then found his main ally, Mark Emery, and together they took the total past 180, what was deemed before the start to be a reasonable total on a very damp track. Cordingley past his 50 in the grand manner, a superb low six over cover, and the pair put on 90 runs in 11 overs as the Blackpool bowling flagged. It was Cordingley, 75 with three sixes and seven fours, who was out at 197-5 when he took a mighty yahoo at the returning Croft and got an edge to Baker.
In the late chase for runs, Reece bowled Mercer for one, Croft bowled Yaz Patel for three and Jordan Clarke was run out off the final ball, which left Emery an excellent 32 not out with two sixes and one four and Darwen closing at a very commendable 210-8 from their 40 overs. Boucher took 3-42, Croft 2-23 and there was one wicket each for Michael Taylor, for 41 runs, and Reece, for 40 runs.
Blackpool's reply began sedately and they were 5-0 off four overs but then a spate of loose bowling by Semple and Mercer that included a plethora of wides, took them to 25 in six overs at which point Semple forced David Newton, 12, onto the back foot and bowled him. Croft came in and plundered his first ball through mid-on for four but if it was thought that the shot was to signal his intentions, it was not to be for thereafter he struggled to get the ball away and was in an interminable time for his final 20. Boucher had made only six when in the eighth over he drove Semple to short extra cover where Cordingley held the catch and that was 30-2.
Robin Bracewell made four before he skied Hacking to Emery at mid-on and that was 46-3 and it was 60-4 when Hacking trapped Moore leg before wicket for four. At 72 in the 24th over, Croft's long vigil was ended when Mercer ran some distance (some say 70 yards!) to pick up and throw the wicket down with a direct hit and at that point Blackpool's hopes of holding onto the trophy they won last season were rapidly vanishing.
Skipper Paul Danson tried to get the innings back on course but when he had made five Hacking bowled him and it was 83-6. Reece, 41 with one six and three fours, and Chris Taylor, 27, improved matters by putting on 42 in six overs but when Emery bowled Reece at 125-7 the writing was on the wall. Andrew Cook bowled Michael Taylor before he had scored at 132-8 and it was 143-9 when Richard Gleeson, who had been dropped twice in the space of three balls off skiers to Chris Clarke at mid-on and a more difficult chance to Semple running down the slope at point, edged Mercer to Jordan Clarke.
There was a last bit of defiance from David Baker, who finished eight not out, and Chris Taylor, who was last man out when Nathan Carr bowled him with the final ball of the 39th over. Blackpool, 157 all out, had been beaten by 53 runs with Hacking taking 3-14, Semple 2-29, Carr 1-3, Mercer 1-15, Cook 1-27 and Emery 1-34.
All that was left to do was for Northern Premier League president Brian Standing to present the man-of-the-match award, a bottle of champagne, to Gareth Cordingley and the trophy to a delighted Andrew Mercer. Mercer commented, "It was never going to be an easy track to score runs on and we thought that a total of 180 might well be sufficient to win the game. With Gareth playing a superb innings and Mark Emery providing him with good support later in the innings, we surpassed our expectations and made 210. At tea we felt that providing we bowled in the right areas we could restrict Blackpool and win the game. And so it proved as our bowlers were always on top and with the back up of some good fielding we were able to bowl them out well short. It was a very pleasing victory and in some way made up for our last over loss in the Lancashire Cup last Sunday."
Overall the weather was kind, there was a good crowd in attendance and congratulations must go to Matthew Grant, Darwen's stand-in chairman, and his co
mmittee for making the day a huge success.
Later in the evening there was to be a fancy dress party at the club and skipper Andrew Mercer was going home to change into his costume - the Tin Man from The Wizard of Oz; "the man without a heart," he said. Surely not after the wholehearted way he has led Darwen this season? But he did add with a twinkle in his eye, keeping up the theatrical and musical analogy, "I thought I should be going as Jesus Christ Superstar!" And who could argue with that after the season that his side have had? Well done, Andrew Mercer and Darwen.
As for Gareth Cordingley and his magnificent knock, it was made after only around eight hours sleep in three or four days. Gareth had already arranged for he and some pals, including Darwen's Gary Jackson, to go to Salzburg to watch Blackburn Rovers on the Thursday before the game and then when the Cup Final was rearranged it was too late to change any arrangements. So off they went, Gareth traveling by car from Leeds, on to Blackpool, flight to Stanstead, flight to Austria, onwards to Salzburg and then a good few drinks before watching the game and making the journey in reverse. Add a few drinks along the way and a tour of the sights and as Gary Jackson said, "It was a very busy time" and he added, "I have seen Gareth play some of his best innings when he has had one or two drinks previous to the game and the tiredness did not seem to bother him." Certainly Blackpool could quite easily confirm that.
Finally, Mark Emery was another who had little sleep prior to the game. He had only finished his night shift as a policeman in Preston at 7am on the morning of the game so he too had a minimum of sleep before he was warming up and then batting on Cup Final day. And after the game he could not stay too long because he was due to begin another shift at 9pm that evening.
Chris Lowe drives the ball from Blackpool's Luis Reece
Chris Clarke on the defensive
Chris Lowe plays the ball through the offside from Richard Gleeson
Michael Taylor driven through the covers by Keith Semple
A big shout against Darwen's Chris Clarke
Steven Croft bowls to Gareth Cordingley
Steven Croft on the defensive against Andrew Cook.
Michael Moore turns Jeff Hacking to leg
Its over, Nathan Carr bowls Chris Taylor
Handshakes all round on a victory for Darwen
League President Brian Standing
presents Darwen's Gareth Cordingley
with the Man of the Match award
Darwen skipper Andrew Mercer
accepts the Thwaites Cup
from President Brian Standing
The Darwen players pose with the Thwaites Cup
