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Shireshead First team under the leadership of new captain Tom Jacques began their 2022 campaign with a comfortable victory by 27 runs over Cumbrian side Burneside. Clifton Park looked resplendent thanks to the hard work of groundsmen Andrew Cragg, Bill Jacques, Phil Oliver and Les the mowing man. In the off season the infamous ridge (which had tripped up many a fielder over the years) has been removed, new drains laid at the pavilion side of the ground and new fencing erected in various places.
Batting first Shireshead made 147 for 6 in their innings on a typically good but stodgy early season wicket. 16 year old Ernie Collinson was the fulcrum of the innings scoring 67 including eight fours before being unfortunately run out. Earlier, Tom Jacques ,made 34 in characteristically ebullient fashion (five fours and a six) .
Ben Phillips (38) and Stephen Cooper (40) made a victory a possibility but Jacques followed up his batting performance with a match winning spell taking three wickets for 19, including a caught and bowled to remove the threatening Phillips.
Shireshead 15 points/Burneside 2 points
On Sunday Jonty Collinsons young Third XI earned a superb 15 points against Kirkby Lonsdale thanks in the main to a fine knock of 46 from 15 year-old Ben Brown and 34 from Adam Coates. Shireshead made 165 in their 40 overs and Kirkby had no answer to the youthful bowling attack of Shireshead with spinner supreme Connor Passenger taking 5 for 23 from 9 overs and paceman Ben Brown claiming 3 wickets for just 6 runs in his 6 overs.