Cup pain as Royton make it 10 times unlucky

Photo: Chris Sunderland

DISTRAUGHT... Matthew Hodson shows his anguish after being stumped by Scott Stanworth for one.

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CRICKET: TEN times Royton have reached the Wood Cup final, 10 times they have been beaten.

The Paddock club’s faithful followers turned up at Monton and Weaste for yesterday’s Lake Garage CLL showpiece final convinced that this was to be their year. Alas, the dream failed to become a reality.

A few dropped catches, a missed stumping and — most importantly — a bizarre run-out involving their professional cost Royton the chance of lifting the trophy.

Royton went into the game without contracted professional Luke Procter, whom Lancashire insisted travel down with the rest of the team to Sussex for today’s T20 quarter-final.

In came Derbyshire’s Chesney Hughes, a hero of the quarter-final victory over Norden — but a player destined to become the villain of the piece in the final itself.

Middleton skipper Steve Davey chose to bat first after winning the toss and his decision looked to be a correct one when, after the loss of himself for seven and Scott Stanworth for 23, Middleton cruised to 86 for two on a wicket on which the ball often kept low and batsmen were never really “in”.

The main reason for Middleton’s serene progress was prolific professional Michael Smith, who was completely untroubled in moving to 33.

But just when he seemed set to put the game beyond Middleton, Smith pulled a Liam Brown long hop straight down the throat of Ryan Carruthers on the mid-wicket boundary.

Grant Jones and George Walker took the score to 111, but Hughes changed the whole complexion of the match with three wickets in an over.

He clean bowled Walker and Jones and then had Reece Jones caught at slip by Chris Hutchinson.

Royton should have gone for the jugular, but instead they allowed Middleton to milk the bowlers for ones and twos and 112 for six turned into a highly-respectable 183 for nine.

This slack period ultimately cost them the game as, to this onlooker, anything over 150 on a difficult wicket was always likely to pose a stern test.

Middleton’s opening bowlers Zaffer Zaman and Mark Buckley were straight on the money and Royton were reduced to 19 for two off 13 accurate overs.

Carruthers was caught and bowled by Buckley for eight, while John Punchard — promoted to number three — edged to Davey at slip off Zaman.

Royton needed a major innings off Hughes, but the stand-in pro was carrying a hefty knock on his right hand following an injury fielding off his own bowling and was clearly in pain.

That said, it was his brain rather than his hands which contributed to his downfall for 13.

After Liam Mason had edged to Stanworth off Dale Highton for a painstaking eight off 64 balls, Hutchinson played a superb drive through extra cover.

Buckley slipped before stopping the ball two yards inside the boundary but, for reasons known only to himself, Hughes failed to go for a third run, believing it to have gone for four.

Ending up at the same end as Hutchinson, Hughes was run out by the full length of the pitch and trudged off a dejected figure amid catcalls from the Middleton fans. Shades of Ian Bell at Trent Bridge, this was a dismissal right out of a Brian Rix farce.

Royton looked down and out at 37 for four, but a brilliant stand of 79 between Hutchinson and skipper Alan Durose swung the pendulum in their favour.

However, just as Royton's supporters started to sense victory, Hutchinson (50) was bowled by Danny Core swinging across the line and Durose was trapped leg before wicket for 32 by Davey.

The game was up for Royton, who lost their last four wickets for nine runs as cock-a-hoop Middleton were mobbed by their fans following a pitch invasion.

In the final analysis, it would be churlish to say Royton handed Middleton victory on a plate, but they were certainly architects of their own downfall.

With a couple of exceptions, they are a young, developing team who should get another chance — sooner rather than later.