It was a weekend of contrasting fortunes for Glossop Cricket Club, as the 1st XI suffered defeat to Dukinfield, while the 2nd XI produced one of the great comebacks in recent memory to beat league leaders Micklehurst, inspired by a magnificent maiden century from Dave Allen.



1st XI

Glossop 87 all out (28.3 overs) lost to Dukinfield 88-2 (18.2 overs)

Batting: Anuk Fernando 28, Chris Gill 24*

Bowling: Anuk Fernando 2-33

With Glossop sitting top of the league on the back of seven wins, a really important few weeks lay ahead, with games against sides around them in the table as those sides also played each other. The first of these games was against Dukinfield. Glossop lost the toss and were put in to bat.

The innings got off to a poor start, with Senior and Dale both dismissed inside the first two overs. Wilson and Fernando began the rebuild with some classy stroke play until Wilson nicked off. Wickets then fell consistently through the innings, with Gill eventually left stranded as Glossop were all out for 87. Fernando top-scored with 28, with Gill’s 24 not out the only other score of note. Some good bowling from Dukinfield, combined with poor batting from Glossop, meant a well below-par score.

With the ball, there was some early threat as Fernando picked up both openers, but ultimately the Dukinfield pro took control of the game and calmed any jitters. The bowlers chopped and changed, but Dukinfield cruised home in the 19th over.

A very disappointing performance, but there is still all to play for in the rest of the season. The lads will dust themselves down and go again against Milnrow next week.

2nd XI

Glossop 184-7 (44 overs) beat Micklehurst 182 all out (44.2 overs)

Batting: Dave Allen 102*, Archie Edgar 22

Bowling: Joe Bolton 3-42, Chris Coll 2-25

Losing the toss and fielding first, a once again changed Glossop 2nd team faced an uphill battle against an in-form Micklehurst side sitting top of the league. Disciplined bowling from Glossop, with controlled line and length early on, helped keep a lid on the scoring, with wickets falling at regular intervals shared between the bowlers. An experienced tail wagged strongly in the heat, however, and pushed Micklehurst up to 182 — probably 25 or 30 more than it should have been, but equally still perhaps 20 below par for the conditions.

Glossop’s innings didn’t start as planned, with three wickets falling for 10 runs inside five overs, and the score standing at 60-5 at just over halfway. Cue one of the most remarkable endings to a game and an innings in memory. Dave Allen arrived at the crease at the end of the third over and played a marathon, anchoring innings that ultimately delivered his maiden century, winning the game at the end of the penultimate over to finish 102 not out. Crucial to that heroic effort were key partnerships of 48 with Jack Stopford (18) and 60 with Archie Edgar (22), which put the pressure firmly back on Micklehurst and gave a platform for the experience of John Stopford and Chris Coll to support Allen in completing the most remarkable of comeback stories. It was the innings of a lifetime, and a win from a position that seemed impossible — true grit once again from a team that has shown real resilience and a never-say-die spirit over the last three games.

It’s days like this that remind us why we love this strange, wonderful, and occasionally bat poop crazy game of cricket.