Two close games at Newsham Park

Mersey Rose 70-5 (Net score 235) Newsham Park 50-2 (Net score 240) (Anna Page 1-3) Newsham Park won by 5 runs The softball team started their season with a visit to Newsham Park in April.

Captain Anna Page opted to bat first in wet conditions in which scoring quickly proved difficult. However, Mersey Rose were able to find gaps in the field and looked set to post a decent score, but unfortunately some rather dubious calls for quick runs that weren’t there led to three run-outs. Mersey Rose finished on 60 runs from 16 overs, creditable in the circumstances, but crucially the loss of five wickets meant the new score was 235. In response Newsham Park struggled to find the boundary but, despite tidy bowling that gave little away, Mersey Rose weren’t able to take wickets. Heidi Page bowled well but unfortunately was denied a wicket when a catch was dropped at point. Anna Page made the breakthrough when she managed to find middle stump, and later in the innings Aaron McKenna added another wicket.

The game went to the final over but, unfortunately for Rose, Newsham Park hit the necessary runs without further setback to win by five runs.

Player of the match was Anna Page for probably the best two overs she has ever bowled.

Newsham Park 100-9 (Net score 255) (Andi Page 3-12) Mersey Rose 90-8 (Net Score: 250) (Rob Smith 21) Newsham Park won by 5 runs We were invited to make another visit to Newsham Park for another game on 27^th May after another team had cancelled. Naturally we were happy to take up the offer!

Mersey Rose without most of their regular softball players, although Ian Mosquito played in his first game of the season.

Stand-in captain Andi Page decided to field first. Conditions were very different from the first game between the teams, with the evening very warm and the park drenched in bright sunshine.

Again, Mersey Rose bowled tidily but on this occasion had more success in taking wickets. Andi Page took 3 for 12 and there were wickets for Ian Mosquito (a fine caught and bowled), Andrew Foster and Dave Leivesley. More impressive was the performance in the field, with some great stops and quick thinking that resulted in three run-outs. Newsham Park ended their innings on 100 for 9, a net score of 255. Mersey Rose lost an early wicket to an excellent run-out but otherwise looked in little difficulty as they built a solid platform. The opening pair of Andrew Foster and Rob Smith put on 35 (net 30) and then Andi Page (scoring at a run per ball) and Ian Mosquito (who adopted a more brutal approach, hitting three fours and a six) took the net score up to 249.

Unfortunately things unravelled in the next four overs. As there was no real scoreboard pressure, there is clearly work to do on running between the wickets. Fortunately Dave Leivesley was able to partially recover the situation with a couple of boundaries, setting up nail-biting finale.

Ultimately Rose once again fell five runs short but there was no denying that we had been part of enjoyable and dramatic – if at times chaotic – game.

Many thanks to our opponents for the game and also to the non-softball players at Mersey Rose who made themselves available to ensure we got a game on.

Player of the match was Ian Mosquito for a good all-round performance, but David Crossley deserves a shout-out for keeping wicket and his valiant attempts with the bat at the end which almost pulled off victory.