Marshalls take the Mallen Trophy
by Paul Barker, 30th August 2007

With a stirring performance Marshalls of Gainsborough easily overcame Thoresby Colliery to take the long drawn out Mallen Trophy at Kiveton Park’s Stone Close Ground on Sunday. The competition has been an unqualified success since it has become a 20/20 competition, but the adverse weather we have suffered meant that the final tie had to be played five weeks later than scheduled.

Batting first, Marshalls made an awful start and lost their inspirational skipper Paul Van den Heuvel and Mark Davies extremely cheaply to the bowling of Asad Hussain and Shailesh Patel. Any thoughts that it would be easy from this moment on were quickly dismissed as Andrew Coles and Chris Hearn first consolidated and then let loose on a toiling Thoresby attack.

Hearn was next to go for 25 and James Deacon quickly followed caught by Asad Hussain off the bowling of Billy Lippeatt to lift Thoresby’s hopes sky high once again. However Marshalls’ then produced the stand of the match as Coles and Greg Andrews simply flayed some rather ineffective bowling to every corner of the park.

It was exhilarating stuff and from the tenth over onwards there was simply no stopping this pair. The Australian Coles was particularly severe on everything bowled at him and the young left hander Andrews played some glorious shots as the scoreboard rocketed upwards.

Andrews was finally out for a brilliant 46, adjudged lbw to Kiwi Chris Spring and the magnificent Coles fell just 18 short of what would have been a brilliant century when he was caught by wicket-keeper Ben Marson off the bowling of Farook Aziz. There was just time for Mark Whitlam to be run-out before the innings closed on a mighty 192 for 6 from their 20 overs which left Thoresby with a task that resembled the scaling of Mount Everest to perform.

Six bowlers took one wicket each, although some of the figures had a rather horrendous look about them. Marshalls must have been delighted with their efforts up to this point.

Any hopes Thoresby might have had were quickly blown out of the window as Martin Cheshire, Steve Willis, Chris Spring, Nigel Birkett, Shailesh Patel and Farook Aziz were all back inside for a combined cost of just 38 runs. The main purveyors of this slump was Mark Davis who took 3 for 23 in his four overs and Chris Hearn who was even more economical with 2 for 21.

Had it not been for young Ben Marson who made a superb 42 whilst under a lot of pressure one dreads to think how cheaply Thoresby would have been bowled out for. James Hooper (11) battled hard also but it was too little to late and when Darren Andrews bowled Bill Lippeatt Thoresby were all out for 104 and the trophy was Marshalls by 88 runs and extremely well deserved too.

Young left arm slow bowler Gary Andrews captured 3 for 8 also and it must be said that the Marshalls attack was backed up by some outstanding work in the field. Paul Van den Heuvel kept his side ‘up for it’ and took three catches himself as his side lifted the trophy.

The presentations then took place and the umpires Gerry Graney and Trevor Mitchell both received tankards and the two scorers were presented with salvers. It was no surprise that Andrew Coles was adjudged man of the match for his blistering 82 runs and this award and the Mallen Trophy was presented to Paul Van den Heuvel by Linda (daughter of the former League Secretary, Mr. Harold Pope). League President Mr. Malcolm Daniels presented individual trophies to the winners and the runners up, and League Chairman Mr. Jim Garton introduced the presentation party and acted as master of ceremonies throughout the proceedings.

This is the second season that this trophy has been played under its current format and it has to be said that it has been a tremendous success. The only snag this season has been the weather which presented countless problems some of which the league had to make what can only be described as unpopular decisions simply to get things through.

With some minor changes made for next season the competition looks likely to continue to prosper and it is hoped that even more entries will be forthcoming.