Cricket: Son steals show from his father

Linton Park 195-4 Woodhouse Grange 175-8 Linton Park win by 20 runs

THERE CANNOT be too many fathers and sons who can boast of scoring a half-century on the same day at Lord's, but that was what the Thirkells, Nigel and Dan, achieved on a glorious day at headquarters.

Although father, Nigel, top-scored in the match with 60, it was 17-year- old Dan who stole the show with some blistering batting which transformed Linton Park's fortunes and went a long way to steering them to victory over the Yorkshire side Woodhouse Grange in the Wadworth 6X National Village Championship final yesterday.

The youngster, a student at Maidstone Grammar School, reached his fifty off the last ball which he smashed through the off-side for his fifth four, having twice carted the bowling for a couple of sixes. His half- century occupied just 25 balls.

That was in contrast to his father, the Linton captain, who anchored one end with a painstaking but extremely competent 60 - the second time he has scored a half-century in the final of the competition, the first being back in 1978 when he made an unbeaten 51. This time he was run out, or more correctly, his runner was, since Thirkell, 43, had suffered a leg injury early in his innings.

Thirkell Snr was in for just over two hours, during which time he found able support from Gibson, who shortly after his dismissal for a sturdy 35 re-emerged as Thirkell's ill-fated runner, the pair adding 75 for the third wicket.

Son then joined father and in barely four overs they had put on 38 runs, and in all 63 were scored off the last five overs.

Thirkell Snr weighed in with the first wicket, having helped to tie down the Yorkshiremen, who won the cup in 1995, in the opening dozen overs. That was a stranglehold that they never really broke until it was too late, when Mike Burdett, one of three brothers, cut loose and smacked 15 off one Matt Large over. There was also a worthy 55 from opener Jonathan Bean.

Some fine seam bowling by policeman Ian Brattle, whose bouncy run-up and slingy action brought him excellent figures of 4 for 33, coupled with some tight bowling by Thirkell Jnr at the death ensured that Linton lifted the Cup for a second time and pocketed pounds 1,000.

Linton Park won toss

LINTON PARK

D Castle lbw b Grewer 6

B Piper c M Burdett b Burdett 15

*N Thirkell run out 60

P Gibson st M Burdett b Young 35

D Thirkell not out 50

D Charlton not out 8

Extras (b3, lb6, w12) 21

Total (for 4, 40 overs) 195

Fall: 1-18, 2-48, 3-124, 4-162.

Did not bat: S Morrison, P Whyte, S Cheesman, M Large, I Brattel.

Bowling: Head 8-0-39-0; Grewer 8-1-21-1; Bilton 9-2-23-0; R Burdett 3- 0-21-1; Burdett 9-0-51-0; Young 3-0-31-1.

WOODHOUSE GRANGE

N Hadfield lbw b N Thirkell 5

J Bean c Castle b Brattel 55

*S Craven b Brattel 6

R Steele b Brattel 2

R Burdett lbw b Large 12

M Burdett not out 46

S Young lbw b Large 0

S Burdett b Brattel 1

P Head b D Thirkell 3

R Bilton not out 8

Extras (b3, lb15, w18, nb1) 37

Total (for 8, 40 overs) 175

Fall: 1-24, 2-65, 3-73, 4-99, 5-100, 6-100, 7-108, 8-145.

Did not bat: P Grewer.

Bowling: Large 9-1-40-2; N Thirkell 8-0-24-1; Castle 5-0-17-0; D Thirkell 9-1-43-1; Brattel 9-1-33-4.

Umpires: T Gray and R Arnold.