County League: Barkby United go top of Premier

Barkby United First XI, from left, back - Hugh Asher, Matt Boyce, Rob Townsend, Will Fazackerly, Ian Kirk, David Tew, Cameron Sharp; front - Ben Silver, Jamie Drake, Steve Flowers, Tom Flowers, Aiden Morris. EMN-170613-091726002

Ivanhoe won the toss and put the home side in to bat, and Barkby’s innings got off to a poor start with opening bowler Khan bowling Stapleford-Jones for eight with the score on 20.

Just six runs later Khan had Tom Flowers caught by Graham for two, and Barkby lost their third wicket with the score on 64 when Graham bowled Tew.

Home captain Steve Flowers came to the wicket and changed the tone with an aggressive innings of 33 before he was caught and bowled by Malik to leave Barkby 129-4.

Opener Ian Kirk’s patient innings finally came to an end when was the next man out for 112, having accounted for almost two-thirds of Barkby’s 181-5.

Ben Silver (54) and Aiden Morris (46 not out) added another useful stand of 88 for the sixth wicket with Morris hitting six sixes in his innings as the Barkby innings ended on 271-6.

Ivanhoe got off to a fine start in their reply through Sam Evans and Matt Twigg who put on 114 for the first wicket before the veteran Bourke broke the partnership, having Twigg (35) well caught by Tom Flowers.

Left-arm spinner Cameron Sharp came into the attack and got the vital wicket of county academy player Evans, caught by Steve Flowers for 65.

Sharp then dismissed Kirkham for a duck, caught by Bourke, and Ian Kirk returned to the attack and had Swindells caught in the deep by Morris.

Kirk then clean bowled Blunt for one in his next over.

Morris came back into the attack and claimed three quick wickets to reduce Ivanhoe to 238-8 before Callum Smith returned and had Graham caught and bowled Graham without scoring.

But Beaumont (46 not out) and Dixon (4 not out) survived the final eight balls of the innings as Ivanhoe hung on for a draw on 249-9.

Pooks Motor Books man-of-the-match was Ian Kirk.

Barkby: I. Kirk 112, A Stapleford-Jones 8, T. Flowers 2, D. Tew 5, S. Flowers 33, B. Silver 54, A. Morris 46*, E. Bourke 1*, Extras 10. Total: 271-6.

Ivanhoe: 249-9.

Bowling: I. Kirk 10-0-49-2; C. Smith 6-1-31-1; L. Phillips 2-0-12-0; A. Morris 10-0-62-3; C. Sharp 10-0-30-2; E. Bourke 10-1-34-1; S. Flowers 2-0-25-0.