Mexborough & Swinton Times – Friday 29 July 1932

Mexborough Colour For Rockingham Drab

Mexboro’ rubbed off in an hour and a half the 140 which it took Rockingham 2 ½ hours to get. That is almost the whole story of the match at Hampden Road. It was decidedly a day of contrasts – drab till tea time, then bright and colourful as anyone could wish to the end. The hero of the day was David Brown, who played his best innings of the season. with Bob White (whose batting, seems to be developing at the expense of his bowling) a good lieutenant. These two and Ivill, the old Tankersley player, took the main honours of the day.

Rockingham gave us an unimpressive batting display on a wicket considerably slowed down by Friday’s downpour and Ivill’s careful progress was fully justified in in view of the obvious fact that he was “carrying” the side on his shoulders. He went in at the fall of the first wicket and was ninth out for 76 of 136. batting just over 2 ½ hours. He got himself out trying to force the pace. As only three other men achieved double figures the necessity to Rockingham of Ivill’s staying as long as possible is clear. Bowman led better than in recent matches and took 3 wickets for 24 runs. Ambler pegged away industriously without getting any snap out of the pitch and finished with 4 for 44. White again tied up the batsmen without the luck to get a wicket. The Mexboro’ fielding showed a welcome all round improvement but must be better yet to touch the highest Council standard.

Mexboro left with little more than a couple of hours on a turf not particularly favourable to rapid scoring, began by losing Broadhead to a trimmer which apparently swung late, from the Rockingham skipper, Fenton. But Brown and White stood steady for a space till the edge had gone off the Rockingham attack and its weakness lay revealed.

Then came the day’s brightest spell. with 103 runs on in an hour and Brown making a chanceless 50 in that time. White moved less briskly, lacking Brown’s range of scoring strokes, but he reached his half -century just before Ambler “smote the winner.” Brown made his highest score of the season, just passing his unfinished 65 in the rain-interrupted Wath match: and showed a complete return to his best form. He was, as usual, particularly severe on “leg stuff,” but also achieved several crisp offside shots and full-blooded pulls. His quick footedness made him especially happy against the faster-paced deliveries. ‘White pulled one ball into the pavilion seats for a juicy six and also gave no chance in a stay of al little more than an hour and a quarter. The Brown-White partnership was worth 101 runs — the first three-figure stand for a Mexboro’ second wicket this season, I believe.