Whilst the weekend started on a high with the young guns making it 3 wins from 3 on Friday night by beating Walsden, it was all downhill after that as the Stags crashed out of the Worsley Cup at the hands of Greenmount and then lost to local rivals, Rochdale, on Sunday.

Friday 13^th June – JWL MPA T20 Group Stage Round 3 : Norden 1st XI vs Walsden 1st XI

Skipper Humphreys won the toss and elected to bat first at Scott Street as the Stags took on a young looking Walsden side. Early joy at the dismissal of professional Blackwood (13) was short lived as Humphreys put the attack to the sword. He smashed thirteen 4’s and five 6’s on his way to a blistering 109* off just 63 balls. Mckeown (53*) played a great second fiddle and the Stags finished on 205-2 off their 20 overs. In reply Walsden were off to a poor start as professional Wimalasekara was caught by Yates off the bowling of Lord for just 2. Bailey batted well for his 55 off 46 and Nick Barker (22) and Senior 29* showed hope but a mid order collapse sparked by a Blackwood hat-trick saw batters 6, 7, 8, 9 and 10 depart for just 2 runs. Walsden finished on 12-9 from their 20 overs. Blackwood was the pick of the bowlers with 4-14, well supported by Yates with 2-23
Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1373/1373516.html

Saturday 14th June – Worsley Cup 1/4 Final : Norden 1st XI vs Greenmount 1st XI

Norden skipper Crabtree won the toss and elected to bat first. Rain had delayed the start of the fixture and a 46-over game was commenced. Humphreys (13), Taylor (17) and McKeown (9) all fell cheaply and the Stags were in a spot of bother at 40-3. Professional Blackwood (77) and Crabtree (65) put on 135 for the 4^th wicket. A further rain delay meant the game was a reduced to a 44 over game. Some late order striking from Devine and Maqsood managed to get the Stags to 239-9 off their allotted overs.

Things started well for the Stags as Maqsood removed Heaton for just 2, and Lord had the dangerous Kerr caught behind for just 6. The Greenmount professional, Snyman, powered his way to 55 before falling to Maqsood who finished with 9 overs 2-23. Captain Townsend (32) was well caught at deep square leg off the bowling off Hussain and at 129-4 things looked to be going the Stags way. However young Dobson (70*) and Nicholl (43) had other ideas. The pair 84, capitalizing on some loose bowling and the mount made it to the revised DLS target of 244 with 7 balls to spare.
Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1372/1372484.html
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bLafEF6fbzY

Sunday 15th June – Lancashire League premier Division : Norden 1st XI vs Rochdale 1st XI

Skipper Crabtree once again won the toss and this time decided to bowl first. Blackwood removed the Rochdale openers cheaply, Harrison for a duck and Gilbertson making 5 Professional Cooper looked in good form from the outset. His worry seemed to be at the other end as Chapman (5) became Blackwood’s third victim and Hussain (7) was caught behind off the bowling of Lord. The much needed support was given by the captain Makin as he made an excellent 40 off just 37 balls. Cooper made his way to a brilliant 87 with eight 4’s and four 6’s. When Yates picked up Makin and Holt dismissed Cooper the Dale were 163-6 and the Stags must have fancied their chances. However, the inexperienced bowling line up was put to the sword as young Harry Butterworth (53*) and the experienced Harling (36*) put on what looked to be a match winning 90 run partnership.

In reply the Stags lost Jack Taylor early, but the in-from Dom Humpreys was continuing his great early season form and added 57 with McKeown before the latter fell to a good catch at backward point off the bowling of Poscha. Humphreys (49) was bowled by Cooper and the Stags hopes now rested with Blackwood. Crabtree fell cheaply but Yates looked in good touch. The match winning moment came shortly afterwards as Makin enticed Blackwood down the track and was bowled for 24. Yates batted well for his 25 but the late order collapsed and the Stags fell to a heavy defeat being bowled out for just 162. Makin 4-50 and Cooper 4-35 doing the damage.

Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1373/1373269.html
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LTFUFW5UpfQ

Saturday 14th June – 2nd XI Cup 1/4 Final : Todmorden 2nd XI vs Norden 2nd XI

Skipper Docker won the toss and decided to bowl first. A rain delay had meant it was a 46 over contest. The Stags managed to keep things tight for the first 10 overs with Sami Waheed and Stan Kearns bowling well. Wickets began to fall and Todd were redecuded to 84-4, but the experiened Atherton (75) and Kavanagh (42) put on 85 to help the hosts post 194-7. The pick of the bowlers for the Stags was Jake Hill who had 10 overs, 3 maidens 4-26.

In reply the Stags got off to a decent start with Stevie Butterworth (13) and Malik (22) chipping away at the total. Young Farooq again batted well for his 52. Kirkby (32) and Kearns (24) semed to be bringing the game home, before a late order collapse saw no.11 Jake Hill going in to bat needing 2 runs from the final 2 balls. After the vertran Todd bowler, Ibrar Ali, had kindly escorted the youngster from the boundary edge to the batting creae, he managed to settle the nerves and hit a four first ball to send the Stags through to a home semi-final vs Ramsbottom on Saturday 5th July.
Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1372/1372463.html

Sunday 15th June – Lancashire League Junior Division : Rochdale 2nd XI vs Norden 2nd XI

Rochdale won the toss and elected to bat first. Wickets fell at regular intervals. The pick of the bowlers for the Stags was Zeeshan Tariq who had 12 overs 4-22. Jake Hill again bowled well with 12 overs 2-29. The disappointing feature was 20 wides, which would prove to be very costly. For the hosts, young Kashmiri batted excellently for his 36*, adding 50 for the 10^th wicket with the evergreen Muawar (20)

In reply the Stags got off to a flyer with Hash Malik bludgeoning 46 off just 23 balls. However, when he was well caught and bowled by Oddy the rest of the inexperienced line up did not have an answer for the quality of Oddy. The veteran seamer finishing with 6-26 off his 10 overs. The Stags fell well short on 89 all out from 21 overs.
Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1373/1373601.html

Saturday 14th June – Lancashire League Third XI League : Norden 3rd XI vs Middleton 3rd XI

Due to the Worsley Cup game Middelton very kindly agreed to reverse the fixture and play at Towncroft. The host won the toss and elected to bowl first. Alex Buckley (32) again made runs, but getting in and not converting seemed to be the theme of the day as Bebb (15), Bunting (16), Hindley (12) and Frankish (16) all got starts but couldn’t go on. The Stags were rolled for 145 from just 29.4 overs.

In reply Middleton had a solid start, but were pegged back by some frugal bowing from the Norden opening pair of Hindley (6 over 0-13) and Seb Howard (6 overs 0-14). The hosts seemed to be crusing at 91-3 but the unlikley duo of Bebb and Thorpe coming on 6th and 7th change spun the game on its head. Bebb had 4 over 4-21 and Thorpe took 3-9 from just 1.5 overs to bowl Middleton out for 135.
Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1373/1373898.html

Reside Stag Park played host to a thrilling encounter as The Stags welcomed Greenmount, the 2023 T20 Champions, looking to bounce back from last year’s disappointing 35 all out in the group stage.

New T20 skipper Dom Humphreys won the toss and chose to bat on a lively pitch. He led from the front, partnering with Pro Blackwood to smash 53 runs in the first five overs. Blackwood fell for 20, but Humphreys continued the charge, dispatching the Greenmount attack to all parts of the ground. Supported by Taylor (31 off 22), Humphreys eventually departed for a blistering 72 off 39 balls, with the scoreboard reading 126-3 after 12 overs.

Contributions continued down the order, and The Stags posted a competitive 179-7.

The defence got off to a dream start. Blackwood and Lord struck early, removing the dangerous Pro Snyman and Heaton in the first two overs, reducing Greenmount to 2-4. Wickets continued to tumble, and at 55-5, rain interrupted play.

After a short delay, the revised target required Greenmount to score at 16 runs per over for the remaining six overs. Up stepped Taylor again, claiming 3 wickets for just 3 runs, sealing the momentum. A second rain shower and fading light brought the game to a close, with The Stags declared winners by 58 runs (DLS method).
Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1373/1373503.html

With the 1^st XI rained off at Acre Bottom all attention turned to the Reside Estate Agency Stag Park as Dockers men took on a Ramsbottom side several places higher in the league table. Early afternoon rain had led to a delayed start and a 28 over a side contest. The visitors won the toss and invited the Stags to bat first. Openers Stevie Butterworth (14) and Hash Malik (31) put on 49 for the first wicket. Docker (29) and Kirkby (28) kept the momentum going before a match turning 47 off just 19 balls from Stan Kearns, ably supported by Gordon (29* off 16 balls) allowed the Stags to finish on a very competitive 197-7.

The stags made early inroads but a 108 3^rd wicket stand between Howarth (71) and Round (45) kept the visitors within touching distance. Kearns topped a fine day off, taking 3-53 from his 8 and the impressive Hill picked up 2 wickets. The Stags always looked to have just enough on the board, but a six on the penultimate ball did mean that a 6 off the last ball would see a tie. However young Kirkby kept his cool and a Hamilton was caught at cover.

Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1373/1373594.html
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W44Jx3P1CmE

Norden welcomed the reigning 2024 champions Burnley to Reside Stag Park on Sunday in what promised to be a thrilling encounter. Captain Crabtree surprised the home dressing room by electing to bat first after winning the toss.

The innings began with an early setback as Humphreys fell cheaply, bringing Mckeown to the crease alongside Taylor. The pair were just beginning to settle when rain interrupted play in the 9th over. After a lengthy delay, the match was reduced to 29 overs per side, with Norden having 20 overs left to bat.

Taking full advantage of the revised format, Taylor and Mckeown batted with intent, adding a rapid 50 runs in the next six overs. Mckeown eventually fell to Burnley’s professional Erasmus, making way for Blackwood. He made an immediate impact, matching Taylor’s score in just 25 balls with an explosive innings. However, a mix-up led to a direct-hit run-out by Erasmus, cutting Blackwood’s innings short at an entertaining 49.

Taylor brought up his third consecutive half-century—reaching 50 from 78 balls—but was dismissed soon after for 52 amid a mini-collapse. Hussain and Crabtree saw out the innings, with Hussain playing a flurry of stylish shots to take the total to 179 from the allotted 29 overs. The score was later revised to 188 via the DLS method.

Burnley started the chase strongly, racing to 62-0 in 10 overs, with Shah leading the charge. However, Hussain made the breakthrough, bowling Shah for an entertaining 42. His opening partner managed 41 but struggled to build partnerships as Norden tightened the screws.

Disciplined bowling—highlighted by a 3-33 spell—and sharp fielding turned the momentum firmly in Norden’s favour. Wickets fell regularly, the run rate climbed, and the pressure proved too much for the visitors. Burnley closed on 153-8, handing Norden a convincing 30-run victory over the champions.
Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1373/1373257.html
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ID5ilJ6gSEE

The 2’s travelled to the reverse fixture, away at Burnley. The toss was huge, and unfortunately we lost it and had to bat first. A very talented and experinced attack was too much for the Stags top order to handle and we were reduced to 39-6. Some reistance was found from Stan Kearns (41), but we were all out for 99 from 33.2 overs.

A few early wickets and the home side may have been worried at 19-3, but Ahmed (46*) and Syed (41*) steadied the ship to record a 7 wicket victory with over 20 overs to spare.
Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1373/1373584.html

The 3rd’s faced Greenmount at home on the Saturday and were asked to bat first. A few early wickets, but Bebe (41) and Booth (38) looked to steady the ship. However a late order collapse saw us rolled for 160 off just 36.3 overs.

A couple of early wickets fell, one a-piece for youngsters Hindley and Howard, but the experienced Young (42) and Clarke (48) did the damage in the middle overs and the mount romped home with over 20 overs to spare.
Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1373/1373881.html

Saturday 24th May

After a bye in the first round the Stags enetertained Haslingden in the second round of the Worsley Cup. Skipper Crabtree won the tos and elecetd to field. It looked hard work as Griffin (27) and Sudworth (42) put on 51 for the first wicket. The prize wicket of Haslingden professional Neil Brand was taken for just 11 by Jack Taylor, well caught at cover by Maqsood. Some middle order reistenace from Firend (20), Hunsley (43) and Lord (26*) meant Haslinden reached 243-9 from their 50 overs. Wickets were shared.

The skipper opted to use Dom Humphreys as a pinch hitter, and was well rewarded as the talemnted all-rounder blasted 63 from just 31 balls to break the back of the run chase. Jack Taylor again batted superbly, reaching another half century. The stags cruised home with over 15 overs to spare
Scorecard: http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1372/1372477.html
Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OoZQU4IlhDM

The 2’s made light work of Bacup in the second round of the Junior Knockout. Modessar took 7-15 from his 9.5 overs, blowing Bacup away for just 51. In reply Norden youngsters Olly Kirkby (32*) and Stevie Butterworth (20*) reached the required target for the loss of no wickets from 6.3 overs.
Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1372/1372454.html

The 1’s have a drawn Greenmount at home, whilst the 2’s travel to Todmorden in the 3rd round. Games scheduled to take place on Saturday 14th of June

Sunday 25th May

The Stags were on the road to Scott Street for the second part of the weekends double header. Hooson won the toss and invited the Stags to bat. A fine 3rd wicket partnership saw Mckeown (61) and Blackwood (35) crusing at 105-2. Wickets then fell at regular intervals as the stags middle order all grafeted, but found it tough. We closed on 205 all out from 47.1 overs, which looked a good 50+ short.

A tough task got harder as Maqsood pulled up injured after 2.3 overs (0-3). Blackwood picked up a couple of early wickets, including the Walsden professional Wimalasekara for just 1. Wickets continued to fall, but he Stags could not remove Hooson (84*). It all looked a lost cause with Waslden on 203-8. However Dean Lord had different ideas and took two wickets in two balls to lead the Stags to an unlikely victory.
Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1373/1373252.html

The 2’s faced Nelson at home, and Docker invited the visitors to bat first. Lister (86) and Manf (40) did the damage as Nelson clocked up 223-9 after theri 45 overs. Farooq took 3-52.

Hash Malik rolled the years back with 62 off just 35 balls but when O’Neill fell with the score on 133-6 it looked a lost cause. However, young Abu Farooq had other ideas. The 15 year old, batting at 3, was still unbeaten and went about marshalling the lower order. A superb innings of 94* led the Stags to victory with 9 wickets down and a few balls to spare. This really was a special knock, showing experience much beyond his years

Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1373/1373582.html
Highligjhts: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RHyeqbeBrfU

Monday 26th May

Bank Holiday Monday saw the Stags 3’s travel to Hare Hill to face Littleborough. Our lads bowled well and skittled them for 115, with wickets all shared. Unfrotuanetly rain came and the Stags didn’t get chance to bat, with 5 points each taken for a rained off game.
Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1373/1373866.html

The club is deeply saddened to learn of the passing of long time mebers Pauline Almond and Alan Whillock.

Alans funeral service will take place at Rochdale Crematorium on Friday 30th May at 13:20.

Both will be greatly missed and our deepest sympathies go out to all their family and friends.

A welcome return to Saturday cricket saw Norden Cricket Club host Middleton at Reside Stag Park, and what unfolded was a thrilling contest that kept spectators on edge until the final delivery.

Captain Lee Crabtree won the toss and, for the first time this season, chose to bat first. Openers Crabtree and Taylor laid a solid foundation, putting on 43 for the first wicket. After McKeown came and went cheaply, debutant professional Jermaine Blackwood made an immediate impact, launching his second delivery for a towering six over midwicket — setting the tone for a fearless innings. Taylor brought up a composed half-century from 72 balls before falling soon after. Blackwood, undeterred, accelerated through the middle overs, racing to his fifty in just 37 deliveries. However, he struggled to find stable partners, with wickets tumbling at the other end. At 218-7 with 13 overs remaining, Norden risked falling short of a competitive total. Enter Willis (25) and Devine (17*), who provided crucial lower-order runs to lift Norden to a competitive 257-9 from their 50 overs — a score considered par on a pitch that offered a bit for both bat and ball.

Middleton’s reply got off to a disastrous start as Shipley was run out for a diamond duck, attempting a risky single to the professional. Despite the early setback, Gregoriou and Tierney countered well to bring Middleton to 68-3.

That brought Middleton professional Price to the crease, who, alongside former Stag Udwadia. Their partnership of 109 swung momentum in Middleton’s favour as they worked the field brilliantly and kept the scoreboard ticking. With the game slipping away, it took an inspired spell from Dom Humphreys to shift the tide. He applied pressure with a tight spell and delivered a game-changing moment — an outstanding caught-and-bowled to dismiss the dangerous Price. With wickets now falling consistently and the required run rate climbing, Norden clawed back control. However, Udwadia remained a threat, playing calculated shots and exploiting any loose deliveries. The equation came down to 12 required from the final over, bowled by Maqsood. He held his nerve superbly, executing his plans with precision. With 7 needed off the final ball, Middleton’s hopes ended with a wicket — sealing a dramatic 6-run victory for Norden.
Scorecard : https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/6685693
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4NXNMQPdFyc

2nd XI Victory at Great Harwood

The 2nd XI travelled to Great Harwood, where Captain Malik lost the toss and was asked to field. The opening bowlers responded brilliantly, maintaining tight lines and applying early pressure. Only three Great Harwood batsmen reached double figures, with opener Corish top scoring with a patient 77 (101). Norden’s standout bowler, Hussain, delivered an excellent spell, finishing with 3 for 19.

Set 183 to win from 45 overs, the chase began steadily with useful contributions from Kirkby and Allen, guiding Norden to 71-3. A brief middle-order collapse left them wobbling at 115-6, but a calm, match-winning partnership between Lord (48*) and S. Waheed (36*) saw the Stags home with 2 overs to spare, securing a four-wicket victory.
Scorecard : https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/6686516

Round 4 of the Lancashire League saw The Stags travel to Hare Hill to take on Littleborough, looking to build on their strong performance the previous week. Captain Crabtree once again lost the toss, with Norden being asked to field first. With temperatures climbing into the mid-20s and a flat-looking wicket, it was shaping up to be a long day in the field.

With Chris Humphreys unavailable, Dean Lord stepped in to partner Maqsood with the new ball. Littleborough made a steady start, putting on 45 for the first wicket. A couple of dropped chances early on prevented what could have been a brighter start for Norden. Despite chances being hard to come by, tight spells from Maqsood and Stuart kept the scoring in check.

The return of the fit-again Dom Humphreys injected energy into the attack, and he delivered key breakthroughs by dismissing both the Littleborough captain and professional. A sixth-wicket partnership between Hernon and Williamson steadied the innings for the hosts, taking them to 151-6 with seven overs remaining. However, Boro collapsed shortly after, losing 4 wickets for just 15 runs in 3 overs, finishing on 165 all out.

Norden’s chase began positively, with Crabtree and Taylor finding early boundaries. A few quick wickets saw the innings wobble slightly, but a composed 52-run stand between Yates and Stuart pushed The Stags past the halfway mark. After another flurry of wickets, Holt and Humphreys combined effectively, adding 53 unbeaten runs to guide Norden to a hard-fought and well-deserved 12-point victory.
Scorecard : https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/6685684

2nd XI

Looking to bounce back from the previous week’s disappointment, the 2nd XI hosted the reverse fixture at home. With conditions in their favour, skipper Docker won the toss and elected to bat. The innings was built on several starts, but only O’Neill managed to pass fifty, finishing unbeaten on 52*. The Stags posted a competitive 211-7 from their 45 overs.

In reply, Littleborough recovered well after losing an early wicket. At 60-2 with 25 overs remaining, the match was finely poised. However, hopes of a tight finish were dashed as opener Pye took control, anchoring the chase with an unbeaten 114*, guiding Boro home with 4 overs to spare.
Scorecard : https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/6686513
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O5GE7-HYeZg

3rd XI

The 3rd XI returned to Reside Stag Park, this time welcoming local rivals Rochdale CC. After winning the toss and electing to bat, the hosts posted a solid 206-7 from their 40 overs, thanks in large part to Thorpe’s continued fine form with a powerful unbeaten 84*.

In response, Norden’s bowlers kept the pressure on throughout, never allowing Rochdale to build any meaningful partnerships. Regular wickets fell, and standout figures from Andrew (3-31) and Ali (3-34) helped wrap up the visitors for 169, sealing another strong win for The Stags.
Scorecard : https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/6686883

The third round of the Lancashire Premier League season saw the Norden First XI travel to Birch Hall to face a consistently strong Darwen CC. After three weeks of sunshine, a difficult wicket was expected, and when captain Crabtree lost the toss, Darwen chose to bat first.

The experienced opening bowling duo of Chris Humphreys and Tahir Maqsood made an immediate impact, sharing early wickets to leave the home side struggling at 38-7 after just 18 overs. Darwen were eventually bowled out for 63, with Maqsood claiming his maiden five-wicket haul for the Stags and Humphreys finishing with remarkable figures of 4 for 4 from his 9 overs.

Norden’s chase began shakily with two early wickets, bringing sub-professional Jamal Stuart and Jack Taylor to the crease. Taylor appeared to be batting on a different pitch, anchoring the innings with a composed, match-winning 32 not out as wickets continued to fall at the other end. Norden reached their target in the 14th over, wrapping up the win by 3:20 PM.
Scorecard : https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/6685678

Second XI Fall Just Short in Entertaining Clash

At Reside Stag Park, the Second XI hosted Darwen in the reverse fixture. The visitors won the toss and opted to bat on a pitch that looked ideal for batting. A fine century by Darwen’s number three, Rehman, laid the foundation for a competitive total. However, tight bowling—especially from Sam Butterworth (4-59)—helped restrict the visitors to 236-6 from their 45 overs.

In reply, Norden suffered early setbacks with the wickets of Collin and Malik, but a solid 119-run partnership between Butterworth (57) and Holt (51) reignited the chase. Butterworths first 50 for Norden. Unfortunately, key wickets fell in quick succession, and the innings never fully recovered. Norden were eventually bowled out for 221, with last man Bebb falling in the final over—just 16 runs short.
Scorecard : https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/6686507
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tqkLCcBhO_E

Third XI Make Light Work of Nelson on Bank Holiday Monday

On Bank Holiday Monday, the Third XI welcomed Nelson CC to Reside Stag Park. Nelson won the toss and chose to bat on what looked a good surface. Opener Lister led the way for the visitors with a commanding 134 not out, guiding Nelson to 229-7 from their 40 overs. Sebastian Howard was the standout bowler for Norden, finishing with figures of 3-37.

In response, the Stags started strongly, thanks to a 134-run opening partnership between Mason and Kirkby. Mason departed for a well-made 70, bringing Thorpe to the crease. He maintained the momentum with a blistering 46 not out from just 23 balls. Kirkby remained unbeaten on 82 from 57 deliveries as Norden chased down the target in just 31 overs, sealing a convincing win.
Scorecard : https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/6686879

The Stags 1^st XI were at home at a gloriously sunny Reside Stag Park on Sunday. The visitors were Lowerhouse, who are the red-hot favourites to win the JWL 1^st division title. Their all-round display and strength in depth warranted that early season optimism.

Lowerhouse batted first and Heap showed his early intent, advancing down the wicket to Masqood. An excellent piece of fielding from sub-professional Jameel Stuart led to Joseph Martin being ran out for 4, and then Chris Humphreys had Henri Cottam trapped LBW for 1. This brought professional Daniel Salpietro to the crease and the pair added 73 before Lord got Salpietro caught at point. Heap continued to look good, making 55 from 80 balls, before he snicked off to Lord, well caught low at first slip by Tahir. Walker looked dangerous, scoring 40 off just 34 balls before a bad run out that saw him and Toqir both stood at the same end. Gansler went for 5, off the very first ball of Jack Taylors spell. Toqir made a well compiled 39 and Bleazard rolled back the years with 31 not out off just 21 balls and the House finished on 254-8.

Crabtree and Jack Taylor opened up for the Stags. Taylor was caught behind for 5 and 1^st XI debutant Sam Butterworth, at just 17 years of age, came to the crease. The pair took the score to 37 before Crabtree was bowled for 21. Jamel Stuart was next in at 4, and the pair looked comfortable and added a 50 partnership before Stuart called young Butterworth through for a risky single and he was run out by Jo Martin for 22. Stuart was starting to find his feet and hit 4 sixes and 4 fours on his way to 76 runs off 80 balls before being stumped off the bowling of Salpietro. The middle order Willis (9), Dom Humphreys (4) and Kearns (6) didn’t fire but wicket keeper Devine offered some resistance with an excellent run a ball 27 not out. The stags were all out for 194 with just 2.2 overs remaining.

The Stags were well beaten by a good all round side but remained competitive throughout and plenty of positives can be taken from their battling performance.
Scorecard : https://lancashireleague.play-cricket.com/website/results/6685675
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0kSv-JkoLOE

The 2^nd XI faced the long trip to Colne. Having lost the toss we were fielding first. Colne were off to quick start as the Stags opening pair lacked control. Mo Waheed showed how valuable he is, with his 12 overs 4-42 being the pick of the bowlers. Colne managed an imposing 236 all out from 43.5 overs.

In reply we lost skipper Docker early on for just 6. Collin looked good for his 11, but when Malik (5) and Allen (26) back in the shed it looked a tall order. Gordon struck 21 and some late order striking from Modessar (24) added some runs, but Bebb was stranded on 15 not out as we were bowled out for 134
Scorecard : https://lancashireleague.play-cricket.com/website/results/6686498

The 3^rd XI kicked off their campaign on Saturday with a trip to play Todmorden. The home side batted first and made 166 from their 40 overs, mainly due to a superb 101 from Burkitt. Seb Howard was the pick of the bowlers with 8 overs 4-28.

In reply Alex Buckley fell for a duck, but Harry Mason (31), Mike Thorpe (28) and Alan Howard (28) made solid contributions up top. An excellent 28 from Will Hindley looked to be bringing the game home, but he fell LBW and it was up to Skipper Jimmy Drury (12*) and Frankish (6*) to bring home the victory. The Stags made it to 167, with nine wickets down and 2.2 overs remaining.
Scorecard : https://lancashireleague.play-cricket.com/website/results/6686876

Norden are excited to announce the signing of West Indian international Jermaine Blackwood as professional for the 2025 season. Blackwood brings with him a wealth of experience at the very highest level, having played 56 tests for the West Indies. His three hundreds include two against  England, one being against an attack including Jimmy Anderson and Stuart Broad in 2015. He was also named in ESPN Cricinfo’s world test team of the year in 2020.

An aggressive right-handed batter, Blackwood also bowls more than useful right-arm medium pace and is an athletic presence in the field. He also has experience of league cricket in this area, having played for Heyside in the GMCL last year. In a time where professionals with this level of international pedigree are hard to find, the club are thrilled to welcome Jermaine to Stag Park and he is sure to bring great entertainment to Lancashire League grounds throughout the season.

The club would like to place on record our thanks to Dan and Steven from Cric X in facilitating the deal.

Play Cricket bio : https://www.espncricinfo.com/cricketers/jermaine-blackwood-431909