The JWL T20 1/4 final vs Rochdale has bene re-arranged for Tuesday the 5th of July. The game will be hosted by Rochdale and will start at 18:15

Anybody who had the good fortune to be at Stag Park on Sunday afternoon will have left having witnessed surely one of the best games of cricket ever to be played at the ground. A truly magnificent innings of 177 from Josh Tolley earned Norden a tie from a game that looked to be well out of their reach for the majority of the run-chase after the visitors, Walsden, had racked up an imposing 292 for 3 from their 50 overs. Tolley left the field to a standing ovation from spectators both outside and inside the clubhouse when he departed with just 3 balls left and 3 runs required. It was a record score for a Norden domestic amateur player and the 4^th highest score ever by an amateur in the Lancashire League. His innings contained 19 fours and 7 sixes and took Norden to the brink of an unlikely victory, but as it appeared he had hit yet another six and finished the game, Cameron Hanson leapt on the cover boundary and took an excellent catch. Dean Lord then hit 2 from his first ball to tie the scores but a dot ball followed and when Lord pushed into the covers and ran from the final ball, the throw to the bowler’s end was just in time and Lord was short of his crease. There was debate about whether Walsden professional, Jomel Warrican, had the ball in his hand as the wicket was broken but the umpire believed Lord was out and the match was tied.

Walsden’s innings also saw a century for an amateur opener as Nick Barker amassed 119*, his 2^nd successive league century. The fireworks were provided at the end of the innings by Joe Gale who struck 58* from just 29 balls as Norden’s seamers in particular were harshly dealt with. The 22 overs of seam bowled by the home side combined for 0 for 164 and this, coupled with some poor fielding, helped contribute to Walsden’s total. Ashar Zaidi was the only wicket-taker for Norden and he finished with a very respectable 3 for 51.

Hashum Malik fell early in the reply but a century stand between Tolley and Greg Butterworth kept Norden in the hunt. The run-rate was starting to creep up, however, and when Butterworth fell to Warrican it seemed like much would rest on Zaidi’s shoulders. He hit 40 from 33 balls when he clipped a leg-side delivery to Majid Khan on the square-leg boundary and Walsden thought they had the game won. There were still 102 runs required at that stage and just 12 overs to get them in, but Tolley was not done yet. Even though wickets began to fall around him, Norden’s opener took 18 runs from the 47^th over and all of a sudden the Stags had a real chance. There were 10 from the 48^th and 14 from the 49^th but the dot ball from the final ball of that over kept Tolley off strike. However, Stephen Pimm hit the first ball of the final over for 6 over long-on and then pushed a single for Tolley to try and finish the job. That he couldn’t quite was clearly of huge disappointment as he trudged from the field but hopefully, once the dust has settled, he will take huge pride in one of the greatest innings ever played in Norden colours.
1^st XI Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/5000218

Looking back on Friday night’s t20 game with Crompton, it seems implausible that it would not have provided the highest level of entertainment for the weekend. Crompton got off to the flyer of all flyers and raced along to 67 without loss from the first 3 overs. At that point it looked like Norden might be chasing something stratospheric, but Zaidi had his opposite number Mohammed Jamal caught by Spencer Allen on the deep midwicket boundary for a quickfire 48 off 16 and Dean Lord came into the attack and bowled a superb spell from the Woodhouse Lane end to change the course of the game. Crompton refused to adapt their approach throughout and, perhaps naively, continued losing wickets going for the big shots rather than pushing it around and cruising to a total of 200+ which seemed inevitable after such a fast start. As a result, they were bowled out for just 147 with 3 overs remaining and that proved to be decisive. Norden made hardish work of the run chase and a spectacular catch at deep square-leg from Harry Dean to dismiss Zaidi made things interesting, but Nick Brierley continued his return to form with an unbeaten half-century to see the Stags over the line and into an away quarter-final against local rivals Rochdale this Friday night.
T20 Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/4999621

The 2nds continued their good run of form with another 12 point win away to Walsden. Norden were in trouble at 50 for 5 but a good partnership between skipper Phil Docker (25) and Mohammad Omar (44) saw them up to respectability and a total of 175 all out. Mo Munawar then picked up 4 wickets and there were 3 for Usama Malik as Walsden could only reach 153 before being dismissed.
2^nd XI Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/5000457

The 3rds suffered a rare defeat, going down to Lowerhouse 4^th XI by 5 wickets. It was tough going for the Norden batters against some good spin bowling in particular and only Ahsan Tariq, Jimmy Drury and Joe Gordon managed to reach 20. Norden’s last 5 wickets fell for just 5 runs and their 161 felt well under-par. Will Hindley picked up a couple of early wickets but dropped catches and poor ground fielding let the home side down and Lowerhouse cruised home with over 10 overs to spare. Norden, though, remain top of the table.
3^rd XI Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/5000065

Ashar Zaidi hit his second century of the weekend at Towncroft on Sunday to send Norden into the semi-finals of the Worsley Cup. Following on from his 104 in a losing cause at Ramsbottom on Sunday, Zaidi was the mainstay of the Norden run-chase as they overcame Middleton’s 245 for 9 with 3 and a half overs to spare. Middleton’s innings also contained a ton for their professional, James Price, who combined with Rehan Udwadia in a partnership of 184 that looked like it might take the hosts to a total up toward 300. When Price was dismissed for 113 with 10 overs to go though, their sights had to be re-adjusted and whilst 254 was a good score it felt chaseable on an excellent batting surface. Usama Malik was by far the pick of the Norden bowlers, taking 4 for 38 from his 10 overs as Norden struggled to find enough fit bowlers to complete the innings after Scott Butterworth pulled up at the start of his second over.

Josh Tolley fell to a sharp one-handed catch at slip by Price off the impressive James Tierney in the first over of the reply and the home side sensed a real opportunity but first Greg Butterworth and then Nick Brierley were able to provide excellent support to Zaidi and the paid man never looked in any trouble as he kept his strike-rate well above a run-a-ball throughout his innings and ensured the required rate was never really an issue. Brierley made his first half-century since his comeback and the 4^th wicket partnership of 135 put the game to bed. Zaidi finished 118* off 86 balls and Norden will face local rivals Rochdale in the semi-finals on the 10^th of July.
Worsley Cup Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/5451470

There was disappointment on Saturday as bottom of the table Ramsbottom put a dent in Norden’s title ambitions with victory at Acre Bottom. Norden, batting first for a change, posted 231 for 4 from their 50 overs with Zaidi scoring 104 and Tolley 88. Norden’s bowlers were unable to gain further inroads after Scott Butterworth’s 2 early wickets and home professional, Senuran Muthusamy, along with the returning Tom Parton, took the hosts up towards their target. When Parton was dismissed by Tolley, Norden felt they were still in the game but a run-a-ball unbeaten 30 from Harry Caton quickly dented those hopes and Norden went away without picking up any points from the game.
Saturday Scorecard : https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/5000226

Friday night was t20 night and a good crowd at Greenmount were treated to 375 runs in 40 overs as Norden gave themselves a good chance of progressing to the quarter-finals with a 36 run victory. The usual suspects, Tolley and Zaidi, both made half-centuries and Lee Crabtree and Alex Willis were able to add a further 50 in the final 4 and a half overs to take Norden up to 205 for 4. The Greenmount chase was pretty much over before it had started as Scott Butterworth dismissed both openers, including professional Chesney Hughes, in the first over. Some good hitting from Callum Hunter provided some entertainment for the spectators but it was never really a close contest and Sami Waheed picked up 3 wickets to move to just 1 behind the leading wicket-takers in this competition. The final group game is at home to unbeaten Crompton on Friday night and a win will see the Stags through.
T20 Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/4999622

The 2^nd XI stayed well and truly in the title race with an excellent run chase of their own against Ramsbottom at Stag Park on Saturday. Ramsbottom were dismissed off the final ball of their innings for 228 and it looked like a tough chase was on the cards. After Spencer Allen fell without scoring, David Bebb and Kabir Ahmed showed their quality at this level and both played fluently in a partnership of 171 before Ahmed fell for 73. Bebb made sure the job was completed, though, and he ended unbeaten on 89 and there was a nice 33* for Zeshan Anwar after his return to the side from injury.
2^nd XI Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/5000429
2^nd XI Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-6F442mxXxg

A tiring 3-game weekend saw Norden win one and lose two, close the gap on league leaders Darwen, crash out of the LCF Knockout and have their t20 fate hanging in the balance.

Starting with Friday night, a heavily depleted Norden side hosted Rawtenstall and ill-discipline with the ball cost the home side the game. 13 wides and no-balls gave Rawtenstall 2 extra overs to face and the time taken to bowl those overs, along with additional time trying to find out the rule regarding substitute fielders when one of your players has turned up at the wrong ground, meant the visitors had an additional 18 runs added to their already very competitive total of 168. Ishaq Hussain, who was dropped early, made 55 off just 34 balls and Norden in the end did well to restrict the score that for most of the innings looked like it would be in excess of 180. The undoubted highlight for the home side was debut 1^st XI wckets for Oliver Kirkby and Oliver Yates, two extremely talented youngsters who impressed everyone on the ground with their maturity and skill. Norden were always in the chase thanks to an outstanding 84 from Josh Tolley but when he fell Norden’s hopes went with him and the Stags are left probably needing to win both their remaining games against Greenmount and Crompton to qualify for the quarter-finals.

T20 Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/4999628

T20 Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7fC5CmIfV1I

Saturday saw defending champions, Burnley come to town and Norden upped their game accordingly to record a fine win against a side who had held the wood over them since they joined the league. A bright opening stand for Burnley was ended when Zaidi got a generous looking LBW decision against Joe Marshall and Norden were then able to turn the screw. Burnley lost 8 wickets for just 61, including professional Ockert Erasmus who was cleaned up by a beauty from Scott Butterworth. A 9^th wicket partnership of 54 between Bharat Tripathi and Harry Tomlinson got the champions up to respectability but 164 is rarely enough on Stag Park these days. The ever-reliable combination of Zaidi and Greg Butterworth combined for another 8 wickets. At one stage, tight bowling from the visitors looked like turning the chase into a more difficult one than first thought but the arrival of Zaidi made the difference and the impetus he provided immediately allowed Tolley to play anchor from the other end and their partnership of 108 got the Stags within spitting distance. Although Zaidi fell before the job was completely done, Tolley stayed firm and another 12 points were secured. Norden are now just 1 point behind leaders Darwen, with Clitheroe a further 2 points back. Those 3 teams have opened up a little gap over the rest of the pack.

Saturday Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/5000208

Saturday Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zvZJNOs-zpM&t=13s

The real disappointment of the weekend came on Sunday when Norden were well beaten by Read in the 2^nd round of the LCF Knockout Trophy. Read, playing without a professional, batted first and their innings never really looked like taking off until a late flurry, led by skipper Will Wrathall who made a superb unbeaten 93, took the total over 200. The final 2 overs added 40 runs and gave the home side all the momentum at the break. They carried this on and both Norden openers were dismissed inside the first 2 overs of the reply. Zaidi made a quick-fire 42 but when he edged behind off the bowling of Jack Wood, the hosts knew they had almost certainly delivered the killer blow. Oli Holt provided some middle-order resistance with an unbeaten 22 but unfortunately the truth is Norden are still very reliant on Zaidi and Tolley for their runs and this is something that will need to be addressed if trophies are to be secured at the end of the season.

LCF Knockout Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/5447634

The 2nds, missing a host of players and bowlers in particular, put up a good fight at Burnley before going down by 4 wickets. The Stags did well to recover from 66 for 6 with the bat; the returning pair of Zeshan Anwar and Greg Tattersall putting on 68 for the 7^th wicket, but the eventual total of 144 was under-par and was always going to be difficult to defend with only 3 regular 2^nd team bowlers in the side. There was more than a little hope, though, when Zishan Zahid removed both openers and a couple of run-outs meant Burnley were wobbling on 61 for 5. Unfortunately, skipper Phil Docker did not have many options up his sleeve and Burnley were able to take advantage, losing just one more wicket on their wa to victory.

2^nd XI Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/5000303

Jimmy Drury’s 3^rd XI go marching on after another win on Sunday against Rochdale’s 4^th string sees them now top of the league. Mohammad Omar top-scored with 44 as Norden posted 140 for 9 from their 40 overs. This was followed up with 3 wickets for young leg-spinner Jake Hill and good spells from Yates, Hindley, Findlow and Gooding saw the Stags home by just 9 runs.

3^rd XI Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/5000094

Norden sit at the top of the Lancashire League table after a comprehensive victory over previous leaders Darwen at Stag Park. It was undoubtedly the Stags’ best performance of the season so far, beating a very good side by 7 wickets with just 56 overs of cricket needed.

It didn’t take long for the home bowlers to make inroads after Hashum Malik had elected to bowl first on a dampish pitch. Mark Friend, a centurion for Darwen in the cup the previous day, fell first ball as he edged Ashar Zaidi to Josh Tolley at slip. The Norden professional, taking the new ball in the absence of Usama Malik, looked nigh-on unplayable and he also removed his counterpart, Siddhesh Lad without scoring. Either side of those wickets, Scott Butterworth also got in on the act. Playing with a badly injured thumb, Butterworth was a threat from the start and cleaned up John Painter and had John Cordingley trapped plumb in front. When Reece Davies chipped to Tolley at cover and then Dave Bowden fell to a hack at Zaidi, Darwen were floundering on 27 for 6 and an extremely early finish looked on the cards. Some determination from Sam Painter and Chris Lowe briefly threatened to take the total up to something respectable but Greg Butterworth came into the attack and picked up the last 3 wickets and Darwen were all out for just 86. Zaidi ended with 4 for 15, Scott 3 for 43 and Greg 3 for 9.

The home team were never likely to be challenged by such a small target and so it proved. A few lusty blows from the skipper and Norden were at 47 before they lost their first wicket. Despite another couple falling, Zaidi and Nick Brierley finished the job. With more big games against teams at the top end of the table coming up, Norden will be buoyed by this win and full of confidence heading into those fixtures.

1^st XI Sunday Scorecard:https://lancashireleague.play-cricket.com/website/results/5000210

Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1vN5Y6k2Urg

It was Worsley Cup 2^nd round action at Stag Park on Saturday. After receiving a bye in round 1, Norden welcomed old rivals Littleborough who are going very well at the top of Division 2. Norden opted to bowl and Usama Malik picked up the key early wicket of Boro professional Travis Townsend, caught superbly by Zaidi in the gully. The father and son Perren pairing of Zac and Clint were moving the score along steadily and without looking in any trouble when Zac was unfortunate to be caught down the leg-side from Sami Waheed’s first delivery. Ryan Miskella was run-out by Dean Lord but Matty Hernon was able to give the elder Perren some support. At 93 for 3, Littleborough looked like they might have a platform to push on to a score approaching 200 but Norden’s two slow left armers bowled their combined allocations of 20 overs for just 40 runs, adding 3 wickets in the process and the acceleration never really came on a slow pitch. Perren was 9^th man out for a cautious 60 and Littleborough were all out from the last ball of the innings for 159. Despite the difficult nature of the pitch, scores of this size are rarely enough on a small ground like Stag Park and it felt like 40/50 short at the break. Things soon had a very different look to them, though, as Lewis Willman and Miskella had the Norden top 3 back in the dressing room with just 18 on the board. It was game on but Norden had Zaidi at the crease and he found the partner he required in Nick Brierley. Brierley hasn’t been at his best since his return from long-term injury but this was much more like his old self, solid in defense and quick to punish anything over-pitched. Their partnership of 98 looked to have set up the game but both were dismissed in pretty quick succession and when Alex Willis followed shortly afterwards, Boro felt they had a sniff once again. Hamza Ali was bowling an impressive spell of slow left arm from the scorebox end and it required cool heads from Lee Crabtree and Sami Waheed to finish the job. A quarter-final awaits for Norden, and it looks highly likely that this local fixture will be back on the calendar in the league next season.

Worsley Cup Scorecard:https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/5438434

Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WjhLAxCcVCg

Friday night saw the start of the 2022 t20 competition and Norden got off to a winning start away to Ramsbottom. Dean Lord was the star of the show with the ball, taking 3 for 10 in his 4 overs as Ramsbottom struggled to 103 all out. A half-century from Zaidi was the main contribution in the run-chase and, despite a few late wickets, the Stags got home comfortably and took the 2 points.

T20 Scorecard and Highlights: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/4999626

The 2nds had mixed fortunes over the weekend; unfortunately going out of the Junior Cup at Burnley on Saturday, but bouncing back with a good win at Bacup on Sunday to keep the pressure on the leaders at the top of the league table. Dropped catches cost Phil Docker’s men in the cup game, allowing Burnley to score at least 50 more than they should have as they racked up 279 for 5 in their 50 overs. A special mention should be given to young Jamie Taylor, whose figures of 1 for 28 from 10 overs were outstanding in the context of that score. Norden were well in it at 100 for 2 with Kabir Ahmed and Tom Booth going well but they both fell to spinner Ben Sutcliffe and with them went Norden’s hopes of an unlikely chase.

Junior Cup Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/5438441

Sunday was a different story with a hundred from Kabir Ahmed and a 5 wicket haul from Mo Munawar leading the way to a 130 run victory at Bacup.

Norden notched up 2 hard-fought victories over the weekend to rise to 2^nd in the Lancashire League and progress to the 2^nd round of the LCF Knockout trophy. There were times in both games, though, when it looked as if Hashum Malik’s men would be on the wrong end of the results.

Saturday’s league fixture against local rivals Rochdale looked slightly easier on paper once it was confirmed that the hosts had been unable to find a deputy professional for the fixture. The events of the Rochdale innings did nothing to alter that view as they could muster only 130 all out on a good Redbrook surface. James Maurice-Scott and Declan Wilkinson had taken Rochdale to a solid position at 94 for 1 but a wonderful spell of slow left arm bowling from Norden professional Ashar Zaidi quickly turned the tide and the Rochdale batters had no answer. Zaidi finished with 7 for 33, his best-ever figures in the Lancashire League,  and it left Norden feeling confident of victory at the interval. Whilst Rochdale may not have had a professional to call upon, they did have the experience and class of Steven Oddy and he had both Norden openers back in the shed in quick time. Greg Butterworth and Zaidi were left with the repair job and they did it well until Zaidi had a rush of blood to the head and holed out to long-off off Ali Muzaffer. Nick Brierley as run-out backing up at the non-striker’s end and the game was in the balance at 60 for 4. Butterworth became Oddy’s 3^rd victim and Norden’s lower-middle order could offer no resistance as the veteran seamer looked like he might match Zaidi’s 7 wicket haul from earlier. When Scott Butterworth was the 9^th man out with 34 still required, all seemed lost but the final wicket air of Sami Waheed and Usama Malik played positively and soon the runs required looked within reach. Malik scooped and paddled and Waheed played straight and confidently in a high-pressure situation. With 4 needed, Malik walked across his stumps and got enough bat on it to send the ball to the fine-leg boundary and the job was done. Oddy’s spell of 6 for 40 should have won the game for his side and despite taking the maximum 12 points, Norden know that they were fortunate to come away with the win.

1^st XI vs Rochdale Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/5000237

Sunday saw the start of the 2022 LCF Knockout trophy with Norden hosting Heysham CC of the Westmorland League. For the 2^nd successive day, Norden were in trouble with the bat as Josh Tolley stood and watched the other members of the top 6 fall in quick succession. The Stags were wobbling at 57 for 5 when Tolley finally found an able partner in Alex Willis. Willis’ start in Norden colours had been difficult up to this point but here he played with intent and intelligence in rotating the strike and defending solidly when required. Tolley himself had been dropped on 0 and he was in no mood to offer any more chances. The pair combined for a partnership of 114 which took Norden most of the way to their final total of 187. Tolley finally fell for 83 and Willis fell agonisingly one short of what would have been a richly deserved half-century when he seemed unfortunate to be given out L.B.W.

 In reply, Heysham got off to a flyer and raced to 50 without loss. As so often with this Norden side, though, things changed with the introduction of spin and Zaidi was soon back in the wickets. The run-rate required started to increase slowly and after a tight spell from Sami Waheed, Dean Lord reminded everyone of what a talented bowler he is and he picked up 3 wickets, including 2 in 2 balls. Greg Butterworth joined the party and finished with 4 for 24 as Heysham subsided to 123 all out. Tougher tests will soon follow in this competition.

1^st XI vs Heysham Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/5038473

Highlights: 1st XI v Heysham LCF Knockout Round 1 Highlights

The 2nds got back on track with a good home performance against Rochdale. Kabir Ahmed made a superb 85 against his former side as Norden racked up 199 for 8 from their 45 overs. Zishan Zahid then took 2 early wickets and it was left to Harry Butterworth to fight a lone hand for Rochdale. He made 63 but when he was trapped in front by the excellent Oli Holt it was effectively game over. Kafeel Ali took 3 for 33 to add to his late cameo of 21 with the bat.

2^nd XI Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/5000430
Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lil84_D85mc

The 3rds rounded off a perfect weekend with a win of their own. Oli Kirkby again impressed, this time with the ball as he took 4 for 8 in Lowerhouse’s 136 all out. Saad Malik was the star of the show with the bat, finishing with an unbeaten 56 as Norden chased down the runs for the loss of just 3 wickets.

3^rd XI Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/5000033

When Todmorden were well set on 104 for 2 at just over the half-way mark in their innings at Stag Park on Sunday it was looking like it could be a tough afternoon for Norden. What followed, though, was 50 overs of superb cricket with ball and then bat that produced a second successive maximum point victory.

Andrew Sutcliffe and then Noah Priestley and professional Will Bosisto had set the platform for Tod but Norden’s ever-consistent spin pairing of Ashar Zaidi and Greg Butterworth were able to peg things back with Zaidi claiming the wickets of Sutcliffe and Priestley and then Butterworth picking up the key scalp when Bosisto couldn’t quite clear the other Butterworth at long-on. It was a shot out of keeping with the rest of the Tod paid man’s innings, as he had looked in complete control without taking any chances up until that point. Perhaps the reason for the extra aggression became clear soon after when the Todmorden lower-order collapsed without much of a fight. There were 4 wickets each for the spinners and also a first wicket of the season for Dean Lord in a good spell late-on.

The target of 145 was a modest one and a quick cameo from Hashum Malik had it within reach in short time. His 31 came from just 20 balls and Josh Tolley was looking in fine touch at the other end. Tolleyt had made 38 when he chipped a return catch to Bosisto but that brought Zaidi to the crease and he was in no mood to drag things out. His was an ultra-aggressive knock including four sixes in one over from Bosisto, and was very different from most we have seen since he has been at Norden. He carried the Stags over the line with over half of their overs to spare and ended with 56* from 40 balls. It was fitting that he and Butterworth were together when the match was won as Butterworth hit a straight six of his own to bring an end to proceedings.

Two busy weeks of league and cup action are coming up and Norden will feel confident going into those games.

1^st XI Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/5000217

1^st XI Highlights: 1st XI vs Todmorden Highlights 15/5/22

The 2nds fell to a frustrating loss at Enfield. There were 5 wickets for Oli Holt as the hosts posted 190 for 9 from their 45 overs. Tom Booth’s men looked to be cruising home at 106 for 1 but despite half centuries from Spencer Allen and Kabir Ahmed, the middle order failed to fire and Enfield were able to up the pressure and take the win by 17 runs.
2nd XI Scorecard : https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/5000341

It was back to winning ways for Jimmy Drury’s 3^rd XI as they registered a comfortable 7 wicket win at home to Rawtenstall on Saturday. The wickets were shared around as Rawtenstall were bowled out for just 98 batting first. Saad Malik finished with the impressive figures of 3 for 1 and Matthew Findlow impressed on his first appearance of the season. Malik also chipped in with 15* with the bat but it was Oli Kirkby who was the star of that particular show as he batted through the innings to finish on 47* as the Stags took all 12 points.
3rd XI Scorecard : https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/5000068

After consecutive defeats, Norden got their season back on track on Saturday with a comfortable 7 wicket win at 1^st division newcomers Greenmount. Some probing new ball bowling from Scott Butterworth and Usama Malik kept things tight early on after skipper Hashum Malik had chosen to bowl first and it was Malik who got the breakthrough when Jack Harrison chipped to Greg Butterworth at mid-off. Home professional Chesney Hughes was uncharacteristically subdued early on and, after being dropped on 1, he struggled his way to 14 from 47 balls before falling to an inside edge from an excellent delivery from Sami Waheed and an even better catch from Lee Crabtree. Waheed’s spell of 2 for 14 from 7 overs was excellent and there was no let-up from the visiting attack. Andrew Kerr was the leading light in the Greenmount batting performance but he didn’t manage to find any real support and wickets continued to fall regularly. There were 3 for Greg Butterworth, 2 for Ashar Zaidi and Scott Butterworth came back and picked up 1 for himself, the least he deserved for 2 good spells. Kerr was the 9^th man out for a classy 81 but 163 all-out felt well below par on a such a small ground.

Norden got off to a much better start in reply than they had managed in the previous 2 weeks and it was only an injury to captain Malik’s ankle that broke the opening partnership between he and Josh Tolley. That moment was about as concerning as it got for the Stags as Tolley and firstly Greg Butterworth and then Zaidi, raced toward the target and a beautiful straight 6 from Tolley finished the job with just over half of the 50 over allocation gone. Tolley ended on 69* and the 12 points were in the bag.

1^st XI Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/5000170

The 2nds also notched up a maximum point victory, defeating Colne by 3 wickets at Stag Park. Zishan Zahid picked up his first wickets for the club as Colne’s innings never really got going. Kafeel Ali took 3 for 18, Mo Munawar 3 for 38 and Oli Holt 2 for 18 to bowl the visitors out for 133. The chase was far from straightforward though as a collapse meant 40 without loss quickly became 56 for 5. An aggressive 25 from Mohammed Omar swung the momentum back to Norden and after he was dismissed, the experience of Holt got Norden close and Ali gave him the support he needed to finish the job. Holt finished 32* to finish a good all-round day for him. 2^nd XI Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/5000424

As the final two Norden batters trudged from the Stag Park field on Sunday afternoon, alongside a buoyant Lowerhouse team, it was clear what had been the difference between the two sides. Lowerhouse had shown great depth in their batting in recovering from 58 for 5 to score 200 for 6 after opting to bat first. By stark contrast, Norden collapsed for the second week running and fell from a comfortable looking 82 for 2 to 150 all out despite a valiant 71 from professional Ashar Zaidi.

Three weeks into the season and no player batting 6 or lower for Norden has managed to make double figures, and the over-reliance on Josh Tolley and Zaidi in particular must be addressed soon if they are to be as competitive in all competitions as they were last year. The absence of Nick Brierley in the last two games has not helped but there is far too much talent in the Norden ranks for the level of return we are seeing at the moment.

The home team should really have won this game having got themselves into a great position to do so twice. Huge credit must go to the Lowerhouse middle order of Frankie Haasbroek, Henri Cottam and Dean Barlow who combined in recovering what looked like a pretty desperate situation as the Butterworth brothers and Zaidi, with both ball and a run-out, had sent half the side back to the pavilion in short time. Haasbroek and Cottam showed patience and resilience in their partnership of 57 before Barlow came in and added real impetus to the innings with a better than a run-a-ball half century. Captain Hashum Malik shuffled his bowling pack, including the returning Oliver Makin, but somehow left two overs from the excellent Greg Butterworth unbowled and the momentum was definitely with the visitors at the tea interval.

This carried on into the chase as Tolley and Malik fell early. Zaidi and Greg Butterworth steadied the ship with a partnership of 68, though and Norden were in the driving seat before the batting frailty reared its head again. Substitute professional Ruhan Pretorius was the pick of the attack, finishing with 5 for 54. Although a couple of nice shots apiece from numbers 10 and 11, Dean Lord and Sami Waheed, at least got Norden a solitary bonus point it was scant consolation after such a good start to the game. 

1^st XI Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/5000213

1^st XI Highlights: 1st XI vs Lowerhouse 1/5/22 Highlights

The 2nds also suffered defeat to a strong Lowerhouse team. Stand-in skipper David Bebb top-scored with 72 as Norden posted 189 for 8 from their 45 overs. After being 99 without loss this felt like a few runs short of where they should have finished up. As it happened, though, any extra runs would probably not have made much of a difference as the home side chased their target down in just 27 overs. Jonathan Finch hit an impressive 92* from just 84 balls.

2^nd XI Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/5000415

The 3^rd XI were involved in another nail-biter at home to Nelson on Saturday. Unfortunately, after last week’s win at Greenmount, they came out on the wrong side of this one despite Will Hindley’s heroics with the ball. He took 5 for 19 as Jimmy Drury’s team made an admirable attempt to defend a well under-par 99 all out. At 47 for 7, Nelson looked to have it all to do but an unbroken stand of 53 between Junaid Rashid and Zeeshan Ashraf saw the over the line. Hindley’s control and prodigious in-swing was great to watch for someone so young and Oliver Yates again impressed with his 26 in Norden’s innings.

3^rd XI Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/5000066

Norden kicked off the 2022 season with wins for all 3 senior teams over a weekend that saw some familiar faces, and a couple of new ones, come to the fore.

The 1^st XI faced Middleton at Stag Park and opted to bowl first but a familiar problem from last season soon returned as Keelan Shipley was allowed to get the visitors off to a flying start. Scott Butterworth struggled to find his length on his Norden debut but Usama Malik had more control and he picked up the wicket of Leighton Le Carpentier with a ball that nipped away off the seam. At 50 for 1 from just 9 overs, it looked like a good platform was being set and when Shipley chipped tamely to mid-on off Malik it brought visiting professional James Price to the crease and the key part of the game was on. Ashar Zaidi came into the attack and Price, along with former Stag Rehan Udwadia, pushed the score along to 90 before Price looked to turn Zaidi into the leg-side and was trapped LBW for 22. It felt like a crucial moment and although Middleton battled hard to get up to their eventual total of 174 all out, their chances of posting a really challenging total disappeared at the fall of Price’s wicket. Josh Tolley, filling in as the 2^nd spinner in the absence of Greg Butterworth, picked up 4 of the remaining wickets and Zaidi claimed 4 of his own.

The same 2 players were also to the fore in Norden’s chase. Hashum Malik went early, bowled looking to hit Tom Rutter into the village, and that brought the welcome sight of Nick Brierley walking to the crease on his return to the side after a prolonged period of injury and illness. There were several glimpses of Brierley’s class in his 26 before he was yorked by Udwadia, and after that it was all too easy for the home side. Tolley and Zaidi were never troubled by a bowling attack that failed to offer control or a consistent threat and the margin of victory of 8 wickets with 20 overs to spare underlined the gulf in quality between the 2 sides on the day. Tolley finished with 79* and Zaidi 54*. Bigger challenges will come soon enough.

1^st XI Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/5000214

The real excitement of the weekend came at Glebe Street where the 2nds won a low-scoring nail-biter against Crompton. Kafeel Ali took 4 for 24 on his first appearance in Norden colours as the home side were bowled out for just 115 and at 70 for 3 a routine win looked on the cards. Veteran John Punchard had other ideas, though, and he took 3 wickets, including that of Kabir Ahmed, another debutant, for a well-made 38. When Ross Collin and Ali fell in quick succession, Norden somehow found themselves 9 down with 21 still required. Fortunately, it was the 2 experienced heads of Phil Docker and Mo Munawar who were left and they got within sight of the win before Docker appeared to have holed out to long-on. Luckily the catch went down and Crompton were left to rue the missed opportunity.

2^nd XI Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/5000332

It was the 3^rd XI who kicked off the competitive season on Saturday with a home game against Ramsbottom. Two youthful sides produced a good game of cricket with the standout performance being a superb unbeaten century from Mohammed Omar as Norden posted 200 for 4 on a good early-season surface. Omar made 101* from just 86 balls and was well supported by Oliver Yates in a partnership of 81 that injected some impetus into Norden’s innings. Michael Thorpe added some lusty late blows and a solid bowling performance meant that Ramsbottom never threatened to get close. Yates, along with fellow teenagers Oliver Kirkby, Adam Khawaja, Muhammed Muddasser and Jo Golden, all made good contributions with the ball.  

3^rd XI Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/5000067