Norden Cricket Club would like to place on record its sincere thanks to Jermaine Blackwood for his efforts, professionalism, and contribution throughout this season. After careful consideration, the Club can confirm that Jermaine has not been re-engaged for the 2026 season, and we wish him every success in the future.

Norden CC is pleased to announce that James Price has been appointed as the Club’s Professional for the 2026 season. James is a familiar face in the community, living locally in Norden, and the Club looks forward to welcoming him into the senior set-up ahead of pre-season.

1st XI Captain Lee Crabtree said “I am really excited to have James Price joining us as our professional for the 2026 season. His quality and experience will be a massive asset both on and off the field and I am confident he’ll play a big role in helping us push for success next year.”

Further details on James’s role and preparations for 2026 will be shared in due course.

Rochdale vs Norden 1^st XI – Sunday 31^st August

The home team won the toss and elected to bat, but were immediately in trouble either side of the rain breaks with Harrison (0), Harling (1), Chapman (0) and sub-professional Pope (0) all falling victim to the excellent Masqood. Resistance was required and Harry Butterworth batted well for his 30 before going caught and bowled by Lord. Skipper Makin looked intent on occupying the crease. He saw off Masqood, who finished with 5-15 from his 13 overs. Makin had moved on to 21 before a slip and some very sharp work by Jack Taylor at mid-on had him dismissed run out. The tail didn’t wag and Rochdale finished on 79 from 24 overs. Lord bowled well for his 2-15, as did Taylor for his 2-5.

The Stags reply got off to a great start as the ever positive Humphreys took Harling for 8 in his first over. Disaster struck in the next over though as he turned for a sharp two and injured his knee, having to be carried from the field. The Norden professional was in at 3 and was soon sent packing by an excellent delivery from Pope. It pitched outside leg and clipped the off bail, an absolute belter.
Skipper Crabtree (8) and Jack Taylor (11) looked to be positive, but with both gone and the inexperienced McKeown and Yates at the crease with still 43 runs required the home side most of fancied their chances. However, any hope was short lived as McKeown (30*) including five 4’s and Yates (15*) with two 4’s and a 6 as the Stags romped home by 7 wickets and over 20 overs to spare.
Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1373/1373335.html

Norden vs Rochdale 2nd XI – Sunday 31^st August

The day started with a bang when some of the Rochdale players decided to announce their arrival by letting fireworks off over the neighbours houses on Shawfield Lane. The rain soon put a dampener on things with a few rain breaks meaning the game was reduced to 27 overs a side. The Stags were not bowling or fielding well, and the Rochdale openers Anwar (52) and Faulkner (32) added 94 for the first wicket. The only bright spot was an excellent spell from Modessar Hussain of 8 overs 3-18. Kabi made 41 and Abdullah Khan 34 (off just 19 balls) as the Dale scored an imposing 182-4. The Stags lost Kirkby (0), Malik (10) and Hussain (22) in the early exchanges before Docker with a  run a ball 35 and Sam Butterworth (29) steadied the ship. When both departed the Stags still needed 84 from 10 overs to reach the revised DLS target of 207. Kearns was joined by O’Neill and the Stags put on a firework display of their own. Kearns was brutal in his 55* off just 36 balls with three 4’s and four 6’s. O’Neill was equally as devastating with his 38* coming off 23 balls with one 4 and three 6’s. The Stags romped home with 17 balls to spare. An excellent last third to the game securing top division status for Dockers men.    
Scorecard: http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1373/1373666.html
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OCATTJ0tKSc

Norden vs Todmorden 3^rd XI – Saturday 30^th August

With a dire forecast set from 3pm it was always going to be hard to get a result as Jimmy’s boys chased an unlikely promotion. Early runs from Crabtree (27) and O Henderson (30) saw over 80 runs on the board for the loss of only 3 wickets.  However this soon changed to 92-6 the Stags fancied their chances of wrapping the 1^st innings up and have a quick bat, but the Todd lower order had other ideas. No.8 N Barker scored 19 and no.10 C Barker 32* to make sure Todd completed their 40 overs, finishing on 147-9. For the stags it was the spin twins Bebb (2-33) and Gooding (3-39) who took the wickets. During the break the inevitable deluge came and no more play was possible.
Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1373/1373930.html

A fine opening spell from the Norden professional Jermaine Blackwood had Ramsbottom reduced to 68-3, but things could have been much better if the Stags had held their catches. The middle order,Caton (40) and Olpin (18), batted well with opener Parton (68),  before Balckwoods re-introduction alongside Jack Taylor saw a flurry of wickets. No.10 Dack scored an impressive 24* as Rammy finished on 227-9 from their 50 overs, more than ably assisted by 24 wides from the home bowlers. Blackwood finished with an impressive 6-52 from his 15.

Things started brightly with the bat as Humphreys (43) and Jack taylor (23) added 73 for the first wicket, but when Humphreys was trapped LBW by Von Berg an almighty collapsed followed as we lost 8 wickets for just 22 runs. Von Berg was bamboozling the Norden batters on his way to 6-23, ably assisted by Burdaky 4-79. The only late order resistance was shown by Alex Willis (22*) and young Stan Kearns (16) as the Stags limped to 136 all out.

Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1373/1373329.html
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f04VJSfZ6Lg

The 2^nd XI completed the season hat-trick over Rammy in the return fixture. Docker won the toss and elected to field, throwing young leg spinner Jake Hill the new ball. His faith was repaid as he took all the top 4, reducing the home side to 14-4. Middle order resistance was shown from Round (42) and Thomond (20) before the re-introduction of Seb Howard wrapped things up, bowling Rammy out for 108. Jake finished with 4-26 and Seb 3-22.

The out of sorts Devine went for a duck and Kirkby was bowled neck and crop for 5. The experienced middle order of Hash Malik (42), Docker (22*) and Pimm (27*) saw the game home with over 15 overs t spare.

Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1373/1373660.html

The 3^rd XI suffered a narrow defeat away at Great Harwood. Skipper Jimmy won the toss and asked the home side to bat first. The accumulated 214-5 from their 40 overs, mainly due to Hussain (94*) and Kayley (58). The first 5 bowlers used had an average age of under 15. Howard, Bunting, Frankish, Malik and Ali all bowled well. The last 5 overs appeared costly as Drury and Thorpe went for 71.

The Stags started strongly, with Buckley (30) and Mason (43) adding 63 for the 1^st wicket, before Bebb (66) and Frankish (38) both batted well and at 147-2 the Stags were looking good. However the last 8 wickets fell for just 61 runs and we fell 7 runs short.

Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1374/1374024.html

It was another bumper crowd at the Reside Agency Stag Park as the young Norder Stags took on Burnley CC in the ¼ final of the T20 compeition with a spot at finals day up for grabs.

Skipper Humphreys won the toss and elected to bat first. Disaster struck as the captain, who had scored an impressive 274 runs at an average of 91 in his 4 group stage games, fell for just 6 well caught and bowled by Tripathi.

The Norden professional Jermiane Blackwood realised the importance of not losing another early wicket and batted very sensible to begin with. At the other end Jack Taylor added an impressive 35 off just 34 balls, including 3 sixes whilst putting on 66 runs for the second run partnership. McKeown (18) put on 59 with Blackwood, who had now started to accelerate. The return of Tripathi proved pivotal when he had Blackwood caught on the mid-wicket boundary. However, the Jamaican had scored a vital 58, off just 39 balls, including three 4’s and four 6’s. Crabtree (16*), Hussain (9) and Farooq (7*) rounded things off for the Stags and they finished on 162-5 from their 20 overs.

The mood around the ground at half time was that the score was around par, and the in-experienced bowling attack would have to bowl well to win the game.
Burnley came racing out of the blocks with Shah smashing 21 of just 13. As the power play finished Burnley were well in front. Skipper Bedford was going at a run a ball 30, ably supported by Hodge. At 79-1 at the end of the 8^th over things were slipping away from the Stags. Skipper Humphreys turned to 15 year old Abu Farooq and 16 year old Olly Yates with the ball. The two youngsters bowled a superb 8 over spell that only went for 49 runs and more importantly yielded 3 wickets with Bedford (35), Hodge (18) and Hassan (7) all back in the shed. Crabtree ran out Lawson for just 2, celebrating with an unconventional knee slide.

35 was required off the last 4 overs. Jamie Taylor was re-introduced, having an immediate impact clean bowling the Burnley professional Erasmus for 17.

Tripathi was at the crease with the experienced Brunt and they chipped away at the total gaining 10 runs and 9 runs from the 18^th and 19^th overs. It went down to the last over with Blackwood bowling and Burnley needing 11 runs to win. The over started with two dot balls before Trapathi hit a 4. Blackwood kept his nerve and two singles followed. It came down to the last ball with a six needed for Burnley to win. Trapathi struck it to deep mid-off, but it was a one bounce 4. The scores were tied, but confusion reigned as not many on the ground seemed to know what happened next. Super over? No. The rules state that in the event of a tie the team losing least wickets wins. Norden had lost 5 and Burnley 6.

A great game of cricket in front of an excellent crowd. The young stags (the five amateur bowlers used had an average age of 17) had done themselves proud  and now have a finals day to look forward to on Saturday the 26^th of July at Littleborough.    

Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1373/1373543.html
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DEzQ8nRP_LQ

Skipper Crabtree won the toss and decided to bowl first. When the dangerous Edgar (21) and professional Ed Moore (9) were both dismissed with the score on just 32 things were looking good. A solid 86 run third wicket stand between Atkinson (63) and Rickard (35) put Tood back in a strong position before a mid-order collapse saw Todd reduced to 149-6. The Todd skipper blasted 44 not out of just 41 balls to finish on 213-8 from their 50 overs. Young Jamie Taylor on debut had 10 overs 1-46, Taz 2-38 and professional Blackwood 3-52. There was also an impressive spell from the other debutant, Abu Farooq, who had 5 overs 1-13.

The Stags got off to a flyer, mainly thanks to vice-captain Dom Humphreys who blasted 63 from just 44 balls with eleven 4’s and one 6. The score had moved to 93 before the loss of Humphreys, but then fellow opener Jack Taylor (23) departed soon afterwards. Finn Mckeown (12) was striking it crisply before panicking and handling the ball, and after a short discussion from the umpires was given out. Crabtree and Farooq came and went cheaply before an important stand of 44 between Blackwood (34) and Yates (29). Olly Holt chipped in with 15 but the Stags ended up 9 down with two runs still required. Luckily Devine kept his cool and hit a 4 for a much-needed league victory.
Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1373/1373287.html
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXi-EpDPo6U

Sunday 6^th of July Todmorden 2^nd XI vs Norden 2^nd XI

Early morning rain at Centre Vale led to a delayed start and a reduced 41 overs a side contest. Sam Butterworth (24), Alex Willis (28), Spencer Allen (29), Oliver Kirkby (21) and Modessar Hussain (22) all got in, but couldn’t convert their start to a big score. The Stags finished 162 all out with 1 ball of their innings remaining.

Todd started strongly and at 129-3 seemed to be cruising to victory but the Stags stuck to the task. Jake Hills leg spin was causing problems, with his 12 overs yielding 3-44. Modessar ended with 3-33 from his 10 overs. It all came down to the last ball with the home side needing 1 to tie and 2 to win. Brown hit the ball out; one run was completed but Ali was run out trying to complete the second with the game ending a tie. Whilst this was a credible result against the side who sit top of the table stand-in skipper Malik must be ruing his sides 34 wides.
Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1373/1373619.html

Saturday 5^th of July Norden 2^nd XI s Ramsbottom 2^nd XI – Cup Semi-Final

The visitors won the toss and elected to bowl first. They took regular wickets and the Stags were in real trouble at 27-4 with Abbas wreaking havoc. A 55 run partnership between Sam Butterworh (41) and Oli Kirkby (22) steadied the ship before Kearns (22*) and O’Neill (30) gave the innings a late flurry. Norden finished on 157 all out from 38.2 of their allotted 41 overs.

There was a bit in the wicket, and with a very strong seem bowling attack the Stags still fancied their chances, but they would need to start well. Jamie Taylor had the dangerous Dack caught behind for a duck. Almond-read (14) was clean bowled by Taylor and Rammy were 18-2. Farooq bowled excellently for his 5 overs 0-5 and Taylor finished with 2-14 from his 6. The Rammy batters must have been delighted to see the change bowlers coming on. However, any joy was short lived as Hussain ran riot with 5.5 overs 5-17. He was well supported by Kearns (2-23) and Rammy were bowled out for just 64 to the delight of the victorious home crowd.
Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1372/1372465.html
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EHiezktEIjk

The final will be hosted by the Stags at the Reside Estate Agency Stag Park on Saturday 2^nd of July when they will face Burnley CC 2^nd XI

The JWL T20 Quarter-Final between Norden 1^st XI and Burnley CC 1^st XI scheduled for Friday the 4^th of July was postponed due to bad weather. The game will now be played on Thursday the 10^th of July.  

Weekend Recap at Reside Stag Park

The weekend kicked off on Friday with the final group stage match of the T20 competition, as The Stags welcomed Haslingden to Reside Stag Park. Haslingden won the toss and elected to field.

Skipper Humphreys continued his red-hot form from June with a blistering half-century off just 25 balls. He was joined by sub-professional Jameel Stuart after seven overs, who carried on the assault with a destructive innings, smashing the Haslingden attack to all parts of the ground. Stuart finished with a sensational 80 off just 31 balls, helping The Stags post a formidable total of 214 from their 20 overs.

Haslingden never really got going in reply. Inspired bowling changes by Humphreys turned the game decisively, including the reintroduction of Stuart, who delivered a remarkable quadruple-wicket maiden to complete his five-wicket haul. Haslingden were bowled out for just 84, securing a comprehensive win for The Stags. Securing a home quarter final birth vs Burnley on the 4^th July.
Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1373/1373539.html
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7qhIsqidaA

Saturday brought the return of league cricket with a top-of-the-table clash as 2nd-placed Clitheroe visited Reside Stag Park. Captain Crabtree won the toss and chose to field first.

Clitheroe’s opening pair capitalised on a depleted Stags bowling attack, racing to 196 before the first wicket finally fell in the 34th over. A lack of pressure and missed opportunities allowed Clitheroe to post a commanding 322/6 from their allotted 50 overs.

In response, The Stags got off to a bright start with the ever-positive opening partnership of Taylor and Humphreys putting on 69 in just eight overs. Humphreys went on to record his second half-century of the weekend, but wickets fell around him, and he was eventually dismissed with the score at 126-3. From there, the chase faltered, with the middle order unable to rebuild, and the innings ended in disappointment at 181 all out in the 32nd over.

A tough day for the 1st XI, with valuable lessons to take into the second half of the season.
Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1373/1373281.html
Highlights : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8-zPJv-pIbI

Norden 2nd XI vs Clitheroe 2nd XI – Saturday 28th June

The hosts won the toss and elected to bat first. It was tough going for the Stags as Clitheroe’s top 3 tucked in.  61-1 soon became 153-1 with Dawson (26), Bennett (56) and Butterfield (45) all making good scores. Zeeshan Tariq bowled tightly for his 1-23 off 12. It was occasional bowler, Tom Booth, doing the late damage picking up 4-20 from his 3 overs to see Clitheroe finish on 240-7.

The Stags lost Booth (2) and Malik (23) early, but Docker (62) and Allen 20) got us right back in the chase. The weather closed in and a quick fire 28 from 18 balls from Muddar got us back in the hunt. Off the last ball of the over the Stags needed a 6 to sneak in front on DLS, but Muddar was caught on the deep long off boundary. The rain continued and the umpires too the players from the field, with no more play possible. A tough one to take… but in such a competitive division, it’s a game of fine margins.  
Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1373/1373609.html

Norden 4th XI vs Todmorden 4th XI – Sunday 29th June.

With no scheduled fixture for the 3rd XI we managed to arrang 4th XI friendly, consisting of 3 U16 and the rest 12-14 year olds, none of whom had playeed senior cricket this season.

The visitors batted first and made 162 all out from 39 overs. The pick of the home side bowlers was Jonjo McCann who took 5-29. The older, more experinced Todd attack was too hot to handle for the young stags, with us being bundled out fro just 53. None the less a great experience for the young players, many of whom were getting their first experience of senior cricket and the longer fromat of the game.
Scorecard : https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/7158517

The weekend began with a trip to Glebe Street for the fourth installment of Nordens’ T20 group stage campaign, this time against a consistently strong Crompton side. After winning the toss, Crompton elected to bat and immediately set a blistering pace. Their professional and opening batsman smashed 60 runs in the powerplay for the loss of just one wicket.

The onslaught continued as overseas amateur Louis joined the fray, combining with Jamal for a destructive 138-run partnership for the second wicket in just 9.5 overs. Jamal eventually fell in the 16th over after a brutal 102 off 53 balls. Louis was then joined by Hamzah, and together they pushed Crompton’s total to a commanding 242-3 from their 20 overs — a mix of exceptional hitting and inconsistent bowling from the Stags.

The chase began in trademark aggressive fashion, with Humphreys helping the Stags reach 68 for the loss of one wicket — that of professional Blackwood, who contributed 21. Taylor picked up the mantle, partnering with Humphreys for a rapid 54-run stand for the second wicket in just four overs before Humphreys was dismissed.

Despite Taylor’s impressive 56 from 27 balls, the innings began to lose momentum. Brief cameos from McKeown and Crabtree injected some hope, but the Stags ultimately fell short, finishing on 198-8 from their 20 overs.
Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1373/1373526.html

On Sunday, the 1st XI travelled to Haslingden, looking to reset after a disappointing double defeat the previous weekend. Meanwhile, the 2nd XI hosted the reverse fixture at Reside Stag Park. Both captains opted to bowl first, with rain looming.

The 1st XI managed 34 overs before the weather took over, forcing the game to be abandoned. A highlight of the day was the return of Steven Parry to the side — his quality and experience are a significant boost to the squad.
Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1373/1373273.html

The depeleted 2nd XI faced Haslingden at home and appeared to be behind the eight ball until the rain arrived in the 43rd over of Haslingdens innings. No further play was posisble
Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1373/1373607.html

The 3rd XI did manage to complete a fixture on Stag Park on the Saturday against a strong looking Great Harwood side. The away side won the toss and elected to bat first. In a rain reduced afair they amassed 211-5 off their 32 overs. Seb Howard again impressed with 2-25 off his 6 overs.

Alex Buckley (22) started well, but an early collapse saw the Stags floundering at 56-5, but an excellent 42 from just 40 balls from young Haider Ali offered some resistence before we were all bowled out for 116
Scorecard : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Scorecards/1373/1373913.html

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