Norden kept the pressure on the league leaders with a comfortable 10-wicket win against Enfield on Saturday. Despite missing the injured Dom Humphreys, the Norden bowling attack turned in an excellent performance to dismiss the visitors for just 121. Jack Taylor, bowling with the new ball, claimed the first wicket by bowling the dangerous Lewis Wright with one that skidded on. His excellent spell of 2 for 19 was backed up by Scott Butterworth, before brother Greg brought himself on to do the bulk of the damage. A partnership of 76 between professional Pramod Maduwantha and skipper Adam Bracewell, playing his 500th Lancashire League game for the club, was the only one of note that Enfield could muster, but Greg dismissed both before the total had reached 100. Bracewell looked unhappy at the LBW decision that went against him, and Maduwantha gave his wicket away having barely looked to play an attacking stroke in his 23. The lower order was not up to the task and Butterworth was able to help himself to a 5-wicket haul, finishing with a season’s best 5 for 34.
The reply can only be described as a canter. Josh Tolley and Lee Crabtree were never in any trouble against the Enfield attack. The only chance offered was a missed stumping off Crabtree when there were just 10 more required. Tolley made 63* and Crabtree 54* for his first half-century of the season. There will be bigger tests ahead for The Stags, starting with a trip to Darwen on Sunday in a clash of 2nd vs 3rd.
1st XI Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/6107836
1st XI Highlights: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__4oVxpgKlc&feature=youtu.be
Sunday’s LCF Knockout 2nd round clash with Edgworth was settled by a bowl-out after persistent rain meant there was no play possible at Stag Park. Norden progressed to the quarter-finals with a 4-1 win, with both Butterworth brothers, Dean Lord and Josh Tolley hitting the stumps. Norden will host Blackpool CC in the next round on June 30th.
It looks highly unlikely that Norden will make it out of the t20 group stages after a 2nd consecutive defeat on Friday night. The bowlers certainly did their job by restricting Walsden to 135 for 6 with Dean Lord bowling an outstanding spell of 3 for 10 against his favourite opponents. Unfortunately, the batters were unable to back it up in rapidly darkening conditions and a DLS adjusted target of 125 from 18 was out of reach despite the best efforts of Crabtree with 40 and Tolley with 32.
T20 Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/6099240
The 2nds were well beaten at Enfield. Again missing a number of players for various reasons, things started well when Oli Kirkby clean-bowled Anthony Steele with the first ball of the match. Sadly, there was to be little joy after that as only 3 more wickets fell in the Enfield innings of 209 for 4 from their 45 overs. A definite positive was another promising performance from young leg-spinner Jake Hill, who bowled his 12 overs consecutively for a spell of 1 for 45. Norden lost Kirkby and skipper Tom Booth in consecutive deliveries with the score on 10 and it was always going to be a tough struggle from then on. Haris Hussain was able to find some form with 40, and Stan Kearns played some nice strokes, but Norden couldn’t get close enough to pick up any bonus points.
2nd XI Scorecard: https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/6110298