Covid 19 Update

We have reached the next milestone in our journey back to normality and from today onwards we can once again open our doors for you to come inside and and enjoy the hospitality.

To celebrate this we are opening all week from Monday 17th at 5pm to 10:30. So whatever the weather you can come down to Norden Cricket Club.

Please note we the government rules on indoor hospitality, no standing, rule of 6, table service only, face masks must be worn when not at table, track and trace on arrival. We are all fed up of the rules but it is for all our safety and to ensure we can get to the next stage when all the restrictions are removed.

The outdoor area will remain for the foreseeable future also, giving Norden Cricket Club lots of space to accommodate everyone safely.

We look forward to seeing you all soon.

Norden suffered defeat for the first time this season on Sunday with a home loss to Darwen. Asked to bat first after a delayed start on a pitch that was green and damp after the recent rain, the high scores seen at Stag Park so far this year were never going to be repeated and it was clear from the outset that a tough day for batsmen lay ahead. Josh Tolley felt that aggression was the way to go but he fell first caught in the gully and he was quickly followed by Stephen Pimm and Harvey Fitton leaving the Stags in early trouble at 24 for 3. Lee Crabtree and Greg Butterworth both attempted to dig in in support of pro Zaidi, but Crabtree could only pick out point from a short, wide delivery and Butterworth became the first wicket to fall to spin as Bowden found the outside edge. Even Zaidi was finding life tough on the challenging surface and when he was cleaned up by Bowden it left the lower order with the job of trying to bat for as many of the 43 overs as possible. Unfortunately, despite a few nice strokes from Malik and Chris Humphreys, the wickets continued to tumble and Norden could only limp to 88 all out from 31.4 overs. The visiting bowling was good without ever seeming unplayable and perhaps a touch more application throughout would have led to the extra 30-40 runs that would have resulted in an extremely challenging total.

The run chase began in chaos for the visitors, though, as Chris Humphreys had Mark Friend caught at cover and Kamran Anwar caught over his shoulder by Crabtree behind the stumps with the score still on 0. Scott Jackson and deputy professional Siddhesh Lad began the rebuild and Norden turned to spin. The partnership added 33 before being broken in bizarre circumstances. Jackson hit aerially out towards Pimm on the cover boundary and the fielder dived forward and appeared to many, including the batsman, to take the catch. With Jackson starting to walk off Pimm threw the ball to Butterworth who broke the wicket before the batsman had time to regain his ground having belatedly realised that the ball had in fact reached Pimm on the half-volley. The umpires had no option but to give Jackson out and Malik was absolutely correct to uphold the appeal as Pimm had at no point indicated that he had taken the catch. Lad was looking a cut above the other players on show and he progressed to 24 before he chopped on to Zaidi and when Scott Friend holed out quickly afterwards, Norden were all of a sudden ahead on the DLS calculation and well in the game at 51 for 5 with the clouds starting to gather overhead. Bowden and Reece Davies were able to soon put an end to the home side’s optimism, though, as Zaidi and Butterworth strained for another breakthrough. Runs started to flow quickly for the first time in the day and Davies finished the game with his 4^th boundary.

1^st XI Scorecard https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/4549826

1^st XI Highlights 1st XI vs Darwen 16/5/21 Highlights

The 2nds also had a frustrating day at Darwen. Having scored 258 for 8 in their 45 overs batting first they were unable to take the field for the home side’s chase after the heavens opened. Sami Waheed and Spencer Allen both made half centuries for the Stags.

2^nd XI Scorecard https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/4550296

After Saturday’s washouts in the league, Norden’s 1^st and 2^nd XIs were in cup action on Sunday afternoon. Both teams made it through against Accrington but the manner of the two victories could hardly have been more contrasting.

Hashum Malik’s 1^st team made the journey to Accy’s Property Shop Arena and asked their hosts to bat first in pretty wet conditions. Norden’s senior seam bowler, Chris Humphreys, was able to take full advantage of the moisture in the pitch and he ripped through the home side’s top order, taking 3 early wickets including that of professional Lasith Lakshan caught at slip for a duck. Teeno Saeed was the man to take over as destroyer-in-chief and he continued to impress this season. At one point he held the remarkable figures of 3 for 3 and went on to pick up a fourth wicket to finish with 1^st team best figures of 4 for 24 from his 8 overs. Accrington never got going at all and it took a 10^th wicket stand of 20 to take them up to 3 figures. Despite losing 2 early wickets in reply, a target of 101 was never going to be much of a challenge and an unbeaten partnership of 87 between Stephen Pimm and Ash Zaidi gave the Stags a comprehensive 8 wicket victory. Zaidi finishing on 59* and Pimm 24*.

Back at Stag Park, it was a much tougher day for Phil Docker’s men. They also chose to bowl first but were unable to find an early breakthrough. Openers Connor Tattersall and Tariq Hussain combined to put on 62 for the first wicket with Hussain taking advantage of the power play, hitting 5 sixes in his 44. Chris Hartley produced a fine yorker to remove Hussain and Norden were able to establish some control. Oli Holt was brought on and had an immediate impact with 2 quick wickets and at 83 for 4 at drinks it looked like a good opportunity to bowl Accrington out for under 150. Husnain Pervaiz and Sam Tattersall had other ideas, however, and Pervaiz launched into an aggressive counter attack. He contributed 44 in a partnership of 60 in just 8 overs before Holt trapped him in front. Rasheed followed 2 balls later and again Norden sensed the opportunity to restrict the visitors to a manageable total. When skipper Williams joined Tattersall, the latter began to open his shoulders after a cautious start and the wheels started to come off for the Stags in the field. Dropped catches and extras contributed to a pretty ragged display, albeit in pretty constant rain, and the runs were now flowing freely. Tattersall brought up an excellent half-century and Accrington were able to get up to an imposing total of 253 before being bowled out in the penultimate over. Holt finished with 4 for 41 and a mention should go to Hartley whose figures of 1 for 28 from 10 overs were by far the most economical of the day and could have been so much better had it not been for some poor catching.

Not many 2^nd team games are won chasing that kind of total but Docker and his team were not prepared to bow out of this competition at such an early stage without a fight. When Holt came in to replace Dean Lord with the score on 25, he looked to take on the bowling from the outset and his innings completely changed the momentum of the match. His 55 of just 40 balls meant that Norden were well up with the rate throughout and enabled Docker and his new partner, Spencer Allen, to accumulate steadily at the start of their partnership before becoming more aggressive. Allen showed great maturity and match awareness and Docker was exemplary in knowing when to be circumspect and when to attack. Both, though, were dismissed in relatively quick succession after adding 93 and there was still work to do but Tom Booth and Jack Harrison put any home nerves to bed and a memorable win was achieved with over 5 overs remaining.

1^st XI Scorecard https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/4545391

2^nd XI Scorecard https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/4545526

2^nd XI Highlights https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y87V1olffgY

In the second round Norden 1st XI will host Middleton, whilst Norden 2nd XI will make the journey to Colne. Both games are scheduled to be played on Saturday the 29th of May.
The full draw can be seen here : http://www.lancashireleague.com/Articles/16/16466.html

Norden sit pretty at the top of the Lancashire League First Division table after victory over Middleton on Sunday. It was a win that came despite a frustrating batting performance after winning the toss. Harvey Fitton and Josh Tolley found the boundary regularly early on with Fitton picking up where he left off from last week and looking in superb touch. With 50 reached inside 8 overs, it was a shock to see Fitton mistime an aggressive stroke and chip to mid-on. Middleton introduced their professional, James Price, and former Stag, Rehan Udwadia, into their attack and they picked up an early wicket apiece with Price dismissing Stephen Pimm and Udwadia claiming the big wicket of Tolley with the first ball of his spell. The bright start gave plenty of time for a re-build, however, and Ash Zaidi and Lee Crabtree gave themselves time to get in before Crabtree looked to push things on. Their stand of 57 had the home support again expecting a score of around 250 but after Crabtree fell to an excellent catch running back by wicket-keeper Shipley, the home side lost 3 further wickets for just 12 runs. It was Udwadia who did the damage, having left-handers Zaidi and Joe Humphreys both caught off the outside edge and Dom Humphreys bowled neck and crop. With sights re-adjusted to seeing out the overs, Greg Butterworth and Hashum Malik batted sensibly to take the total past 200 but the temptation to push for extra late runs proved too much and Norden were dismissed for 212 with 4 overs remaining. With both Price and Udwadia having finished their spells, visiting captain Dale Highton will have been relieved not to have needed to find a bowler to join him for those remaining overs.

In reply, Middleton made a solid if unspectacular start. Only 1 wicket fell in the first 20 overs but tight opening spells from Chris and Dom Humphreys, with the latter particularly impressive, had the required run rate creeping upwards. This was always likely to be problematic with the high-quality left arm spin of Zaidi and Butterworth able to combine for the vast majority of the remaining overs and so it proved. Zaidi pushed one through to clean up George Walker for a battling 31 and a frustrated Udwadia had a wild hack at Butterworth. Jones and Tierney both fell to the home professional and it was only when Price and Leighton Le Carpentier came together that Middleton briefly threatened to get close to their target. Their partnership of 58 ended with Price finding Zaidi on the long-off boundary off Butterworth and with him went any flickering hope of an unlikely run-chase. Zaidi completed his 5 for and Butterworth finished with 3 before Sami Waheed wrapped up the match and gave Norden the maximum 12 points. The Stags can be much better, and will need to be, but they are the team to chase going into next weekend’s league and cup double-header.

Scorecard https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/4549814

1st XI Highlights https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TAtjKTxYa0

Norden 2nds fell to an agonising first defeat of the season at Haslingden. An extremely strong Norden seam attack shared the wickets around in bowling out their hosts for 141 but the Stags fell just 8 runs short in reply. Three early wickets made the chase a tough one and some questionable umpiring decisions only added to the sense of frustration, but picking up 7 bonus points meant the loss was far from a disaster.  

Scorecard https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/4550284

The 3rds also suffered defeat with a strong Lowerhouse 4^th XI comfortably chasing their target of 146 with plenty of overs to spare. Steve Colmer top-scored with 36 for the Stags and Matt Findlow picked up 2 of the wickets to fall in the home team’s chase.

Scorecard https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/4789456

The inaugural game for the 4th team resulted in victory over Greenmount 4th XI in a friendly fixture. Some solid bowling performances from Golden, Hindley and Radlicffe, and 3 wickets from skipper Tommy Booth restricted Greenmount to 146 from their 40 overs. Norden cruised to victory in 28 overs with 45 from Spencer Allen and a quickfire 34* from Jimmy Drury

Scorecard https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/4895041

We have hinted in previous updates at further developments to enhance our outdoor experience. After successful trials we are proud and excited to unveil our new 180″ outdoor screen from which we can show live sports.

Tonight Manchester City play PSG and we thought this would be a great opportunity to show off this new technology and give our members an excuse to come down for a drink.

We have checked the weather forecast and it is dry but cold so wrap up well and come have a look.

All the usual Covid safety requirements will be in place for your safety so you will be able to sit down and have your drink brought to you as you enjoy the game.

You will be able to renew your membership/join when you arrive. We look forward to seeing you.

Run chases of over 200 are rarely straight forward in league cricket but a confident Norden side, anchored by a composed 78* from Harvey Fitton, cruised to their victory target of 209 against local rivals Rochdale on Sunday.

On an excellent Stag Park surface, Rochdale unsurprisingly elected to bat first and openers Maurice-Scott and Dawson made steady progress against the new ball. Skipper Malik turned to spin and Zaidi cleaned up Dawson in his second over just as the visitors were looking to hit the accelerator. Butterworth joined the home professional in the attack and Norden were able to control the run-rate through the middle overs. Maurice-Scott played superbly at one end, combining solid defence with some hard hitting down the ground, but he was unable to find a long-term partner as Butterworth mixed up his pace to great affect and took wickets regularly on his way to 5 for 35 from his 12 overs. Maurice-Scott reached his hundred from 133 balls but Rochdale failed to significantly up the pace and closed on 208 for 8, a total that felt a few runs light given the good batting conditions.

When Aaron Brown trapped Tolley bang in front and followed up by having Pimm smartly taken by skipper Roche behind the stumps, though, Rochdale had their tails up. However, Fitton timed the ball nicely from ball one and in partnership with Zaidi took the heat out of the game. Their partnership of 129 was a masterclass in working the ball into gaps and punishing the bad deliveries. The game wasn’t quite done and dusted when Zaidi chipped up a catch in the ring to depart for 62 but any hint of an opportunity Rochdale may have felt was quickly distinguished by Lee Crabtree who drove and swept his way to 37* from just 29 balls and Norden reached their target with 27 balls remaining.

1st XI scorecard : https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/4549807
1^st XI highlights:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pa6yhRPizrI

There were also weekend wins for both the 2^nd and 3^rd teams. Tom Booth chalked up a half century as the 2nds posted 166 for 7 from their 45 overs at Redbrook and Mo Munawar made sure that total was more than enough with the hugely impressive figures of 7 for 30.
2nd XI scorecard : https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/4550280

On Saturday it was Jack Harrison who stole the show for Simon Wystawnoha’s men with an unbeaten 122 as the 3rds defeated Rishton’s 4^th XI by 44 runs.
3rd XI scorecard : https://norden.play-cricket.com/website/results/4789452

Norden got their 2021 J.W. Lees Lancashire League campaign underway with an excellent away win against many people’s favourites for the title, Lowerhouse, on Sunday. After choosing to bat first, Norden openers Josh Tolley and Harvey Fitton put on 50 for the 1^st wicket before Fitton was caught behind. The arrival of Stephen Pimm didn’t halt the progress, though, as he and Tolley combined for another half-century stand. When Pimm was trapped in front by home professional Stephen Parry it brought Norden’s new paid man, Ash Zaidi, to the crease and he proceeded to dominate the match from thereon in. Even though Tolley fell not long after bringing up his 50, a run-a-ball 68 from Zaidi and a useful cameo from Greg Butterworth meant Norden finished their allocated 50 overs on a very competitive looking 222 for 4.

After the break the Lowerhouse innings got off to a similar start and it needed the introduction of Zaidi to bring about the breakthrough, having Heap caught and bowled for 30. Wickets fell at pretty regular intervals after that with Butterworth picking up three and Waheed and Saeed one a piece. It was Zaidi who did the bulk of the damage, though, capping a fine individual performance with the outstanding figures of 5 for 29 from 13.3 overs of slow left arm spin. Norden went away with the maximum 12 points in the bag and the perfect start to the new season.
Scorecard

Norden 2^nd XI also turned in a fine performance to take a 10 point victory from their home game against the same opposition. Chris Hartley marked his return to the club with 5 for 41 in helping limit the visitors to 182 for 9 off their 45 overs and skipper Phil Docker top-scored with the bat, making 49. It was the experienced heads of Greg Tattersall and Dean Lord who got their side over the line in the run chase, combining for an unbroken 6^th wicket stand of 69.
Scorecard

SPECTATORS

1. Under Step 2 of the government roadmap, ‘spectators’ are not permitted to attend recreational sport until earliest May 17th
2. Any ‘Spectators’ found will be asked to leave, and the request logged by the club
3. A parent, suitable adult or carer may attend to supervise an U18 player/player with a disability. They may attend for hospitality where available, subject to following the club’s guidance

HOSPITALITY

1. Patrons fall into the category of being a customer accessing hospitality at the cricket club
2. As part of step 2 of the current Government and ECB guidance, clubs are permitted to welcome customers who are accessing hospitality – this includes during the time that cricket is taking place. These customers must be seated at a table in areas identified within the club’s risk assessment, and must adhere to legislation and guidance as identified by the Government and ECB (groups of 6 people or 2 households etc…)
3. Hospitality can be provided, for those seated at a table, in areas that the clubs risk assessment has identified as designated areas for hospitality

Norden Cricket Club is very pleased to announce that in accordance with government guidelines we will be opening our new outside area on Monday 12th April.

This is a very welcome milestone in the start of the road to normality and we are really excited to see our members once again. Please be assured we take our responsibility to comply with guidelines seriously, for your safety, and to ensure success of the government roadmap to normality.

With this in mind, please note the rule of six applies, (Maximum two households), you will be need to be a member and complete track and trace on arrival. Once seated you must remain so and our super bar staff will be on hand to serve you at your seat. We are unable to offer a booking system so it will be on a first come first served basis, don’t worry though we have created an impressive facility in what has to be Norden’s best beer garden.

It doesn’t end there though, more exciting developments will be revealed soon to further enhance your outdoor experience.

Opening Times:

Mon-Fri: 5pm-10pm*
Sat-Sun: 12pm-10pm*
*may be changed subject to weather

You will be able to renew your membership/join when you arrive. We look forward to seeing you.

Norden CC are delighted to announce their latest off-field development. All home games during the 2021 season will be streamed live on our own You Tube channel.

The club have invested in a multi fixed camera system that will provide both excellent live viewing and the ability to show highlight packages of the game and even a player’s season.

To follow the games live you will need to subscribe to the clubs You Tube channel.

The cameras have up to 2560 x 1440 @30fps resolution with 32 x optical zoom and will provide a crystal clear picture. We are mounting one camera at either end of the ground, meaning the camera will always be face on to the batsmen. The club would like to say a huge thanks to club sponsors T&M (https://www.testandmaintenance.com/) for their assistance in purchasing the cameras.

The new high powered laptop, which was kindly donated by club members Brian Cutler and Dave Quinn, will power the ECB’s Play Cricket Pro Scorer system which is the same used at County cricket level. The system enables a whole range of statistics like wagon wheels, pitch maps, type of shot played, manhattans etc…

The system is being installed by Cheshire based company Blue Skies Technology and will be tested during the upcoming home friendly versus Heywood on the 10^th of April and then in to action for every 1^st, 2^nd and 3^rd XI home fixture. The system will link up to clubs TV system and will allow action replays of wickets, boundaries etc…