Cricket: Norden pick up five points against Crompton

A good team performance resulted in Norden picking up five points from their JW Lees Pennine League Premiership match at Crompton on Saturday.

Norden lost the toss and were asked to bat first, a decision that looked as though it would pay off for Crompton as Norden lost three key wickets for only 46.

Josh Tolley was trapped leg before by Adam Good for 16, Dom Humphreys looked to be the victim of a harsh decision when given leg before to Good, and Ash Gowers tickled a delivery from Aqib Zulfiqar to be caught behind.

Rehan Udwadia and Harvey Fitton then built the foundations for a decent score, and slowly but surely they took the total up to 110 before the former offered a return catch to Akbar Rehman. The opener had scored 46 off 96 deliveries.

Ten runs later Greg Butterworth was bowled by Harry Dean, then Steve Pimm popped up a simple catch to make it 127 for six.

Enter Simon North who hit the only six of the innings on his way to a bright 34 off 33 balls.
He lost the help of Fitton who was out for 35, but Jason Collin then gave North as much of the strike as possible.

When North was caught by Simon Wright the total had gone up to 174, and four more runs were added before the overs ran out.

Udwadia, Fitton and North had set Crompton a target, but had Stags scored enough?

That question was partly answered second ball in to the reply when the stumps were clipped and top bat Denis Louis departed.

With 11 on the board John Punchard went for runs off Chris Humphreys who picked up his second wicket as Steve Pimm took the catch.

Sam Rigby and Aqbar Rehman then featured in a good partnership which was never spectacular but kept the board ticking over up to 64 before Rigby overbalanced when attacking a delivery from Hashum Malik and was stumped by Gowers.

Simon Wright was next to go, bowled by Malik, and Stephen Wright was caught behind off Greg Butterworth just after the total had passed 100.

It was obvious that Crompton hopes now lay with professional Rehman, especially when Zulfiqar was out to a brilliant slips catch by Tolley,

Kain Dean was caught by Chris Humphreys, and with the score on 132 Rehman was given caught behind off Butterworth. The batsman didn’t like it, but the umpires said he had to go.

That was almost it, and Malik mopped up the last two wickets to finish with figures of six for 42.

At the start of the Crompton innings, dad Chris Humphreys had been partnered by lad Dominic Humphreys in the Norden attack. Dominic showed pace without getting a touch of luck and had figures of 7-3-9-0.

Norden

J Tolley lbw Good 16
R Udwadia c and b Rehman 46
D Humphreys lbw Good 4
A Gowers c K Dean b Zulfiqar 7
H Fitton c Si Wright b Zulfiqar 35
G Butterworth b H Dean 2
S Pimm c Good b H Dean 2
S North c S Rigby b Zulfiqar 34
J Collin not out 6
H Malik not out 2
Extras 24
Total (for 8 wickets) 178
Bowling: Good 14-1-54-2; Zulfiqar 12-1-35-3; Si Wright 8.1-0-31-0; Rehman 11-3-37-1; H Dean 5-0-15-2.

Crompton

D Louis b C Humphreys 0
J Punchard c Pimm b C Humphreys 4
S Rigby st Gowers b Malik 35
A Rehman c Gowers b Butterworth 68
Si Wright b Malik 5
St Wright c Gowers b Butterworth 8
A Zulfiqar c Tolley b Malik 5
K Dean c C Humphreys b Malik 2
A Good not out 4
H Dean b Malik 3
J Parker b Malik 0
Extras 10
Total 144
Bowling: C Humphreys 10-3-21-2; D Humphreys 7-3-9-0; Butterworth 12.1-1-52-2; Udwadia 4-1-18-0; Malik 14-2-42-6.