Norden retain the Wood Cup

Photo: Steven J. Clegg

Norden Cricket Club winners of the Wood Cup

Just over a week ago the Wood Cup was taken away from Norden so it could be presented to the winners of this year’s final.

Just before 8.00pm on Sunday night it was on its way back to Stag Park following Norden’s victory over Royton at Walsden CC.

The competition is now known as the JW Lees Bitter Wood Cup, and it proved a bitter day for Royton who have now been finalists 11 times and never won the trophy.

At the halfway stage of Sunday’s match they looked to have done the hard work, having bowled Norden out for 158, but the reply never really got going and Royton were all out for 114.

Carl Taylor had put down his credentials by taking five for 28, but the man of the match award went to Norden’s Dan Buckley who featured in a vital partnership with Greg Tattersall.
Norden were in all sorts of trouble at 70 for five, with the conditions favouring bowlers, but Buckley scored 45 off 78 deliveries.

As for Tattersall, it was one of the most important knocks of his career. In just over an hour at the crease he managed only 10 runs, but he stayed there with Buckley long enough to sew a few seeds of doubt in Royton minds.

The majority of spectators plumped for a Royton win, but as in many games this season Norden held their nerve and chipped away at the batting line-up.

Martin Smith blew away most of the top order, and Daniel Salpietro also took three wickets. But perhaps best with the ball was Hashum Malik whose 10 overs cost only a containing 17 runs, and he picked up a wicket in the bargain.

It could not be said to have been one of Stags best performances of the season, but it was a true team performance.

Salpietro and Harman put on 37 for the first wicket, but the former was dropped at cover and Harman was put down in the slips.

Royton gained their breakthrough when the Norden professional was caught in the slips by Aqib Zulfiqar, and Ash Gowers was out leg before in the same over from Sam Fielding.

The ball was doing all sorts of things beneath overcast skies, and Harman was next to go, trapped leg before to Taylor bowling from the Rigg’s end.

Five runs later Simon North presented Alan Durose with a catch, then Steve Pimm was out to a brilliant low catch by James Maurice-Scott.

The innings was in tatters, but the stand between Buckley and Tattersall changed the face of the game.

It wasn’t all nudge and nurdle, as Buckley played some very good shots and found the boundary seven times.

The duo had put on 60 when Tattersall tried to hook Geeth Alwiss, top edged and was caught close behind the wicket by Zulfiqar.

The innings then petered out as Taylor and Alwiss ran through the ranks, but the tail-enders added another 18 runs to help Stags set a decent target to bowl at.

Royton hopes were still high, and they must have thought it was going to be their day when the first of four dropped catches went down with only one run on the board.

With three scored Zulfiqar edged Smith and was caught behind by Gowers.

Tony Walsh settled in well along with Alwiss and they looked set for a big partnership despite Alwiss needing onfield treatment for a hand injury caused by a rising delivery from Chris Hartley.

The score went up to 26 then Smith cartwheeled Alwiss’ off stump, and eight runs later he had Durose caught by Buckley.

Royton still had plenty of batting in the shed, but what followed showed there was no one to come up with a match-winning performance.

Tony Walsh made it to 27 before he hit straight to be caught by Dean Lord, Maurice-Scott was caught behind despite his protests that ball had hit pad and not bat, and Liam Brown steered a Simon North delivery straight to Steve Pimm at point.

Denny Hulme lifted Royton spirits again with the only six of the day which was quickly followed by a four.

Unfortunately for him it was quickly followed by the cries of anguish as Salpietro hit the sticks.

Fielding was out to a low diving forward catch by Hashum Malik, Good was caught behind, and the last Wood Cup final under the auspices of the Central Lancashire League came to an end when Taylor was run out.

Norden
S Harman lbw Taylor 24
D Salpietro c Zulfiqar b Fielding 12
A Gowers lbw Fielding 0
S North c Durose b Smith 12
S Pimm c Maurice-Scott b Taylor 3
D Buckley c Maurice-Scott b Taylor 45
G Tattersall c Zulfiqar b Alwiss 10
M Smith c Hulme b Alwiss 8
H Malik lbw Taylor 0
D Lord lbw Taylor 4
C Hartley not out 4
Extras 36
Total 158
Bowling: Good 7-2-20-0; Fielding 8-3-27-2; Taylor 9.5-0-28-5; Smith 8-1-33-1; Alwiss 9-1-18-2; Durose 3-0-23-0.

Royton
T Walsh c Lord b North 27
A Zulfiqar c Gowers b Smith 1
G Alwiss b Smith 6
A Durose c D Buckley b Smith 8
L Brown c Pimm b North 12
J Maurice-Scott c Gowers b Malik 0
D Hulme b Salpietro 19
S Fielding c Malik b Salpietro 14
M Smith not out 8
A Good c Gowers b Salpietro 5
C Taylor run out 1
Extras 13
Total 114
Bowling: Smith 9-2-26-3; Hartley 7-2-21-0; Malik 10-3-17-1; North 9-2-23-2; Salpietro 7.4-0-22-3