1st XI - Morpeth Sink Champions at Well
 

Morpeth CC travelled to Swalwell on Saturday, the home of the current Northumberland and Tyneside Division A1 league champions. Swalwell had started the season unbeaten in their first 3 matches.

Morpeth went into the game welcoming back Darren Leason to the side to open the batting; however they had lost their two opening bowlers, Mark Turnbull to work commitments, and Jack Palmers wife was giving birth. Skipper Chris Reagan lost the toss and Morpeth were asked to bowl on what seemed to be a hard track, albeit in blustery conditions.

Michael Craigs took the new ball and grasped his opportunity with both hands, getting Morpeth off to the best possible start,. He bowled with pace and bounce from the outset and picked up opening batsman Hawthorn for 0 with the third ball of the day, courtesy of a sharp diving catch by D Harbottle at mid wicket. Craigs then followed this up in his second over by removing Lloyd Anderson, LBW with a quick in-swinging delivery which trapped the batsman in front for 2. Craigs wasn’t finished here and he removed Dummaghan for 3 caught behind by Maxted as well.

This remarkable spell of quick bowling left the league champions reeling on 14 for 3 in the 5th over. Craigs then finished off this great start by collecting the wicket of I Pattinson for 12, again smartly caught behind by Maxted as he edged a wide swinging delivery through to the keeper. This inspired piece of new ball bowling from Craigs had ripped through the top order leaving Swalwell 22 for 4.

Matt Hall and skipper Reagan bowled into the strong wind with little joy, and S Pattinson and N Philips managed to tick the score board along punishing anything short, driving well down the ground and through cover. A partnership of 42 pushed the Swalwell score to 64 for 4. Chris Horner replaced Craigs and bowled some fantastic areas, with real pace, before getting his reward when S Pattinson edged behind to Maxted. Morpeth were in with a real shout of bowling out the champions cheaply, however this was halted by a rain break.

Following the rain break, Horner picked up his second wicket having Philips caught, very well, by Reynolds diving forward at short cover. Morpeth now felt they were through the recognised batsmen with Swalwell at 75 for 6. Reynolds, bowling into the wind, managed to pick up the first of his four wickets when he had Davies trapped leg before and then clean bowled Clarke for 8. Reynolds picked up the remaining two wickets cheaply, finishing with excellent figures of 4 wickets for 25 runs.

Swalwell were all out for 95 inside 28 overs with M Craigs finishing with 4 wickets for 20 runs and Chris Horner bowling very well finishing with 2 wickets for 11 runs off 8 overs.

At the half way stage Morpeth were very much the favourites to chase down the small total. However, the Morpeth batsmen were very much aware that this would not be an easy run chase, with Swalwell unbeaten in the league since 2007. Undoubtedly they would throw everything they had at the Morpeth batsmen.

This indeed was the case, with Reynolds being adjudged LBW in the first over off the bowling of I Pattinson, leaving Morpeth 1 for 1 and with all the work to do. Jonny Craigs joined Leason at the crease and was very watchful whilst Leason punished anything short and off line, from both the opening bowlers, moving onto a swift 21. However, he was caught behind off Pattinson leaving Morpeth on 32 for 2. Matty Hall came in at number 4 and was smartly stumped by Anderson off Pattinson for only 4 leaving Morpeth 38 for 3, chasing 96, and very much in a battle.

Skipper Reagan came to the crease and seemed at ease against the spinner Philips, driving him well down the ground and looked to be settling well as he pushed the score above 40. Reagan then chipped a straight forward catch back to the bowler Philips and Swalwell really believed they could get out of jail, with Morpeth on 48 for 5. This brought wicket keeper Maxted to the crease to join Jonny Craigs who had worked hard on a difficult surface against some very good bowling. Maxted struggled early on against the spin of Philips, but fared better in a game changing over bowled by Pattinson. With Maxted facing, the wicket keeper Anderson came up to the stumps, but Pattinson strayed off line for the first time in the match with his first two balls, both went down the leg side for 4 byes. Maxted then thumped the third ball back past the bowler and the fourth over mid wicket for consecutive fours, meaning 16 runs had been scored off four balls. Unfortunately Maxted fell off the last ball of the over, LBW, with the game very much in the balance needing 34 runs and 5 wickets remaining.

Jonny Craigs fell in the next over after a watchful innings to a top edge off the bowling of Philips and M Craigs came and went very quickly, being unfortunately caught off his bat by the keeper. Morpeth were struggling now, requiring 28 with only 3 wickets in hand. David Harbottle and Andrew Poxton were fresh at the crease, Poxton having scored a century last week in the second XI. He continued where he left off, hitting Pattinson through the covers for consecutive 4’s reducing the required runs to only 20.

The two batsmen worked the ball around well, pushing ones and twos, until Harbottle was caught in front LBW off the bowling of R Hawthorn. At this stage only 9 runs were required and either side could go on and win it. C Horner came next batting at number 10, and after Poxton had worked the ball around well for a few more singles, Horner hit the winning runs over mid on, giving Morpeth a win that could turn out to be very important later in the season. The side now has the belief that they can go on and challenge for honours. Poxton finished on 15 not out in a good knock, after Leason and Craigs contributed very important twenties. The Swalwell bowlers threw everything they had at the Morpeth batsmen, with Philips taking 3 for 20 and Pattinson 4 for 37.

It took Morpeth 30 over’s of hard graft but the victory has opened up the league table and puts Morpeth in third place above defending champions Swalwell with it all to play for after 4 games.
 

Man of the match: Michael Craigs

Match Report: Ben Maxted

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