1st XI - Morpeth Crumble at Shotley Bridge
 

Morpeth succumbed to a third defeat in four with a disappointing display at Shotley Bridge. The game appeared unlikely to go ahead in the morning after torrential rain, however only half an hour was lost and a 45 over game was completed.
 
Reagan lost the toss and Morpeth were put into the field, on a green but even wicket that would offer a bit for both batter and bowler. Young seam hope Ben Jones deputised for Chris Horner with aplomb and shared the new ball with Jimmy Craigs. Both extracted movement and Jones in particular beat the bat several times, but Openers Brown and Collingwood, brother of local test hero Paul, were quick to latch on anything loose and got off to a good start. Despite the sideways movement off the seam, Shotley Bridge looked to be getting away when Collingwood gave Jones a deserved wicket, slashing to Elliott who took a handy catch falling to his left at point. Carlin came to the crease and continued to be positive.
 
With ten overs gone and the scoring rate above one a ball, Reagan’s off spin stemmed the flow, as did the impressive seam of the returning Jack ‘Snake Charmer’ Palmer. H the brakes slammed on Palmer made Brown play on and Shotley Bridge had to slowly rebuild. They plodded on for the best part of twenty overs, and began to up the ante, and the bowlers began to look ragged. Carlin was then dismissed for a well made 63, as Jones returned and Barry Hills took a sharp catch at mid-wicket. Morpeth found a new lease of life, and Reagan got a wicket his tight bowling more than merited, as Jackson skied to Palmer at mid-on. The lively Palmer then returned and the wickets continued to tumble as Heslop was caught easily by Wailes at Backward point and Reynolds took a comfortable catch in the deep to dismiss McCabe. Palmer finished a memorable comeback spell with his fourth wicket, J Collingwood. Danger man Hartslief was then ousted for 50, after some powerful blows down the ground, bowled by a Jimmy Craigs slower ball.

It was a fine spell of death bowling by Craigs, and he finished by bamboozling Stokoe, who was caught at cover by Wailes, as Shotley Bridge closed on 226-9, on what was becoming an increasingly even pitch.
 
The visitors had every right to be pleased with the efforts in the field, and a seemingly under par score had been set. But it was not a day to remember for the batsmen, Jonny Craigs the first to depart, caught behind sweeping veteran spinner Jackson for 2, and Reagan edged to slip without troubling the scorers after a devilish seaming delivery from pacy South African Hartslief. The reliable Reynolds was soon bowled by the Springbok for 9 and Maxted was stumped for 1 having been deceived by Jackson. As Wailes and Hills looked to dig their heels in, the former provided Jackson with another scalp, caught by Stokoe at point for 2.

Palmer came and went briefly after a suicidal run out, so Kemsley provided support for Wailes who was starting to look settled. Stokoe’s leg spin was starting to look expensive when Kemsley was coaxed out of the crease, also stumped by Archibold. Jimmy Craigs joined Wailes, who dispatched Stokoe for three sixes down the ground, in between rotating the strike with Craigs. Craigs pulled Collingwood’s medium pace to the square leg boundary a couple of times before being given out harshly caught behind to the wily trundler for 17.

Wailes continued to look assured until he too fell to Collingwood, yorked on 48. Then Jones was caught behind to give Archibold his fifth victim and Collingwood a third wicket, as Morpeth stumbled to 115 all out.
 
Morpeth will look to built on the positives in the field and hope the batsmen pick up their game for Saturday’s clash at Longhirst, with table topping Lintz a must-win game.
 

Jonny Wailes

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