2nd XI - Ryton end Morpeth unbeaten run
 

Morpeth’s second string suffered an unexpected defeat to end their unbeaten start to the season to a side that had only won one previous game in 15 months. To compound matters further they were up against a Ryton outfit who could only muster 8 players for the tie, and the game was marred by a series of interventions by the umpire over the on-field conduct of the Ryton ‘village idiot’. Morpeth were put into bat by the home side, who had prepared a pitch which would often be referred to as a ‘pudding’, however in this instance the comparison would serve a great injustice to spotted dicks and banoffee pies everywhere.

Morpeth started their innings solidly enough, with Jimmy Ingram opening up with Jack Clark, following a midweek 50 for the C team. Ingram started where he had left off and played some delicious shots through the off-side, although both batsman were struggling with the variable pace and bounce of the wicket. The opening partnership was broken when Ingram departed for a blustery 25, allowing Jonny Wailes to come in at number 3 to join Clark. The pair were looking to build on the opening stand, and batted with good discipline against some dibbly-dobbly bowling. Just as the pair looked like they might be able to push on, Wailes got a thin snick playing a cut shot and began what would be a procession of wickets to fall throughout the innings.

Paul Wonders hit a huge maximum out of the ground, but departed disappointingly playing across the line. Stephen Quince joined Clark at the crease but Ryton attempted to suffocate the game by bowling continually down the leg-side, with the umpire seemingly refusing to call the ball wide. After an entire over bowled outside the leg stump, Clark was eventually dismissed, as he eventually walked around one which clipped leg stump. This proved to be the last of the genuine resistance with the side collapsing from 103-3 to 138 all out. Quince offered the only slight resistance, working hard to get into his 20’s before being clean bowled. Of the Ryton bowlers the main damage was done by Mackay who left with figures of 5-30.

Needing only 7 wickets to secure victory on a horror of a pitch, Morpeth still remained confident that they would be able to dismiss the opposition in order to claim their fourth victory of the season. The early wickets they were looking for failed to come, as Maxted and Wright both struggled to force genuine chances out of the opening pair. Mackay, having run through Morpeth with the ball set about winning the game by himself, and batted sensibly, but with great authority to put his side into a strong position in the opening exchanges.

Bowling changes were made as the home side got to 50 without loss but Dhugga and Clark were unable to make serious inroads as Ryton continued to ease towards their total. Eventually the opening stand was broken as Dhugga picked up another wicket for his season’s tally, but as the victory target came closer the home side took a number of calculated risks and boundaries started to flow. Eventually Jonny Wailes came into the attack and picked up a couple of late wickets, including a very sharp edge taken by Clark at gully, but it was all a little too much too late. Ryton got to 141-3 and took maximum points from the fixture. The behaviour of the opposition throughout the match, accompanied by the standard of the wicket added to the frustration of the afternoon, but in reality only disguised the fact it was a substandard performance with both bat and ball for the Morpeth boys.
 

Man of the match: Jack Clark

Match Report: Tom Wright

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