2nd XI - Max-imum Points

It was another successful day for Morpeth seconds on Saturday as they made light work of wrapping up another win and with it 20 points to aid their promotion push. Following heavy overnight rain and persistent showers in the morning, the game did look in doubt. However, with all of the team mucking in the Longhirst covers were soon cleared of water and removed from the pitch as the sun broke through. The pitch looked an absolute classic, hard and fast, with just enough in it for the bowlers. The Ryton skipper, Stevens, won the toss and had no hesitation in batting.

Stevens strode out to start the innings with Nattrass, while Morpeth turned to Tom Wright and Nick Rose to open the bowling. Following a couple of tidy overs to start the break through came, with Wright bowling Stevens for nought with one that was just too quick for the batsman. One quickly became two, as Nattrass attempted an expansive cover drive but could only nick it through to Ali Clow behind the stumps, another victim for Wright. Harrison was joined by Eddy and the pair looked vulnerable but they were able to get the scoreboard ticking with some leg side shots.

A short barrage from Rose seemed to unsettle Harrison and in the next over he tamely chipped Wright to Max Goodings who was waiting at mid on. The batsman departing for 15 with the scoreboard reading 18 for 3. Howorth and Liddle offered very little resistance, the former bowled by Wright and the latter succumbing LBW to the same bowler to complete a quick fire five-fer for the bowler. Ryton were in disarray at 27 for 5, and things were not about to get much better.

Maxted swapped Rose for Harbottle, and the returning pace bowler was quickly back in to his stride bowling Bainbridge for 5 and Jacobs for zero. At the other end, Eddy was fighting a lone hand for the visitors and while never convincing was managing to accumulate some runs. In Henderson he at last found a partner, as the number 9 dug in and then began to play some well timed shots through the leg side. However, just as Ryton were managing to move the score past 50 they lost Henderson LBW to Harbottle and with in two balls Robson had departed, bowled by the same bowler, to a heave across the line. Ryton were facing a thrashing at 60 for 9.

The youngest member of the Ryton team came to the crease, and despite being only just taller than the stumps, outplayed many of his senior colleagues. Ellis timed the ball well and with Eddy managed to add another 25 runs to the total to drag the total up towards a hundred. However, Harbottle was not to be denied his five-fer and he removed Eddy with a short ball that the batsman managed to glove down on to his stumps, gone for his side’s highest score of 36. So Ryton had managed to set the Morpeth batsmen only 85 runs to win and the home side ate tea in the mindset that the game was a formality.

Max Goodings joined Stephen Cowell to open the batting. Ryton began with Bainbridge and Henderson, however their length was far too short, as the hard pitch tempted them in to thinking they were from the same bowling stock as Courtney Walsh and Curtley Ambrose! Goodings made full use of the bad balls, constantly peppering the off side boundary with cuts and back foot drives. The scoreboard was quickly ticking up, and after 10 overs Morpeth had amassed 38 for no loss.

Bainbridge’s last over of the day was severely dealt with by Goodings, as he smashed 3 boundaries to the cover fence to take the score over 50. At the other end Cowell was his usual placid self, accumulating the quick singles and looking for any opportunity to unleash his masterful cut shot.

Ryton’s last throw of the dice came with Eddy and Stevens being introduced to the attack, but Goodings was in no position to show mercy, as he neared his first half century of the season. With only 9 runs needed to win, the Morpeth opener required 3 runs for his fifty and duly obliged by hammering a cover drive for four to bring much applause from his team mates on the boundary. The next ball slipped past the keeper for four byes to leave the scores level and Goodings finished it in style by slog sweeping the next ball for four to the mid wicket boundary to finish unbeaten on 59.

Morpeth won by 10 wickets with over 21 overs to spare and collected the maximum points to cement their position in the top two of the table.

Man of the match: Tom Wright for a lively opening spell, which at one point read 5-10 off 9 overs, and finished up as 5-23.

Match Report: Chris Maxted
Return to Home Page