Northumberland leagues review

Jul 21 2008 The Journal

AFTER a mopping up effort by the Ryton groundstaff, the club’s home Wellstream Northumberland and Tyneside League fixture with Benwell and Walbottle was one of the few in the North-East to get any decent amount of play. While the game was a draw, both sides gained a reasonable points tally.

Lee Collis (61 from 57 balls) and Richard Waddell (37 from 44 balls) gave relegation-threatened Benwell heart as they battled the bowling of Anil Ridee (4-28 from 15 overs) and Glynn Taylor (3-40 from 13 overs). Their 175 was challenging for the home side who were to receive only 22 overs in their response.

The limited time did not prevent Ryton having a crack at the target, led by Graham Rowell who hit 69 in 45 balls, a knock that included five fours and five sixes. Graeme Angus bowled unchanged from one end, picking up 4 for 64 – and this proved just enough as the reply closed on 156-6.

The effort to get the game on at Ryton was brought into focus by the fact all the other games in the division either failed to start or managed just a handful of overs.

In the only second division game to get any amount of play, Ponteland and Greenside had to settle for a share of the spoils.

Stuart Taylor (62no) was the saviour for the home side after the loss of four wickets had put his team on the back foot. Sharing a fifth-wicket stand of 90 with Andy Morgan (37), the pair completed a rescue act as Ponteland ended on 175-7.

The hosts did everything they could to prise out their visitors, but Greenside proved stubborn and with Kevin Penny (37) leading their resistance, they ended on 117-7.

Leaders Percy Main were the only other team to pick up an additional point as Dimitry Nihalraj (2-12) got out a couple of Cowgate batsmen in the limited time.

Despite four games being wiped out in the Three Counties Northumberland League, there are new leaders after Kirkley leapfrogged the rest when they beat Corbridge by five wickets.

David Newton (46) and Chris Darling (31) helped take Corbridge to 156-5, but half-centuries from Paul Howey and Stephen Atkinson gave Kirkley victory and top spot with the clash between the previous top two, Bedlington and Warkworth, being washed out.

Alnmouth had a nine-wicket win over Blyth. The visitors had David Dent (49no) and Andy Mitchell (40) to mainly thank for their 149-4 in a game of 30 overs a side. Mitchell’s knock included seven fours and Dent’s two fours and two sixes.

Alnmouth raced to victory at six an over, with Tom Vickers (77no) and Ian Pearson (45no) combining and sharing 10 sixes between them.

In Division One Blagdon Park won at Northern Social to give their promotion prospects a boost.

CHRIS WEST