North fall just short in run chase
Jul 23 2008 The Journal
NORTHUMBERLAND were asked to chase a target of more than 400 in order to win their first Minor Counties Championship match this season, but failed by just 13 runs – instead drawing the game.
The morning session was rather slow with Suffolk – desperate not to lose – occupying the crease as Justin Bishop hit 70.
When Northumberland did get in, though, a brutal innings from Allan Worthy – who had to have Jonny Wightman as a runner due to a hamstring injury – saw him race to 121 off 93 balls.
He was first to go with the score on 182 skying to long-off. Iain Pattison quickly followed, also caught at long-off going for a big hit.
And with tea approaching, Bradley Parker lofted a ball from Ben France to deep point where Nick Lee took a good catch, leaving Northumberland on 217-3 off 33 overs.
After tea France, bowling from the Cemetery end, uprooted Graeme Bridge’s leg stump as he sought to pull the ball.
Symington made 25 before he was yorked by Smith and a draw looked likely. However, Paul Muchall and David Myers pressed on before a tired Muchall was caught in the deep for 130, which included nine fours.
Myers continued to be aggressive, hitting five fours, but he lost David Rutherford, again to Smith, when he holed out in the deep and was well caught by France. For most of this last session, Suffolk had nine fielders in the deep and the boundaries were very hard to come by.
In the end, Northumberland failed to get the target of 421 off 64 overs but Bill Graham said: “Although it was a disappointing result, it was a great advert for cricket with almost 1,300 runs being scored in the match. Suffolk wanted the points from a draw to stay top and this they managed to do, but another few overs from Worthy and it might well have different.”
Overnight: Suffolk 265-7
SUFFOLK SECOND INNINGS continued: C Swallow c Nicholson b Wightman 39, J Bishop c Nicholson b Muchall 70, M Smith c Nicholson b Stewart 4, A McGarry not out 0. Extras 33.
Total: 379
Fall: 8-347, 9-379.
Bowling: J Wightman 19-0-125-3, G Stewart 11-1-41-1, D Rutherford 22-7-53-2, M Symington 20-6-53-1, P Muchall 6.1-0-44-2, G Bridge 22-5-48-1, I Pattison 2-0-2-0.
NORTHUMBERLAND SECOND INNINGS: A Worthy c Smith b McGarry 121, P Muchall c Bishop b Smith 130, I Pattison c Huggins b France 12, B Parker c Lee b France 11, G Bridge b France 8, M Symington b Smith 25, D Myers not out 49, D Rutherford c France b Smith 13, P Nicholson not out 4. Extras 35. Total (7 wickets) 408.
Fall: 1-182, 2-200, 3-217, 4-232, 5-299, 6-384, 7-404.
Bowling: M Smith 17-0-112-3, J Bishop 16-1-91-0, C Swallow 6-0-46-0, A McGarry 12-0-84-1, B France 13-1-57-3.
