Northumberland Leagues

Sep 7 2009 The Journal

AS expected, Swalwell duly retained the championship of the Wellstream NTSL, and they did it with a match to spare and their 16th victory of the season. But Percy Main pushed them all the way before conceding defeat by 37 runs as the all-round power of the champions eventually told.

Lloyd Anderson was once again in breathtaking form with the bat, cracking five sixes and eight fours in a belligerent 82. Opening partner Richard Hawthorne was somewhat more sedate in his measured 72, but the overall effect was that Swalwell held all the aces from the very start. Mayank Agarwal (3-44) in the end applied the brakes to some degree and kept the score manageable at 218-7.

With Malcolm Clarke (52) providing a solid base, and Dave Tweed (56no) following up well Main were a threat, but three more wickets for Nicky Phillips kept the lid on things as the hosts closed on 181-8.

While the Swalwell match went the full 100 overs, there were much briefer affairs at Shotley Bridge and Sacriston, where the home sides raged through their opponents in no time at all.

Bridge remained in second spot as Morpeth were sent packing by eight wickets in a match that lasted just under 40 overs in total. Only one Morpeth batsman made it to double figures as Stuart Graham (5-24) and Graeme Angus (3-23) bowled them out for 52. Jack Palmer (2-13) then struck back, but with nothing to play with he had no chance of affecting the result.

Martin Hubber (5-14) and Melvyn Betts (3-29) had Tynedale back in the hutch for a paltry 60, and then Tony Claughan bagged himself a rapid half-century as Sacriston raced to a 10-wicket win.

Dave Newstead scored a century for Annfield Plain before Saquib Khan’s six-wicket haul dismantled Benwell & Walbottle for 53 to leave them 226 runs short of the Plainsmen’s total.