Barnard Castle CC
IT was a perfect day for cricket. And it was adorned by a perfect match with a perfect innings. At 6.27pm on Sunday, facing the last ball of 80 compelling overs, Rob West swished a four through slips to lead Barney to victory against Richmond in the second round of the National Cup.
Such an outcome had barely seemed feasible only 40 minutes earlier when Barney found themselves at 140-7, needing another 80 to win from ten overs. The sun shone throughout, the heat was tempered by a gentle breeze, the pitch was splendid, the ground was full – the sort of day for which all present had longed.
Richmond, winners of the National Cup only three years ago and, of course, Barney’s oldest rivals, had not quite controlled proceedings throughout but they mostly had the edge. Their total of 219-9 from 40 overs was not impregnable but it was imposing.
Barney’s game attempt seemed to have failed when West, playing against his former club, joined Richard Watson at the crease. There was little time left for hanging around. Four batsmen had already reached double figures, all had got out when set.
Had Samarth Seth stayed at the crease for another half hour it might have been an early finish but having taken 12 off an over he was caught on the boundary trying to make it 18.
Captain James Quinn, having played a few high-class shots and preparing for more, feathered one to the keeper.
It was Watson and West or bust. They surveyed the scene for a couple of overs and then recognised there was simply not a ball to waste.
They took ten runs from the 33rd over and 18 from the 34th, both hitting two fours. Barney were back in it, but only just.
The pair knew they had to ally risk with caution. There were too few wickets left to play with. They took 21 runs from the next four overs, running furiously and West finding the boundary, usually with powerful striking through the leg side, when it was most needed. Twice West was dropped on the boundary as nerves frayed.
The penultimate over turned the tie Barney’s way. From its first two balls West struck towering sixes. Fifteen came from it, five were wanted from the final over, West had the bowling.
He failed to score from the first two balls but managed two runs off both the next two. The scores were level and having checked with the umpires what would be the outcome if it stayed that way – Barney would have won for losing fewer wickets – he finished it with a flourish and a memorable unbeaten 57 from 33 balls.
Richmond had come out slugging after being asked to bat, as is their chosen method in most matches. Anything a shade loose – and there was not much – was seized on. By the eighth over they had reached 50.
Such an approach can cost wickets, however, and at 92-4 Richmond were heavily dependent on their long-serving professional, Gary Pratt.
He played a flawless innings and found a sound ally in Sam Wood as they put on 83 for the fourth wicket.
Barney bowled largely with discipline on a surface from which it was hard to extract reward. They took enough wickets to slow progress and the dismissal of Pratt for 80 with the best part of three overs left was, in retrospect, crucial.
It was a great match played in a wonderful spirit by two young teams at the top of their game.
Richmond
R Carr c Bousfield b Carver 29, T Dowson c Clarkson b Dixon 9, M Layfield c&b Dixon 16, G Pratt c Dixon b Quinn 80, A Mandal c Quinn b West 8, S Wood lbw Carver 29, M Price b Carver 2, O Kelly b Bousfield 18, J Dowson st Merryweather b Quinn 8, C Marshall not out 2, S Charlton not out 1, Extras 17, Total (40) overs 219 for 9
Bowling: J Bousfield 8-1-30-1, R Dixon 8-0-64-2, R West 8-0-42-1, K Carver 8-1-31-3, F Usher 4-0-30-0, J Quinn 4-0-22-2
Barney
J Clarkson c Layfield b J Dowson 18, O Peddelty lbw Dowson 0, J Quinn c T Dowson b Mancal 29, S Seth c Carr b Marshall 51, K Carver lbw Wood 21, F Usher c T Dowson b Kelly 4, J Bousfield c Carr b Kelly 3, R Watson not out 25, R West not out 57, Extras 15, Total (40 overs) 223 for 7
Bowling: C Marshall 8-0-45-1, J Dowson 8-1-50-2, A Mandal 8-1-27-1, S Charlton 2-0-18-0, S Wood 8-0-35-1, O Kelly 6-0-42-2
Barney won by three wickets
Great Ayton v Barney
A comprehensive win by 135 runs against Great Ayton ensured Barney stayed in second place in the NYSD Premier Division. They scored far too many runs for a side who are bottom of the table to compete and took wickets almost at will.
There was a series of bright batting performances from the Barney order but Karl Carver’s increasingly impressive 89 was the pick of the bunch. He hit five fours and two sixes in an innings spanning 88 balls.
The fifth wicket partnership with Finn Usher was worth 99 and extracted any sting that Ayton might have possessed. The reply was fitful at best and too many batsmen failed to tailor their shot to the ball. Barney reaped the dividend, took some superb catches as they tend to do most days and Richard Watson’s four wickets took his tally to ten in three first XI matches. He bowled with great canniness but may have harder days at the office.
Barney
J Clarkson c Grainge b Masakadza 0, O Peddelty c Holdsworth b Masakadza 13, J Quinn c&b Leng 34, S Seth c Batchelor b Leng 44, K Carver c Pennock b Mulholland 89, F Usher c Masakadza b Leng 36, J Bousfield c Holdsworth b Philpott 1, R West not out 16, R Watson not out 1, Extras 25, Total (50 overs) 259 for 7
Bowling: W Masakadza 11-2-55-2, D Mulholland 14-0-82-1, T Leng 15-2-55-3, R Jackman 5-0-28-0, M Philpott 5-0-37-1
Ayton
C Batchelor c Usher b Dixon 9, J Grainge c Carver b Bousfield 6, P Holdsworth c Bousfield b Watson 32, L Parry c Dixon b Usher 15, S Pennock c Clarkson b Watson 11, W Masakadza c Quinn b Carver 21, D Mulholland c Merryweather b Carver 11, J Chisholm b Bousfield 1, T Leng lbw Watson 9, M Philpot not out 2, R Jackman c Bousfield b Watson 0, Extras 7, Total (41 overs) 124
Bowling: J Bousfield 9-1-37-2, R Dixon 6-2-10-1, K Carver 11-2-31-2, F Usher 8-1-21-1, R Watson 7-1-23-4
Barney won by 135 runs
Barney II v Marton II
Barney maintained their unexpected push for promotion from Division Two with an equally unexpected win against leaders Marton.
Peter Stanwix produced his career best bowling performance with an accurate spell of 11 overs after Tom Merryweather took two early wickets. Faced with a target they might have assumed would be much higher, a second wicket partnership of 94 between Aidan Wiltshire and Ben Usher broke its back.
Marton 119 all out (37.4 overs, L Middlemiss 36, P Stanwix 6-39, T Merryweather 2-26, C McKnight 2-33). Barney 120-3 (31.1 overs, B Usher 48, A Wiltshire 40).
Barney won by 7 wickets
Blackhall III v Barney III
A splendid win by a young Barney side completed a lovely weekend for Barney.
Player of the match was Theo Truss who followed a swashbuckling half century at a run a ball with four wickets. Veteran Gary Waller, lending the side a modicum of experience, removed stubborn opener Gary Lavery just as it seemed he may take Blackhall to victory.
Barney 118 all out (27.4 overs, T Truss 53, J Lucas 18, J Joyce 6-27). Blackhall 94 all out (34.2 overs, G Lavery 40, J Sullivan 18, T Truss 4-32, G Waller 3-23, D Watson 2-11) Barney won by 24 runs
