Barnard Castle CC
THINGS were going badly for Barney on Saturday. Very badly. They were 109-8 against league leaders Marton, a situation caused by a combination of effective bowling and indifferent batting, and they did not look as if they were about to improve their position quickly.
The ninth wicket pair, Josh Bousfield and Phil Merryweather, both offered early chances and Marton appeared justifiably confident that they would be chasing a modest target. Then it changed. Bousfield, given a life, took charge of the innings and produced a scintillating series of strokes.
Barney added 79 for the last two wickets and the complexion of the match had completely changed.
Bousfield has looked out of sorts with the bat so far in this shortened season but once reprieved here he was assured and controlled.
His unbeaten 41 came from 53 balls and included five fours, sweetly struck to all corners, and a six.
Both Merryweather and Rob Dixon, the best last man in league cricket, were worthy foils.
The turnaround in fortunes galvanised Barney and they had the ideal start when Dixon won an lbw appeal against Lee Hodgson, the dangerous Marton pro.
Barney were on top now and never look like surrendering the advantage. What Bousfield and Dixon did with the bat they continued with the ball by ensuring the Marton innings never gathered momentum.
Left-arm spinner Karl Carver stifled the innings further and Richard Watson was brought on to mop up the tail which he did in double quick time with three wickets in 15 balls. This was of an entirely different piece from earlier in the match.
Barney yet again lost an early wicket and they simply could not put together a decent partnership after that. Every loose shot seemed to be punished and the arrival into that attack of teenage spinner Faizan Hussain offered another challenge. When captain James Quinn’s vigilant stay was ended that heralded the loss of three wickets for eight runs and possible disaster.
It was averted with aplomb. The comeback victory against the by 78 runs title favourites was the sort to recall fondly on long winter nights.
Barney
J Clarkson b Connolly 9, F Usher c Hussain b Wardell 17, J Quinn c Veazey b Lawrenson 33, J Alderson c Hodgson b Wardell 8, R Borrowdale c Wardell b Hussain 1, K Carver b Wardell 6, R Watson b Hussain 13, R West lbw Hussain 2, J Bousfield not out 41, P Merryweather lbw Hussain 9, R Dixon b Connolly 15, Extras 32, Total (49.3 overs) 188 all out
A Wardell 15-2-46-6, M Connolly 9.3-3-24-2, F Hussain 15-3-41-4, M Lawrenson 7-0-4-0, L Hodgson 3-0-17-0
Marton
M Hood c Borrowdale b Bousfield 13, L Hodgson lbw Dixon 4, L Kennedy lbw West 8, L Coates c Merryweather b Bousfield 23, T Miller run out 10, O Kelly b Watson 25, F Hussain c Watson b Carver 0, C Veazey c Dixon b Bousfield 0, A Wardell c Merryweather b Watson 6, M Lawrenson not out 0, M Connolly lbw Watson 0, Extras 21, Total (40.3 overs) 110 all out
J Bousfield 9-1-30-3, R Dixon 14-4-38-1, R West 4-0-18-1, K Carver 11-1-20-1, R Watson 2.3-1-1-3
Barney won by 78 runs
Kerridge Cup
Great Ayton v Barney
BARNEY completed a splendid weekend with an unexpectedly straightforward win in their defence of the Kerridge Cup.
Great Ayton are always tenacious opponents but Barney were on top for most of the first round match on Sunday after winning the toss.
Their bowlers restricted Ayton so well at the start that they had reached only 51-1 after half of their 40 overs. All of Josh Bousfield, Rob Dixon, Karl Carver and Rob West made the batsmen work hard for their runs.
There was an acceleration towards the end as Ayton, led by Doug Mulholland, attacked the spinners. But the spinners compensated by taking wickets.
Although 63 came from the final 10 overs Barney could well be satisfied with their efforts.
Barney did not quite have it all their own way afterwards. The loss of both openers by the seventh over meant they had to be restrained. When the big two of James Quinn and Richard Borrowdale both went in quick succession 89 runs were still needed.
James Alderson, recalled to the first team after two hundreds for the 2nd XI, and Karl Carver dug in and re-grouped.
Ticking along at three or so runs an over they were well in control when they decided to increase the pace.
Carver was out after a well-crafted stand of 83 in 17.2 overs but Barney won by five wickets with plenty in hand.
Great Ayton 152-9 (40 overs, P Holdsworth 55, D Mulholland 32, F Usher 4-34); Barney 156-5 (31.3 overs, J Alderson 45no, K Carver 42)
Barney won by 5 wkts
Marton II v Barney II
BARNEY seconds were also playing table-topping Marton, leaders of NYSD Division Two, and found them too strong.
Perhaps Barney were still on a high after their improbable Readman Cup semi-final win against Northallerton.
Asked to bat, Marton had a steady start which they built on well. Luke Middlemiss’s painstaking half century paved the way for Tom Hustwitt to hit his 53 from 56 balls. Barney never threatened and only Joe Toulson’s defiant innings at number eight enabled a partial recovery from 33-8.
Marton II 226-5 (50 overs, L Middlemiss 56, T Hustwitt 53, B Hutchinson 27, P Stanwix 2-41); Barney II 75 all out (27 overs, J Toulson 33, N Hood 4-14, T Hustwitt 4-20)
Marton won by 151 runs
Readman Cup semi-final
Northallerton v Barney II
Barney pulled off an astonishing victory when they prevented Northallerton making the seven runs they needed with six wickets in hand and 13 balls left.
Peter Stanwix had conceded 14 runs off the first five balls of the 18th over but with the sixth he bowled Northallerton’s mainstay Danny Clarke. Up stepped Adam Smith to bowl a nerveless 19th over which yielded two wickets and two runs. Stanwix then completed the job when Northallerton could gather only another two from the final over.
With two wanted off the last ball, he had Andy McQuaker stumped. The final will be at Barney on September 6.
Barney 126-9 (20 overs, J Alderson 37, C McKnight 34, A Smith 17, D Clark 3-12); Northallerton 125-8 (20 overs, D Clark 63, C McKnight 2-17, P Stanwix 2-32) Barney won by 1 run
Fixtures
Saturday, August 15: 1st XI v Marske (A, 12.30pm); 2nd XI v Rockcliffe Park (H, 12.30pm)
Sunday, August 16: 3rd XI v Rockliffe Park (A, 1.30pm)
