Cricket
Kerridge Cup Semi-Final
Barnard Castle 1st XI
Saltburn 1st XI
Barnard Castle’s most impressive batting performance of the season so far took them a step closer to silverware when they defeated last year’s Premier Division champions Saltburn to reach the final of the Kerridge Cup.
Richard Borrowdale continued his form of the previous day, scoring 68 off 44 balls, including 11 boundaries, to help his side reach 274 in 40 overs.
This presented a daunting task for an albeit strong Saltburn side which had defeated Barney 24 hours earlier. Tom Scriven, a County Championship regular for Leicestershire, looked to be their main hope of reaching the cup final.
Playing beautifully and looking at ease at the crease, as he pushed for a second run off Carver’s bowling, Finn Usher displayed brilliant fielding and ran out the starman for 59.
With the visitors at 106-5, spectators might have believed it was match over. However, Josh Chisholm and Jacob Midgley formulated a partnership which at one point looked to threaten Barney’s total.
Rob West was able to break the partnership which amassed 87 runs and had taken Saltburn to within 75 of a winning total. They were bowled out in the 39th over.
The season unquestionably has not panned out as many at the club had hoped, but this win is a huge boost. They face either Darlington CC or Darlington RA CC in the final.
Barnard Castle 1st XI 274-8 (R Borrowdale 68, J Clarkson 46, H Bukhari 4-36). Saltburn 1st XI 225 all out (T Chisholm 67, T Scriven 59, 4-39). Barney won by 49 runs.
NYSD League Premier
Saltburn 1st XI
Barnard Castle 1st XI
Saturday’s away match defeat at Saltburn means they have recorded three league defeats on the spin and could well end any slim hopes they had for league success.
On the positive side, Richard Borrowdale found his form with an impressive 56 on a tough batting pitch, and Ed Barnes ended his barren spell with 4-36.
Saltburn’s pitches all season have seen runs hard to come by, but Borrowdale, alongside Rob West and Richard Watson dragged their side to a very competitive total of 185.
Barney must be hugely frustrated at their bowling display. In similarity to the effort against Richmondshire, they managed to dismiss the main threats cheaply.
Tom Scriven, Ben Ainsley and Husnain Bukhari could only add a combined 13 runs, a feat that Barney must have thought would be sufficient to bring home the points.
They had restricted Saltburn to 81-5, but the tail was able to add 71, alongside an amateurish 34 extras, which ended up being the difference.
Barney now sit 65 points off the top of the table, an almost insurmountable total. Barney are putting themselves in positions to win games, but find stumbling blocks.
Their next league fixture is away to Bishop Auckland on July 13.
Barnard Castle 1st XI 185 all out (Borrowdale 56, K Carver 26, J Almond 4-34). Saltburn 1st XI 187-9 (S Parry 34, T Chisholm 26, E Barnes 4-36). Saltburn won by one wicket.
Barnard Castle 2nd XI
Saltburn 2nd XI
The second team played the reverse fixture against Saltburn in which they sent the visitors home empty-handed. This win solidifies their second place position as they move 41 points clear of Shildon BR in third.
All four of Barney’s top order added notable contributions and were sitting comfortably 184-3 when Max Martin was run out for 38.
Plenty of Saltburn’s lineup got themselves in, but only Josh Bowes got to the half century mark. Max Riley-Fox added to his 45 runs with 4-27 to be the star of the afternoon.
Barnard Castle 2nd XI 219 all out (I Swinburn 58, M Riley-Fox 45, 6-30).
Saltburn 2nd XI 198 all out (J Bowes 51, M Riley-Fox 4-27). Barney won by 21 runs
Hundred Group Game, Div Two Barnard Castle 2nd XI
Shildon BR 1st XI
Barney got their defence of the Division Two Hundred trophy underway on Wednesday evening with a 21-run victory over Shildon BR.
Ian Swinburn once again top scored with 84 off just 47 balls which included seven fours and five sixes to lead his side to 185-5.
Shildon put up a solid effort in response but could only reach 164-6 off their 100 deliveries.
Barnard Castle 2nd XI 185-5 (I Swinburn 84). Shildon 1st XI 164-6 (S Forster 52, J Dinger 48). Barney won by 21 runs.
Sam Alexander
Darlington & District League
IN what must rank as one of the worst weekends the A division has experienced, another game was conceded and only one team batting first managed to post more than 100.
The only competitive game in the division involved leaders Haughton and Aldbrough St John. Two Michaels, Fleming (47) and Priestley (61), were the main contributors to ASJ’s 165-8, with Sam Newton picking up 5-31 for Haughton.
In reply, Haughton lost two early wickets before 40s from Dan Naisbitt and Mark Little steadied the ship and an unbeaten 42 from Mark Dobinson saw the side over the line with six wickets down.
Joe Blackburn collected 6-22 as Cockerton were bowled out for 55 by Barningham – and they only managed to post the half century thanks to a last wicket stand of 21.
It took Barningham 6.4 overs to knock off the runs, Rob Stanwix smashing 43. Teenager William Poole bagged 5-10 as Raby Castle rolled over Witton-le-Wear for 64. Joe Dent logged 30no as Raby cruised to a nine-wicket win.
Saving the worst till last, Middleton Tyas were bowled out for 23 in 14.2 overs by Eryholme. Sam Potter took 6-11 and Eryholme lost one wicket scoring the runs. Spare a thought for Cliffe, who had no game last week due to the league’s decision to have an odd number of teams in the A division. Opponents, Oxbridge, conceded the game midweek.
Cliffe’s second team moved to the top of the B division, thumping Cockerton II by 131 runs.
Oliver Smith batted through for an unbeaten 128 in his side’s 285-2 dec, with Sam Cull also hitting 68. Veteran Steve Lethbridge hit 54no as Cockerton’s reply ended on 154.
The games between Richmondshire V and Raby Castle II and East Cowton and Shildon Railway were both abandoned due to the onset of rain later in the afternoon.
Elsewhere, Barton bowled out nine-man Catterick for 23, having earlier posted 220-8; Eryholme II restricted Haughton II to 95 and knocked the runs off for five wickets down; while John Lucas hit 123no and Anth Coatsworth 80 as Middleton-in- Teesdale scored 236-3 in their 40 overs before bowling their opponents out for 76.
In the C division, Etherley hit 247-8 to win by 111 against Barton II and King James conceded their fixture to Northallerton III.
Durham and North East League
AFTER a free week, Evenwood were back in action with a trip to Hunwick. It turned out to be a nail-biting affair after the hosts won the toss and asked Evenwood to bat.
Luke Bannister and Daniel Wilkinson steadily compiled an opening partnership of 54 before Ben Evans made a patient 42no to see Evenwood through to 173 all out.
In reply, the Evenwood bowlers chipped away, taking wickets at regular intervals and taking the game to the last over before Hunwick hit the winning runs with two wickets and four balls remaining.
Stuart Laundy
