Shropshire v Northumberland

 

MCCA Knockout

 

Sunday 3 June 2007

Oswestry Cricket Club

Shropshire won on a faster scoring rate

Shropshire 2 points  Northumberland 0 points

 

For their final group match in the 2007 campaign, Shropshire were forced into making three changes from the team which lost to Cheshire. Following the shock departure of captain Tim Hancock, 17 years old Dan Redfern made his County debut, whilst Asif Sultan and Anthony O’Connor replaced the injured Steve Taylor and Adam Shimmons. Andy Gray captained the side prior to the decision on who to appoint in succession to Hancock.

 

Both sides knew that they had a chance of reaching the semi finals. Whilst Shropshire’s chances were slim, Northumberland knew that a win for them, and defeat for Cheshire at Cumberland would see them progress.

 

Andy Gray won the toss and decided to bat, with the threat of rain later in the day. Jono Whitney and Alex Huxley found batting difficult, as Gary Stewart and David Rutherford got movement in the air and off the pitch. They moved slowly to 23 before Huxley mishooked Stewart to fine leg. This brought in Redfern to join Whitney, and after two early scares, he began to dominate the bowling. He and his partner put on an impressive 174 in 189 balls before both were out in quick succession. Redfern, currently on Derbyshire’s books, made 107 in 107 balls, the first time for many years that a player had made a century on debut, whilst Whitney made 82, and in the process demonstrated his growing maturity at this level. With this platform, Shropshire hoped to post a formidable total, but Duncan Catterall, Jamie Ralph and Martin Davies all perished quickly and it was left to Andy Gray and Asif Sultan to see Shropshire to 257 for 6 from their allotted 50 overs.

 

Fears that this total was 20 or 30 runs short were soon realised when Northumberland replied. Two early no balls from Anthony O’Connor went for 16 runs, as the resultant free hits were cleanly hit for six by former Staffordshire batsman Alistair Maiden, making his debut for the visitors. Duncan Catterall pegged them back, taking the wickets of Simon Birtwistle and Ian Pattison. However former Yorkshire batsman Bradley Parker joined Maiden and they added 85 before the introduction of Mark Robinson changed the course of the game. He trapped both Parker and Maiden, and had Mark Dale caught by Matt Tilt first ball. Mark Drake and Marc Symington had begun to rescue the innings, but the rain arrived as the match was finely poised, with Northumberland needing 94 from the final 15 overs, with 5 wickets remaining.

 

News from Barrow that Cheshire had beaten Cumberland hastened the decision to abandon the match, with Shropshire, ahead on run rate, being awarded the 2 points. Cheshire therefore won the group and progressed to the semi finals, whilst Shropshire finished as runners up, rueing the poor batting display against Cheshire two weeks earlier. Nevertheless, the win will have put them in good heart for the start of the Championship season next week, as they host Berkshire at Bridgnorth.

 

Umpires - WE Smith and S Nelson

 

Scorers - CLW Barthorpe and RL Dodds