We Are Top Of The League!
Hello Friends! The excitement is building down Aldborough way as the firsts, led by talismanic skipper The Grebe, continued their title push with a hard fought win at Shipdham. The next two Saturdays will decide whether The Greens can claim a historic Div 1 title and bring some silverware to the starved trophy cabinet! Get behind the club, come down to see us on Saturday as we battle title chalengers Hardingham on The Green; see you there!
Read on for all four match reports from the weekend:
Norfolk League Division One
Aldborough 181 for 6 (25points) beat Shipdham 161 for 10 (7points)
Aldborough survived a nail biting finish to move to the top of division one with a 26 run victory over Shipdham. Ashley Barnard and Paul Reeve with four wickets apiece starred with the ball after the Greens were restricted to only 187 after winning the toss and batting.
With the onset of each game and every point appearing to hold more significance the decision to bat first looked a miscalculation when the Shipdham opening pair of Cator and Ellis removed the dangerous Allan cheaply. The pair then bowled tight lines and the hosts fielded with great energy to keep Cooper and Fell in check and the team score at only 65 from 28 overs.
When Cooper fell after an attempt to push the rate on for 37, Dingle was promoted to give the innings impetus. The momentum began to swing with some energetic blows but it was not until Reeve and Bacon came together with the score at 114 for 4 off 37 overs.
The pair added 68 quick runs in 38 balls with Bacon in full driving and cutting mode racing to 42 in short time . He was out going for one more quick blow but the pair with Reeve finishing on 40 not out managed to rescue a total out of the dire start.
In reply Reeve had the home side reeling at 8 for 2, with Cooper taking a superb catch at slip to remove Hammond. However, Stagles with the obdurate Cator steadied nerves for Shipdham. Firstly they saw o ff Reeve then the home skipper punished width and scored freely off the change bowling of Allan. The score moved on at a good rate and Shipdham began to sense the chance of victory.
Good bowling changes slowed the rate down with Reeve and Dingle putting the brakes on proceedings but it was not until the experienced Ashley Barnard took the ball did it look as if the impressive Stagles would be dismissed. With his second ball and with the help of a great catch at gully from Bacon, Barnard removed the home skipper.
Good pressure in the field and catches from Plumb and Cooper meant wickets were falling despite this the runs required column was ever decreasing. It was Barnard again with three wickets in one over that turned the game to Aldborough. Dismissing the dangerous Hunt meant that the Shipdham’s tail had to wag. However Barnard and then captain Reeve (11-2-33-4) in tandem stifled any hope of this, finishing the game off taking the last five wickets for four runs and winning a match that could have easily gone the other way.
KNIGHTS SPORTING LTD MOM: Ashley Barnard (7-0-30-4)
Aldborough ‘A’ (5pts) Lost to Old Catton ‘A’ (22pts) by 6 Wickets
Stand in skipper Charlie Mack won the toss and elected to bat on what looked like a dry, flat track. Aldborough lost 2 quick wickets with Cramp mistiming a drive to the covers, and Nicholson soon following him. Sizeland joined Mack at the crease and the pair batted together for 20 overs farming the strike until Mack was bowled for 40. Sizeland batted well and continued to 28 before he too was dismissed. Tuthill and Bodymore came and went leaving Cook and Swinbourne to try and salvage something from the innings. The pair batted cautiously on what was proving to be an unpredictable pitch and when Cook lost his wicket Moakes arrived at the crease to hit a respectable 13 Not Out off the last 2 overs. Aldborough A ending up on a disappointing 126.
Bodymore and Tuthill opened the bowling, and both bowled some tight lines, but for all their excellent bowling no wickets were produced. Pratt and Sizeland were first change bowlers and Pratt made the break through Aldborough needed in his second over with a peach of a delivery bowling the Old Catton opener middle stump. After another 8 overs Mack changed things around again to keep the batsmen on their toes and brought himself and Knight into the attack. Some great spin bowling from Knight ensured that he stayed on to bowl 10 overs taking 1-23, and was unlucky not to get more wickets with the batsmen lofting balls all over the pitch uncontrollably. Mack took a wicket with a good rising ball – caught behind by the impressive Nicholson, and suddenly Old Catton were under pressure. At 62-3 after 25 overs Aldborough were still in with a massive chance of victory. However this was not to be and Old Catton took a grip of the match with a youngster coming in and hitting 41 off a few overs to win the match with just 5 overs to spare. A disappointing loss for the greens, when perhaps only another 25 runs would have ensured victory.
MOM: Ben Sizeland (28 runs and some good swing bowling)
Sunday Friendly -
Mattishall (106 all out) beat Aldborough (80 all out) by 26 runs
Aldborough Sunday XI bowled first on a damp wicket with Tom Seaman and James Tuthill opening the bowling. The batsmen only had one thing in mind and that was attacking everything. Smith(17) was got by Jupp with an excellent catch by Seaman and Bingham(27) was Bowled by Knight. Livings(0) was Jupps second wicket LBW and S Thorogood got his first 40 over wicket getting Thacker who last time got 77 against the greens. Biss got the wicket of Forder bowling him for 8. Knight continued to be lucky taking wickets with the bad ball and finishing with figures of 7.4-1-13-5. During the Aldborough innings a horribke accident occurred and with the Mattishall batsmen hitting the ball up in the end a sliding Tuthill collided with Jupp both showing great commitment to getting the chairman another wicket. Unfortunately Leo Jupp came off worst and play was suspended whilst and ambulance was called for him because he had broken his leg. With Jupp safely in the ambulance Aldborough got Mattishall all out for 106.
The greens thought this would be an achievable total but they batted poorly. Opener Seaman got 7 and was bowled, Tuthill got 2 and the edged to slip and Bodymore was bowled for 9 after seeing 3 partners and batting for 10 overs. Farrow(2) and Skinner(0) went quickly and Moakes got a duck. Knight offered the only resistance scoring 24 runs. Howett got 4, Cook 1, Thorogood 1 and Biss 2no. Yet again the Sunday team top order failed and Aldborough sank to a disappointing loss.
All at Aldborough Cricket Club would like to wish Leo Jupp a speedy recovery. We hope that his leg gets better as soon as possible and cannot wait to see him back on a cricket pitch. Get well soon, Leo.
MOM – Tim Knight
Monday - Touring Game
St Margaretsbury (169-8) beat Aldborough (167 all out) by 2 wickets
On a warm summers afternoon St Margaretsbury, on tour from Hertfordshire, were invited to choose what they would like to do by skipper Bodymore. They decided to have a field and so J Cooke (Old Catton and Tim Knight’s friend) and Troy Allan went out to bat. Cooke came back soon after for 2 and the formidable Allan got 19. Flanagan(3) and Fell(5) left the score at 41-5 after Moakes got a duck. This brought B Plumb and Fisher together and the pair batted well together, with Plumb showing a high level of talent for all to see. 16 year old Plumb played some lovely shots but was bowled for an excelent 49. Fisher got 18 but stuck around and assisted Plumb well. 17 year old skipper Bodymore came and went for a duck as did Seaman but for the second day running chairman Knight showed that he can still handle a bat. Along with Tuthill he played some lovely shots and got himself 23 runs before getting out last ball of the innings. Tuthill made his intentions clear with a 6 off the first ball he faced and finished on 13no.
With 167 the total Aldborough came out believing that they could get a result here and some fantastic pace bowling by T. Allan and T.Seaman really got aldborough off to a good start with Allan getting the wicket of Richards for 8. Impresive youngster Tuthill finished with figures of 8-2-17-2. He got Tillbury for 19 and Spencer for 23. The St Margretsbury batsmen batted well playing some lovely shots with Flanagan being chased round the field by the ball. Flanagan took two catches but also dropped two as well. Tim Knight continued his good weekend with figures of 6-0-29-2. Moakes was given the ball and took a little bit of punishment with the Margaretsbury batsmen really punishing any bad balls. Seaman came back on along with Allan who bowled spin this time. Seaman got his second wicket of the match caught behind by Bodymore. And Spencer was run out by superb fielding by specialist fielder B. Howett who fooled the batsmen into running 3 before using his bullet arm to get the ball to Bodymore to take the bails off. The last over was given to Plumb who hadn’t bowled in a game for nearly 3 years; he went for 9 off the over and St Margretsbury won the game. A good day was had by all and both teams drank together after the game.
Man Of the Match B Plumb for his excellent 49.