Cricket: Nortonthorpe take top spot

Jul 10 2009 By Express and Chronicle

NORTONTHORPE gained thrilling revenge for a cup defeat to overtake Almondbury Wesleyans at the top of Arrow Section A when match balls were sponsored by Denby Dale News.

The visitors won the toss and chose to bat first, despite being bowled out for 137 in the previous meeting, but were perhaps looking for their free scoring top four batsmen to impose themselves this time around.

J Bickerdike started much better, hitting Ray Cosgrove for two fours in his second over. W Binns had no such luck however, and fell lbw to Paul Wilkinson in his second over.

A change of field for Cosgrove in his third over added a slip and created a tempting gap at midwicket which Bickeredike went for and got a leading edge and was very well caught by Cosgrove diving forward.

At 12-2 Wesleyans were in trouble, and when skipper T Binns was caught by Ben Jebson off Wilkinson for just 10, three of the top four had gone for just 27.

T Oakes was next, troubling the scorers for only three runs in 30 minutes after his 45 minute stint for four runs in the previous match, bowled by Pete Spark, with the score on 37-4 in 19 overs.

The decision to bat first was not looking the best against the best bowling attack in the section, and it looked even worse as four more wickets fell for the addition of just 21 as Wilkinson, Spark and Simon Parton all picked up wickets to plunge Almondbury into deep trouble at 58-8. M Henshaw had different ideas though, and with number 10 Z Stanger for support, he helped drag the score up to 128 before Stanger went for 17 and M Burns fell for 0 to leave him stranded on 78 not out.

Hiss valuable innings was a combination of five massive sixes and several rather more fortunate shots, but he took his opportunity and gave his side a definite chance, especially considering that they had dismissed Nortonthorpe for just 100 in the cup match.

Once again Chris Sansom opened the Nortonthorpe reply with Pete Hird in the absence of regular opener George Parkes. Hird started well with a pulled four off D Sykes but was soon gone for just five very well caught by J Hoyle at gully with the score just 15 off five.

The returning Ashley Cockhill was in at three and he and Sansom took the score past 50 without really any scares, but then Cockhill was caught by Stanger off Burns for 10 trying to push things along, and a bit of a wobble set in as Steve Swap went for three and Jebson for nought, both to Sykes, to leave Nortonthorpe at a precarious 73-5 off 26.