Norden back to winning

Norden got back on the winning path on Saturday when they defeated Austerlands at Stag Park.

The match was reduced to 34 overs per side following a mopping up exercise, and Austerlands’ early batsmen found it hard to score runs off Martin Smith and Hashum Malik before the middle and late orders collapsed against the spin of Nick Fairchild and Michal Price.

Despite the efforts of Andy Young, who finished unbeaten on 30, the visitors were all out for 73, and that was never going to be anywhere near good enough to defend against what was probably Norden’s strongest batting line-up of the season.

Norden knocked off the required runs for the loss of three wickets with plenty of overs and plenty of batting unused.

Runs were like gold as Austerlands started their knock, and Kevin DeFeu was first to go, leg before to Hashum Malik for five.

Professional Sachin Rana was then caught behind by Ash Gowers, off Malik, before Martin Smith got reward for a highly impressive spell when C J Ferreira launched him into the safe hands of Simon North at mid-off.

Smith struck again when Sadiq Rasheed fished at a delivery outside off and edged to Gowers who finished the match with five victims to his name.

The collapse continued...

Michael Price, who had replaced Smith at the Woodhouse Lane end, saw Joe Molloy charge his second delivery, miss, and be stumped by Gowers.

The next delivery from Price popped and Jake Stanton found it hard to defend, the ball finishing in the hands of Gowers.

Nick Fairchild took command from the Shawfield end and took four for nine in six and a half overs.

Mohammed Irfan swung the first ball of the Australian’s second over high to leg and saw Price take a safe catch.

Greg Scholes was leg before. Harry Ripley took a big swing, missed the delivery, and was bowled. Michael Lockett was caught behind.

Norden opened their reply with Hashum Malik and Price. Malik hammered a straight six off Rana, but with 12 to his name he was bowled by Rana.

With 42 on the board Price was given out to a gully catch by Rana following a debate on whether or not the ball had carried.

Dan Buckley made his way to 16 before going to a return catch by Ferreira, but victory was by then in sight and the task was rounded off by Ash Gowers and Rehan Udwadia.

Austerlands

K DeFeu lbw Malik 5
MS Rasheed c Gowers b Smith 10
S Rana cGowers b Malik 2
J Ferreira c North b Smith 8
J Molloy st Gowers b Price 4
A Young not out 30
J Stanton c Gowers b Price 0
M Irfan c Price b Fairchild 1
G Scholes lbw Fairchild 3
H Ripley b Fairchild 1
M Lockett c Gowers b Fairchild 6
Extras 3
Total 73
Bowling: Smith 10-5-10-2; Malik 10-4-27-2; Price 7-1-25-2; Fairchild 6.3-1-9-4.

Norden

H Malik b Rana 12
M Price c Rana b Ferreira 16
D Buckley c and b Ferreira 16
A Gowers not out 16
R Udwadia not out 7
Extras 9
Total (for 3 wickets) 76
Did not bat: S North, N Brierley, H Fitton, J Harrison, M Smith, N Fairchild.
Bowling: Rana 10-3-31-1; Irfan 3-1-7-0; Ferreira 8-0-24-2; Lockett 1.1-0-10-0.