Price hits century but Norden lose to Middleton by 26 runs

Norden Cricket Club

Norden had to settle for four points from their home match on Saturday as Middleton fought all the way before going down by 26 runs.

Michael Price led the way for Norden with a century in a total of 104, and for much of the reply it looked as though Middleton would get nowhere near that score.

The visitors gradually crept closer to their target and ended on 222 for seven.

Price and Rehan Udwadia put on 122 for Norden’s first wicket before the latter offered a return catch to Ernest Kemm which was gratefully accepted.

Nick Brierley was bowled by Kemm two runs later, but Price and Gowers then continued the run spree.

The professional reached his century out of 180 on the board and was then dropped. The miss didn’t prove too costly for Middleton as Price was caught soon after by Shahid at long-off.

It had looked like being a huge Norden total, but the run-rate dropped as Kemm did his best to turn the tide.

Jack Harrison scored 22 before falling to another Shahid catch in the deep and that opened the way for a two-ball knock by Martin Smith.

It was a case of boom-boom as Smith blasted two sixes to round off the innings, with Gowers unbeaten on 47.

Middleton’s reply got off to a decent start thanks to the hard-hitting Harry Gee. He smacked a legside six off Price to take the total up to 52, but next delivery he was brilliantly caught by Nick Brierley in the slips, Brierley diving full length to take the ball one-handed only inches off the ground.

Norden players have taken some good catches this season, and this one has to be in with a chance of catch of the season.

The Middleton innings then hit something of a paint-drying session, with runs hard to come by.

Zane Tahir was given leg before to Price, but Kemm stuck in there with help from the middle order.

Rhys Tierney reached 33, but he then charged a delivery from Nick Fairchild, missed it, and was stumped by Ash Gowers.

Foden was caught in the deep by Price and Shahid was victim of a strange run out. He and Kemm went for an extra run as a shy at the stumps missed at the bowlers end and offered an overthrow, but Chris Hartley had continued his run down towards the other set of stumps and kicked the ball bang on target.

Middleton had a point in the bag for reaching 75 per cent of the Norden total, but when the final over arrived they were well short, and Kemm was finally bowled by Fairchild for 76.

There was still time for one more wicket to fall. Mark Buckley set of for a run only to see Tommy Astley unmoved at the other end.

Norden

R Udwadia c and b Kemm 39
M Price c Shahid b Kemm 104
N Brierley b Kemm 0
A Gowers not out 47
J Harrison c Shahid b J Harris 22
M Smith not out 12
Extras 24
Total (for 4 wickets) 248
Bowling: Pritchard 11-1-67-0; J Harris 8-1-40-1; Buckley 6-0-28-0; Gee 10-0-40-0; Kemm 15-0-64-3.

Middleton

H Gee c Brierley b Price 38
Z Tahir lbw Price 19
E Kemm b Fairchild 76
R Tierney st Gowers b Fairchild 33
P Foden c Price b Fairchild 21
M Shahid run out 20
M Buckley run out 2
T Astley not out 2
Extras 11
Total (for 7 wickets) 222
Bowling: Hartley 8-1-51-0; Smith 4-0-26-0; Malik 12-2-32-0; Price 11-4-18-2; Fairchild 10-0-56-3; J Collin 5-0-33-0.