Cricket: Norden pick up maximum points beating Littleborough

Norden picked up a maximum 12 points from their home match against Littleborough in the JW Lees Lancashire League on Sunday.

The match was far removed from some of the thrillers between the clubs in past seasons, and it showed that Littleborough are going through one of those patches which seem to affect most clubs at one stage or another.

Basically they are in a learning curve. They have some good young players, but a bit more experience in the team would do them a power of good.

Tom Pye and Joe Smith-Butler put on 32 for the first wicket, but it then started to go all wrong for Littleborough.

Pye was trapped leg before by Jake Sandham, and two runs later Smith-Butler was taken in the slips by Josh Tolley to provide Chris Humphreys with his one wicket of the match.

Thomas Kaber had failed to score when he slashed outside off to a delivery from Sandham and Lee Crabtree took the catch behind the stumps.

Alex Willis was leg before to Sandham and Ryan Miskella fell to a catch by Sandham.

That made it 57 for five, and it was only due to a starring unbeaten 51 from Matthew Hernon that

Littleborough got to their final total of 139.

Calum Rushton was caught behind by Crabtree, off Dom Humphreys, Gary Nash was run out by a throw from Steve Pimm, and Lewis Willman was leg before to the returned Sandham.

Harry Williams tried to hit Harvey Fitton out of the ground and only found the hands of Joe Humphreys at long off, the ball having spiralled over the wicket keeper.

Hernon reached his half century with a sweep to leg off Hashum Malik’s first delivery, but two balls later the innings ended when Harry Bentley offered a simple catch to Sandham.

Norden’s reply was at times brutal.

It looked as though Josh Tolley and Harvey Fitton would knock off the runs.

Fitton reached his 50 with a single when caught off a no-ball, but he quickly went for another big un, skied the ball, and saw Ryan Miskella take the catch in the drop.

That was it as far as Littleborough were concerned. Tolley finished unbeaten on 66, and Steve Pimm was nine not out.

Littleborough

• T Pye lbw Sandham 11
• J Smith-Butler c Tolley b C Humphreys 13
• A Willis lbw Sandham 5
• T Kaber c Crabtree b Sandham 0
• R Miskella c Sandham b D Humphreys 8
• M Hernon not out 51
• C Rushton c Crabtree b D Humphreys 7
• G Nash run out 0
• L Willman lbw Sandham 7
• H Williams c J Humphreys b H Fitton 2
• H Bentley c Sandham b Malik 1
• Extras 34
• Total 139
• Bowling: C Humphreys 11-4-22-1; Sandham 15-2-38-4; Butterworth 9-4-19-0; D Humphreys 8-2-17-2; H Fitton 4-0-21-1; Malik 0.3-0-3-1.

Norden

• J Tolley not out 66
• H Fitton c and b R Miskella 50
• S Pimm not out 9
• Extras 16
• Total (for 1 wkt) 141
• Bowling: Smith-Butler 5-1-31-0; Willman 6-1-13-0; Kaber 3-0-27-0; R Miskella 7-2-26-1; Bentley 3-0-32-0; Rushton 2-0-8-0