Hartley pulled Norden from the brink in victory over Farnworth Social Circle

Norden Cricket Club

An astonishing spell of bowling by Chris Hartley pulled Norden round from the brink and saw them to victory over Farnworth Social Circle in the second round of the Lancashire Cricket Board knockout.

Stags, who were finalists in the competition last year, looked booked for defeat as Farnworth, chasing a winning target of 193, pushed their total along to 165 for four.

The game started to change when Daniel Salpietro ran out McDonagh with a direct throw, then an umpire who had given Stags nothing judged Parkinson leg before to Salpietro.
Still, at 173 for six Farnworth were still on their way, but the return of Hartley to the attack left the home side bemused and bettered.

In his first spell the pace bowler had taken one for 22 in four overs before walking off to the boundary looking frustrated.

He returned at the opposite end and conceded only three runs in 15 deliveries before bowling Barrow who had made a solid 33.

A maiden followed, and his next over made it look as though someone had pressed a button and turned on a clockwork umpire with the finger of death going up and down.

Lane was leg before first ball of the over, Walsh was hit on the boot by a delivery right into the blockhole and finished on the deck in the dust watching that finger go up.

Hartley was on a trick and it came when Mather was rapped on the pads. The umpire slightly delayed before making the out verdict.

Still Hartley hadn’t finished. A dot ball broke up the sequence, but he then clean bowled the last man.

In the space of three astonishing overs Hartley had taken five wickets without cost, and his final figures were six for 28.

Earlier in the day Simon Harman had scored 78, and Ash Gowers had hit 55 in an overall innings which petered out somewhat in a chase for late runs.

Salpietro hit a boundary but was in only seven balls before being given leg before to Mather.

Harman and Gowers then took the total into three figures and looked untroubled, but Gowers then went leg before to Mather.

Skipper Simon North looked back at his best, and the runs continued to flow, but he was bowled by change bowler Barrow for 25, and nine runs later Harman lost his balance when trying to hit to leg and was stumped.

Stags lost three more cheap wickets as they tried to reach 200 or more, but at the end of 45 overs they were on 192 for eight.

Would it be enough?

Tonge was bowled by Hartley, and Alam was bowled by Martin Smith, but while Tim Rees was at the crease Stags were in danger.

Rees blasted 11 fours and three sixes, but on 76 he was bowled by Malik whose nine overs saw him take one for 16.

Barrow and Parkinson continued the good work for Farnworth, but how it all changed, and the home side was left shellshocked with some of their supporters asking who from Norden was taking the umpires home with them.

The umpires were actually from the Northern League.

Norden

S Harman st Walsh b Alam 78
D Salpietro lbw Mather 4
A Gowers lbw Mather 55
S North b C Barrow 25
M Smith st Walsh b C Barrow 1
S Pimm b C Barrow 2
D Humphreys b C Barrow 7
S Wild run out 0
H Malik not out 3
D Lord not out 1
Extras 16
Total (for 8 wkts) 192
Bowling: Mather 7-0-25-2; Channa 9-1-24-0; Parkinson 8-0-48-0; C Barrow 9-0-25-4; Lane 5-1-28-0; Alam 7-0-36-1.

Farnworth SC

D Tonge b Hartley 14
T Rees b Malik 76
R Alam b Smith 6
T Barrow b Hartley 33
M Parkinson lbw Salpietro 19
J McDonagh run out 3
C Barrow not out 6
A Lane lbw Hartley 0
C Walsh lbw Hartley 0
D Mather lbw Hartley 0
S Channa b Hartley 0
Extras 16
Total 173
Bowling: Smith 7-1-46-1; Hartley 8.5-1-28-6; Salpietro 9-0-36-1; Malik 9-3-16-1; Lord 2-0-18-0; Wild 5-0-23-0.