Rehan Udwadia in man-of-the-match batting performance as Norden reach Wood Cup final

Norden Cricket Club

Fifteen-year-old Rehan Udwadia gave a man-of-the-match batting performance as Norden reached the JW Lees Bitter Wood Cup final by defeating Littleborough at Hare Hill on Sunday.

Udwadia did use up a couple of lives, once when the ball didn’t quite carry for a low catch, and once when keeper Jamie Roche juggled with the ball and missed a stumping chance.

At the end of an innings, which had lasted just over two hours, the Lancashire junior player had scored an unbeaten 76.

His knock included only one boundary, although boundaries were few and far between in the first innings due to what looked a slow outfield.

The game was in its seventh over when Udwadia went to the wicket following the dismissal of Daniel Salpietro who flashed at a Michael Burns delivery outside off and snicked to keeper Roche.

Simon Harman, who had been dropped by Zimmy Khan off a hard-hit chance, had another close escape when a shot just eluded a fielder at cover, but otherwise he and Udwadia picked off the singles to slowly push the score along.

At the halfway stage of the innings Norden had only 75 on the board, and Boro must have been delighted at the way their varied attack had contained the batsmen.

Matthew Taylor bowled his 10 overs allowed for only 17 runs, and in his final over he uprooted off stump to end the innings of Harman for 57.

With 37 overs gone Norden were on 122. This fact was significant only because the Stags had just hit their first boundary in 19 overs.

Four overs later Ash Gowers smacked a six off Chris Schofield, but the bowling remained generally tight, and Norden lost two quick wickets when Gowers was leg before to Joe

Smith-Butler and Martin Smith’s skier was taken by Khan.

It might have got better for Smith-Butler when he bowled Udwadia, but no-ball had been called.

Simon North upped the run rate with 14 off 12 balls but was then caught behind off the returned Michael Burns, and Norden ended their 50 on 209 for five.

The reply was in the fourth over when Simon Harman pouched a chance from Gary Hulme, but this put together the big two of Clinton Perren and Chris Schofield for a partnership which would be vital to Boro’s cause.

They quickly settled in and looked in full flight, but with 56 on the board Perren steered a Martin Smith delivery into the hands of Udwadia who was just mid-wicket side of point.

Nineteen runs later Schofield, on 36, heard a half-hearted appeal for leg before and looked shocked as umpire Les Chadwick raised the finger.

The innings then petered out, with wickets going down at regular intervals.
Smith-Butler was bowled by Simon North, and Joe Barnes was beaten for pace by Chris Hartley.

Littleborough professional Zimmy Khan was still there and still capable of doing some damage if he found a sticking partner, but he danced down the wicket to attack Salpietro, missed, and didn’t try to get back as Gowers almost apologetically broke the wicket.

The game was up, and Burns went the same way as Khan, Deakin was leg before to North and the end came when Matthew Hodson hit long and high to be caught by Dean Lord.

The trophy holders will now meet Royton in the final at Walsden CC on Sunday 2 August.

Norden
S Harman b M Taylor 57
D Salpietro c J Roche b Burns 13
R Udwadia not out 76
A Gowers lbw Smith-Butler 27
M Smith c Khan b Burns 7
S North c J Roche b Burns 14
S Pimm not out 3
Extras 12
Total (for 7 wkts) 209
Bowling: Burns 10-2-35-3; Smith-Butler 10-0-42-1; M Taylor 10-2-17-1; Schofield 10-0-67-0; Deakin 10-0-41-0.

Littleborough
C Perren c Udwadia b Smith 24
G Hulme c Harman b Hartley 3
C Schofield lbw Salpietro 36
M Khan st Gowers b Salpietro 39
J Smith-Butler b North 13
M Taylor lbw Malik 1
J Barnes b Hartley 8
P Deakin lbw North 2
M Burns st Gowers b Salpietro 4
J Roche not out 3
M Hodson c Lord b Salpietro 0
Extras 11
Total 144
Bowling: Hartley 9-2-28-2; Smith 7-1-24-1; Malik 10-1-27-1; Salpietro 8.1-0-29-4; Lord 2-0-18-0; North 5-0-13-2.