Norden’s title winning weekend was sparked by victory in an extraordinary match against title rivals Walsden

Norden Cricket Club

Norden’s title winning weekend was sparked by victory in an extraordinary match against title rivals Walsden at Stag Park on Saturday.

It was something of a crazy, crazy encounter, with the conditions playing a big part, along with a handful of woeful decisions by the men in the middle.

Simon Harman and Daniel Salpietro didn’t have problems as they pushed the score along to 66, but wickets started to tumble after Salpietro had tried to hit Umesh Karunaratne to leg and been given leg before.

Harman had been stumped by Danny Howley to give Josh Gale the first of his seven wickets, and Salpietro’s departure was a huge blow to Stags who crashed to 89 for eight.
Ash Gowers was caught by Joe Gale off Josh Gale, Greg Tattersall was leg before, although he did look to get bat on ball, Simon North was bowled by Karunaratne, Martin Smith was bowled by Josh Gale, Hashum Malik went first delivery when he gave Joe Gale a simple catch, and Phil Docker was leg before.

It was carnage, but two players drafted in to the team late then took the total into three figures and beyond.

Phil Collinson hit 22 before being caught by Joe Gale and Gareth Fleming scored an unbeaten 14 as Stags managed to reach 130.

It was mostly doom and gloom in the clubhouse at tea, with most Norden followers having decided that defeat was on the cards and that Walsden would take the points towards the title.

There were one or two who held a different view, but even they could not have imagined what was to come.

With only two on the board Walsden lost their first wicket when Shubham Harkel blasted a Malik delivery to be caught close to the boundary and just backward of deep square leg by Martin Smith.

Malik “the king of swing” had opened the bowling at the Shawfield end due to Chris Hartley being injured, and he struck again on four when he got Jake Hooson leg before.
It became 6-3 when Smith pegged Nick Barker leg before, and 7-4 when Fleming took a good catch to remove Karunaratne.

Two runs later Matt Dawson was victim of a leg before decision, and the innings was in tatters.

Steve Barker and Joe Gale held off the Norden attack for a time before the latter was bowled by Salpietro.

Josh Gale quickly followed, leg before to the professional, and when Barker was pouched by North, after scoring 19, it was really all over.

Danny Howley was caught behind, and Walsden’s title hopes were finally extinguished when Fleming threw the ball over the stumps for Gowers to complete Shackleton’s run out – Walsden all out for 54.

Norden

S Harman st Howley b Josh Gale 18
D Salpietro lbw Karunaratne 36
S North b Karunaratne 2
A Gowers c Joe Gale b Josh Gale 5
G Tattersall lbw Josh Gale 4
M Smith b Josh Gale 2
P Docker lbw Josh Gale 5
H Malik c Joe Gale b Josh Gale 0
P Collinson c Joe Gale b Josh Gale 22
G Fleming not out 14
C Hartley b Karunaratne 5
Extras 17
Total 130
Bowling: Shackleton 5-0-28-0; Joe Gale 7-2-21-0; Karunaratne 15.4-4-30-3; Josh Gale 13-2-47-7.

Walsden

J Hooson lbw Malik 2
S Harkel c Smith b Malik 0
N Barker lbw Smith 2
M Dawson lbw Malik 3
U Karunaratne c Fleming b Malik 0
S Barker c North b Malik 19
Joe Gale b Salpietro 8
Josh Gale lbw Salpietro 2
K Halstead not out 7
D Howley c Gowers b Malik 5
J Shackleton run out 0
Extras 6
Total 54
Bowling: Smith 9-2-19-1; Malik 14-6-20-6; Salpietro 5.1-1-10-2.