Cricket: Norden hold on to top spot in Lancashire League

Norden Cricket Club became the first club this season to hold on to top spot in the JW Lees Lancashire League for more than one week when they claimed a comfortable home win over Church on Saturday 1 June.

Church were dismissed for 85, and it would have been much worse for them had Levi Wolfenden not scored 40.

Norden lost three wickets in reply, but there was never any doubt about where the points were going as Lee Crabtree extended his fine form with an unbeaten 28.

Crabtree had earlier taken two catches for Norden behind the stumps as wickets tumbled, the first of them going to a good diving forward slips catch by Dominic Humphreys.

Church had no answers to the bowling of Chris Humphreys and Jake Sandham, and it became three down when the lighting quick Crabtree whipped off the bails to see off visiting professional Dayyaan Galiem.

Wolfenden stuck in, but fourth out was Joel Gaskill who fell to a good slips catch by Chris Humphreys.

It became 32-5 when Philip Gilrane shaped up for a forward defensive shot, got it wrong, and was bowled by Chris Humphreys.

Jake Sandham picked up his third wicket, Hashum Malik eventually got Wolfenden, thanks to a catch by Greg Butterworth, and Butterworth cleaned up the tail to finish with three for 15.

The only downside for Norden was that Chris Humphreys couldn’t complete his eighth over due to injury, although he did continue in the field.

Norden's innings saw Josh Tolley out for six, caught in the slips.

Harvey Fitton smacked two sixes, but was bowled by Galiem in the next over, and Saif Bhojani was bowled by a slight lifter from Wolfenden.

There were no problems for Norden from then on as Sandham and Crabtree knocked off the runs.

The impressive Crabtree hit 28 runs, which included two sixes.

Church

• S Crabtree c D Humphreys b C Humphreys 0
• C Fergusson c Crabtree b Sandham 6
• JP Gaskill c C Humphreys b Sandham 10
• AD Galiem st Crabtree b C Humphreys 7
• L Wolfenden c Butterworth b Malik 40
• P Gilrane b C Humphreys 1
• JW Gaskill b Sandham 1
• S Tucker c Pimm b Butterworth 12
• P McDonough lbw Butterworth 0
• L Dyson not out 1
• N Young c J Humphreys b Butterworth 0
• Extras 7
• Total 85
• Bowling: Sandham 11-5-24-3; C Humphreys 7.2-3-12-3; Malik 7.4-2-31-1; Butterworth 5.2-1-15-3.

Norden

• J Tolley c Gilrane b Wolfenden 6
• H Fitton b Galiem 15
• S Bhojani b Wolfenden 7
• J Sandham not out 13
• L Crabtree not out 28
• Extras 18
• Total (for 3 wkts) 87
• Bowling: Galiem 8.5-2-50-1; Wolfenden 8-0-36-2