What an extraordinary weekend for Newton Aycliffe Cricket Club as their various teams won all eight games that were played and the brief details are as follows:
The club’s 1st team, sponsored by Franks the Flooring Store, had a nerve jangling two run victory away at Maltby 1st XI in the NYSD second division. Aycliffe were asked to bat first and scored a respectable 214 all out after 46 overs. Captain, Sam Telford (sponsored by the Fairhursts), top scored with 61 off 48 balls, including seven boundaries and two sixes. Special mention must go to both Luke Telford, who scored 39 off 43 balls and in the process passed the notable milestone of 5,000 runs for Aycliffe, and Chris Palmer, who became the first player in the club’s history to play 700 games for Aycliffe. In reply, Maltby started brightly and were up with the required run rate, but excellent bowling from spinners Matty Greaves (5 for 63) and Luke Telford (2 for 64) helped peg them back to 158 for 8 to leave Aycliffe in the driving seat. However, the homeside kept fighting and they were within three runs of their winning target when James Layfield-Carroll bowled their last man in the 50th over to give Aycliffe victory by the narrowest of margins.
To cap a remarkable day for the club’s senior teams, the 2nd XI also had an equally nail biting end to their game when they beat Maltby 2nds by just one wicket in the NYSD 4th division. The visitors chose to bat first and scored a very challenging 193 for 4 in their allotted 40 overs, despite Ramzan Hussain (2 for 22), Tom Dearden (1 for 26) and Dan Heaton (1 for 32) all bowling well for Aycliffe. In reply, opener Nathan Stokeld helped Aycliffe to a solid start with 42 runs from 81 balls and he had good support from Dan Bowmer (21 from 33 balls), but they lost wickets a regular intervals. Sixteen year old Dan Heaton (sponsored by Ian Hatty Hannant), came to the crease with his side in trouble at 86 for 4, still needing 107 from just 14 overs and he immediately set about the visitors bowling, hitting them to all parts of the ground. The score was a perilous 156 for 9 when last man Leo Stout joined Heaton at the crease but, undaunted by their situation, the pair batted superbly putting on an unbroken 40 run partnership for the 10th wicket taking their side to the narrowest of victories. Heaton eventually finished his match changing innings with a career best 63 not out off 40 balls, including eight boundaries and three big sixes with Stout scoring an unbeaten 16 not out off 13 balls, including three boundaries as the pair reached their winning target with just 8 balls in hand.
A weakened U17’s put in a tremendous performance to win away at Darlington by 28 runs in the NYSD Junior League. After choosing to bat first, Aycliffe were dismissed for 90 after 17.4 overs with Leo Stout (27 runs) and Adam Shaw (23 runs) both batting well. In reply, Aycliffe bowled superbly, with Dan Heaton (3 for 7) and Ramzan Hussain (3 for 20) the pick of the bowlers as the homeside were bowled out for 62 off 17.3 overs.
The Club’s U11’s got back to winning ways with a thumping 90 run win at home against Norton in the NYACC League. Captain Daniel Collett (16 not out) and Jack Collingwood (16 runs) both batted well and Miles Telford and Harvey Palmer led the way with the ball taking two wickets apiece. They next day they defeated Darlington RA by 31 runs, which was helped by an excellent all round performance by captain Miles Telford, who top scored with 21 and then took 3 for 7 with the ball.
Aycliffe’s Senior Ladies team reached the semi-final of the NYSD 100 cup after defeating local rivals Sedgefield by 21 runs. There were stand out performances with the bat by Tina Masterman (16 runs) and with the ball by Natasha Grainger (2 for 10) and two cracking catches by Madison Dixon. The next day the Ladies had a massive 121 run win at home to Sacriston in the Durham Womens League. All rounders Lucinda Hall (23 runs and 2 for 3) and Ashley Kell (22 runs and 2 for 5) both played well as did Tina Masterman who again shone with the bat when she top scored with an unbeaten 31.
The U11’s girls consolidated their position at the top of the Durham league after a comfortable victory by 79 runs away at Willington and there were excellent performances with the bat from both Hope Thomson (21 runs) and Kate Norman (12 runs).
Photo: The young second team batsmen Daniel Heaton and Leo Stout after their match winning 10th wicket partnership against Maltby.