Newton Aycliffe’s 1st team, sponsored by Franks the Flooring Store, won a low scoring game by 36 runs at home to relegation threatened Blackhall 1st XI in the NYSD second division. The visitors won the toss and unsurprisingly asked Aycliffe to bat first on a wicket made damp after very heavy overnight rain. Aycliffe struggled early in their innings on a tricky wicket and were thankful for a typically tenacious innings by Adam Gittins, who held the innings together and top scored with 30 off 99 balls. Terence Smit (25 off 49 balls), Sam Telford (20 off 14 balls) and Chris Palmer (20 off 32 balls) all scored valuable runs to help push Aycliffe’s total to 139 all out after 46.2 overs.
In reply, Blackhall also found scoring runs difficult as opening bowlers James Layfield-Carroll (2 for 47) and Leo Mercy (1 for 14) helped reduce them to 48 for 3. Spin bowler Luke Telford (sponsored by Dean and Tina Greaves) then got to work and finished with his season’s best figures of 5 for 19 off 12.5 overs and with good support from fellow spinner Matty Greaves (1 for 13) they helped dismiss the visitors for 103 from 39.5 overs, giving Aycliffe a deserved victory by 36 runs.
With only three games remaining, Aycliffe’s first team move up to 6th place in the NYSD 2nd division table with 217 points from 19 games played.
Photo: Aycliffe’s left arm off spin bowler Luke Telford in action.