Newton Aycliffe Cricket Club’s 1st team team sponsored by Lift Right Fork Lift Training, secured their fifth consecutive win after a hard fought 32 run victory away at Yarm 2nd’s in the NYSD 3rd division.
Electing to bat first, Aycliffe struggled to get any momentum in their innings with only Chris Palmer (49 runs), Dan Craggs (22 runs) and Michael Howe (16 runs) emerging with any credit as they were bowled out for 182, with almost 13 out of their allotted 50 overs still remaining.
Aycliffe fast bowlers Dan Craggs and Michael Howe bowled an aggressive opening spell to put the homeside under pressure at 29 for 4. However, despite another three wicket haul by Aycliffe left arm spinner Luke Telford, Yarm appeared to be inching their way towards their winning target.
The return of paceman Craggs had the desired effect as he bowled superbly to mop up the tail and finished with a season’s best 5 for 48 to dismiss the hosts for 150 after 54.5 tiring overs. Its 10 years since the 1st team won five successive league games and their tremendous run of victories has taken them up to 4th place in the league and handily placed for a push at promotion at their first attempt.
The previous week, the first team won away at Bishop Auckland 2nd’s by 108 runs with major contributions coming from Michael Howe, who scored a brilliant 58 and Sam Telford with 45 as Aycliffe totalled an impressive 211 all out after 48.4 overs. In reply the homeside were blown away by some superb Aycliffe bowling as they were dismissed for just 103 after 38.4 overs with Luke Telford taking 4 for 35, Sean Morgan 3 for 9 and man of the match Michael Howe 3 for 28.
The 2nd team travelled to Hartlepool and were beaten by 10 wickets, however there was some joy for Aycliffe as 18 year old Dan Weldon scored his maiden senior NYSD half century with a chanceless unbeaten innings of 51.
Dan Weldon and 15 year old Pat Howe (16 not out) batted surperbly together to set a new 2nd team club record 9th wicket partnership of 72 as they rescued their team’s score from a paltry 77 for 8 to a more respectable 149 for 8 after 45 overs. However, Hartlepool reached to their winning target in the 30th over without losing a wicket.
This week the 2nd team lost at home by 6 wickets to Thornaby 3rd team after the visitors chased down their victory target in the 26th over. Earlier Aycliffe totalled 127 in their innings with new captain Adam Gittins leading from the front with an excellent unbeaten 45 and he received good support from Ben Nicholson with a fluent 24.
The under 18’s team were desperately unlucky to lose away at Langley Park by 6 wickets off the penultimate ball. Batting first Aycliffe score 91 for 7 in their 20 overs with Tom Wickins and James Skerrett both scoring 18 and 12 year old Adam Lamb finished unbeaten with 10.
Two wickets each from captain Dan Weldon and Tom Wickins had the home side in trouble at 48 for 4, but an unbroken 5th wicket partnership of 44 took the game away from Aycliffe.
Newton Aycliffe’s under 11’s had a brilliant 29 run home win against Blackhall in the NYACC league. Lucas Pilling and guest player Josh Weldon from Australia both jointly top scored with 10 not out and the rest of the team also batted superby and did not lose any wickets during their innings, which is the first time that this feat has ever been done by the club’s under 11’s team.
