Barnard Castle Cricket Club
THE wait continues for Barney’s first win but at least the delay is being conducted in some style.
For the second week in succession they had by far the better of a drawn match, for the second week in succession the opposition were hanging on by their fingertips.
Middlesbrough were 199-8 in reply to Barney’s 243-6 on Saturday, grateful to avoid defeat after abandoning any ideas of chasing the target with ten overs left.
The centrepiece of the day was a wonderful maiden century in his only third innings for Barney scored by the 21-year-old professional Samarth Seth.
It was a glittering contribution which deserved to propel his team to victory.
Seth was commanding almost throughout, hitting the ball hard and often.
There were ten fours and seven sixes in his 112 struck to all corners of the ground and marked by both timing and power.
Nor was it a one-man show. Captain James Quinn showed a welcome return to form, unfurling a series of handsome trademark cover drives with the promise of many more to come when he was run out.
That ended a third wicket partnership which was looking decidedly threatening for Middlesbrough after their new ball pair of Harry Williams and the hugely promising Alfie Taylor-Clarke had made life difficult at the start.
Seth barely broke stride and found an adhesive partner in Finn Usher in a stand of 107. If Usher was a junior sidekick he provided some delightful strokes of his own – one swept six was particularly pleasing - and his role should not be underestimated.
Barney’s total was sufficient to provide a high degree of scoreboard pressure. But with James Lowe at the top of the order Middlesbrough were capable of challenging.
Lowe and Matthew Bell looked full of intent early on before the introduction of Rob West prompted a wicket.
The course of the match seemed to have altered in five minutes when three wickets went down for one run. West deceived Lowe and took a return catch via inside and pad while Karl Carver produced two beauties.
When Middlesbrough lost their fifth wicket at 100 they were deep in the mire. But Joe Gaudie played a determined and well-balanced innings and found plenty of support.
Barney changed the bowling, tried various attacking options but a benign pitch and batsmen willing to take risks left them still winless.
Barney
J Clarkson lbw Williams 1, O Peddelty c Peare b Taylor-Clarke 13, J Quinn run out 36, S Seth c Whittle b Williams 112, R Borrowdale c&b Lowe 5, F Usher not out 46, K Carver c Whittle b Williams 15, J Bousfield not out 2, Extras 13 Total 243 for 6 (50 overs)
Bowling – A Taylor-Clarke 11-1-40-1, H Williams 13-2-73-3,A Shrindal 9-0-26-0, J Lowe 12-0-63-1, M Bell 5-0-34-0
Middlesbrough
J Lowe c&b West 37, M Bell c Carver b West 17, C Pearce b Bousfield 18, A Ditta lbw Carver 0, S Gaudie b Carver 0, J Gaudie not out 73, J Whittle C Usher b Dixon 18, A Taylor-Clarke run out 15, M Maloy c Borrowdale b Usher 2, A Shrindal not out 0, Extras 19 Total 199-8 (50 overs)
Bowling: J Bousfield 9-1-47-1, R Dixon 10-2-39-1, K Carver 15-2-48-2, R West 7-0-34-2, F Usher 9-0-30-1
Match drawn
Rockcliffe Park v Barney II
IN another thrilling match Barney II were narrowly defeated at Rockcliffe Park on Saturday. A valiant half century by Richard Watson almost took them to victory but he was finally out, bowled for 62 with 12 still wanted.
Barney were in the hunt all the way, losing wickets regularly but keeping the board ticking over merrily. The match was streamed live from Rockliffe and spectators at Barney’s first XI match were thus able to watch both sides.
Rockliffe are one of the teams likely to be challenging for promotion from Division Two and a typically entertaining Barney side did well to restrict them to 180 with captain and opening batsman Dan Douglas top scorer.
Seamer Adam Smith came back well after an expensive start and Watson’s leg spin was useful as usual.
Five Barney batsman reached double figures but none stayed round quite long enough to give Watson the support to get them over the line as Douglas came on as second change to seal victory.
Rockliffe Park 180 all out (44.2 overs, D Douglas 48, M Lockey 38, A Smith 4-36, R Watson 3-31). Barney 169 all out (R Watson 62, I Swinburn 20, C McKnight 17, D Douglas 4-34, A Ryan 4-38)
Rockliffe Park won by 11 runs
