THERE were a few twists and turns along the way for Barney on Saturday but the one that mattered most was off the last ball of the match.
With Premier division leaders Marton needing two runs to win, they ran one as Chris Veazey clipped Josh Bousfield towards mid-wicket.
The two looked on but Bousfield ran towards the ball, twisted and turned, threw with dead-eye accuracy towards the wicketkeeper and Veazey was run out.
The scores were level and Barney had 12 points when otherwise they might have had five.
Although the champions stay third, with Richmond taking over at the top after their sixth win in seven matches and Marton now second, those extra points may prove crucial.
For much of the afternoon it looked as though they would prove elusive.
Rain delayed the start and reduced the match to 35 overs a side.
James Quinn, who could hardly lose a toss last season, is finding that the coin is having its revenge this summer and Barney were asked to bat.
Mike Dixon and James Wainman gave them a solid start before both were out close together.
Hashan Dumindu, short of runs lately, played pleasingly along with Quinn and Richard Borrowdale too added some late runs.
But Barney never quite managed to put their foot firmly on the gas towards the end of their innings and seemed a few runs short.
When Marton started crisply to deny Barney the early wickets that seemed necessary, a defeat loomed into view.
But Barney kept at it, their fielding tightened and Rob Dixon, Finn Usher and Quinn all applied the squeeze.
Quinn took the significant wicket when he bowled Marton opener Lee Hodgson with 12 wanted.
Bousfield was recalled for the last over with six needed and he kept his nerve admirably to take the match to a draw.
Barney
J Wainman st Veazy b Hussain 28, M Dixon c Hussain b Connolly 29, H Dumindu c Hodgson b Wardell 54, J Quinn c Spillane b Hussain 22, R Borrowdale c Sajjad b Hussain 25, G Creedon not out 2, P Merryweather st Veazey b Hussain1, J Bousfield run out 1, Extras 4, Total (35 overs) 166-7
Bowling: L Hodgson 7-1-28-0,L Gettings 5-0-23-0, M Connolly 5-1-21-1, F Hussain 11-1-46-4, A Wardell 7-0-45-1
Marton
J Spillane b R Dixon 36, L Hodgson b Quinn 83, A Sajjad c Bousfield b Quinn 12, T Urwin not out 21, C Veazey run out 9, Extras 5, Total (35 overs, 166-4)
Bowling: J Bousfield 6-1-21-0, J Wainman 5-0-21-0, G Creedon 3-0-23-0, R Dixon 6-1-17-1, F Usher 9-2-43-0, J Quinn 6-0-37-2
Match drawn.
Barnard Castle II v Marton II
THE selectors could consider themselves well and truly nudged after Richard Watson’s latest exploits on Saturday.
Left out of first team three weeks ago, he scored his third successive century for the seconds.
Although he offered a couple of chances it was another well-ordered, intelligent innings which contained 13 fours.
Owen Peddelty was hardly less impressive and the pair put on 189 runs for the second wicket.
Adam Smith and Tom Merryweather (31 from 15 balls) added the acceleration at the end of the innings.
The total of 267 was daunting but Marton, never remotely interested in trying to win, played cannily and only when the spinners came on did it look as though they might succumb.
In the event, the leg spin of Watson and Theo Truss was somewhat improbably repelled.
Barney 267 for 4 (50 overs, R Watson 110no, O Peddelty 75, T Merryweather 31); Marton 138-8 )50 overs, R Matthes 44, J Swan 24, R Watson 4-27, T Merryweather 2-43).
Match drawn.
Barnard Castle III v
Richmondshire III
AMID high tension, Barney held on for a draw with one wicket left on Sunday.
Captain Shane Mullery, who had performed with utmost calm, could only watch at the other end as last man John Lucas successfully defended the last four balls of the match.
Richmond’s imposing total was never in view, though it was not as large as it could have been after the first wicket pair of veteran Clive Layfield and star junior Tom Ward shared a century partnership.
Theo Truss brought the stand to an end and bowled an extremely steady spell of 10 overs.
Barney started with determination through Owen Peddelty and Andrew Gedye and there were several pleasing contributions throughout the order, not least from Johnny Burgess, whose correct strokeplay caught the eye.
Richmond plugged away with Jordon Moss’s spin causing problems and the return of seamer Harvey Websdale threatened to end Barney’s resistance.
But the home side just held on in an good advertisement for the draw in local cricket.
Richmondshire 191-7 (40 overs, C Layfield 57, T Ward 37, T Triss 2-35, S Mullery 2-57); Barney 145-9 (O Peddelty 29, J Burgess 23, A Gedye 22, J Toulson 16, J Moss 4-27, H Websdale 2-32). Match drawn.
Barney U 17s v
Richmondshire U 17s
Barney recorded an emphatic victory to reach the final of the Junior North Cup.
Their bowling was usually accurate and helped by two run outs early on, they successfully applied pressure in the middle overs.
With Richmond missing two key players on other cricketing duties, Ralph Makepeace and Finn Usher played enjoyably in reaching the target with no fuss.
Richmondshire 76 all out (16.2 overs, H MacFarkane 14, F Makepeace 4-8, T Truss 2-17); Barney 77-0 (10.2 overs (F Usher 35no, R Makepeace 34no) Barney won by 10 wickets.
DARLINGTON AND district cricket league
A CENTURY by captain Gary Walker steered Barningham to an emphatic win over East Cowton on Saturday.
The team put on an impressive 310 for eight in their 40 overs, with Adam Bellwood (50), Rob Stanwix (47) and William Morris (35) making contributions to the total.
Despite 102 by John Clark East Cowton could only muster 209 for eight runs in reply. Carl Irving was the pick of the Barningham bowlers picking up four wickets, with Adam Bellwood picking up another two.
Raby Castle bundled out Aldbrough St John cheaply for 59 in the 23 over in what proved to be a close game.
Peter Forster was the pick of the bowlers taking four wickets while conceding only six runs. Simon Lee and James Forster took two scalps each with Joe Beadle and Gareth Walton mopping up the rest.
Raby got off to struggling start losing opening bat Joe Dent for a golden duck.
James Foster (23) and Peter Foster (11) were the only Raby batsmen to reach double figures as the side limped to 60 for six to take a victory.
David Mathias took four for 11 for Albrough.
In other league results Middleton St George reached 140 with the loss of four wickets after bundling Cliffe out for 139.
Haughton (135-4) enjoyed a victory over Nunthorpe (132-9) and Richmondshire (203-1) beat Barton (134 all out).
West Park's reply of 148-6 was not enough against Spennymoor 162-6 in a match that was reduced to 38 overs.
In the B division Raby Castle II had a dreadful spell with the bat losing all of their wickets for just 29 runs against Oxbridge.
Rob Kirkup top scored with 17 runs in an innings that featured six ducks.
Oxbridge's openers Ian Sutherland and Adam Caveney carried their bats to win the match by 10 wickets.
Evenwood vs Langley
SOME poor shot selection led to batting collapses on both sides in a match that could have gone either way between Evenwood and Langley Park.
Langley won the toss at Evenwood’s Randolph Social Ground and their choice to bat first seemed a good decision as they reached 83 without loss.
But in dramatic fashion, wth a fifer that included a hat-trick Evenwood for pro Muhammad Yasin, the Langley lads endede their innings 108 all out.
Evenwood recovered from a poorish start which saw Luke Bannister out for a duck to make 79 for twoand seemed on course for victory.
However, in a style reminiscent of Langley’s innings, a breakthrough saw wickets tumble successively.
Falling from 106–8 to 106–9 it was up to the 11th batsman Regan Maughan to round off the victory. He did so with a four that slipped through a fieldsman’s fingers.
