ALL present and correct. Barney began their defence of the NYSD League title with a 177 run win over promoted Billingham Synthonia in which many, if not all, of the pieces of the jigsaw fitted together comfortably.
Barney’s innings was paced to perfection with three players making half centuries after which the bowlers went clinically about their work in ensuring that Sythonia never had a sniff of the target.
There was a large crowd to witness the proceedings on a sunny opening day to the 2019 Premier Division and they were royally entertained.
After being asked to bat and not minding a bit, Barney lost a wicket to the third ball of the match.
New professional James Wainman had to play at a ball that moved away from him, edged it and was caught behind. That was the only false note in the innings.
Mike Dixon and Hashan Dumindu rattled merrily along for a while to provide a platform, Dixon playing a couple of lovely on drives. When Dixon went lbw, Dumindu and James Quinn enjoyed themselves in putting on 98 for the third wicket.
Dumindu, returning as overseas pro for a second season, was as usual cautious but pounced on anything short of a length, Quinn’s cover drive was in elegant order.
Quinn was out just before the drinks break attempting to bring the auction mart into play after hitting ten fours and Dumindu immediately after, caught on the back foot to one of the few balls that turned.
If that provided a glimmer of light to the persevering Synthonia spinners it was quickly extinguished. Only Martin Cull escaped undue punishment. Richard Borrowdale and Pat Roberts, in differing styles put on 110 for the fifth wicket at more than a run a ball.
Borrowdale was merciless, his 65 coming from 50 balls and containing six sixes, three of which threatened damage to the pavilion roof. Roberts, a new signing, was more measured but his well-ordered 43no came from only 47 balls.
A daunting task was made more improbable quickly for the visitors.
Josh Bousfield was on the spot immediately, moving the ball away from an off stump line. He had both openers to catches behind the wicket and a mini-revival marshalled by the Italian international JP Meade came to nothing.
Rob Dixon was immediately accurate to destabilise the middle order and after the spinners had a brief outing, Bousfield was brought back to finish off the tail in short order. He deserved his five wickets.
Barney
J Wainman c Holmes b Harper 0, M Dixon lbw T Wing 22; H Dumindu b Cull 77, J Quinn c T Wing b Cull 53, R Borrowdale c McNicholas b Cull 65, P Roberts not out 43, Extras 5 Total 25 for 5 (50 overs)
Bowling – T Harper 6-1-36-1; T Wing 9-1-48-1; JP Meade 5-1-22-0; M Cull 15-2-56-3; M Yuill 13-0-73-0; E Wing 2-0-27-0
Synthonia
C Atkinson c Watson b Bousfield 0; E Holmes c Merryweather b Bousfield 1; JP Meade c Merryweather b Bousfield 30; Iqbal Khan lbw Dixon 10; T Wing lbw Dixon 2; B Brown not out 19; T Harper c&b Creedon 1; E Wing c Roberts b Dixon 0; M Yuill run out 0; M Price b Bousfield 15; M Cull b Bousfield 0, Extras 10, Total 88 all out (36.1 overs)
Bowling – J Bousfield 10.1-4-18-5; J Wainman 9-2-37-0; R Dixon 7-5-4-3; G Creedon 7-3-16-1; R Watson 3-1-11-0
Barney won by 177 runs
Norton v Barney II
BARNEY II continued their excellent start to the season at Norton. There were several notable individual returns but perhaps the most outstanding was young leg-spinner Theo Truss’s 5-26. He frequently had Norton’s batsman in knots, unable to read leg spinner or wrong ’un.
Barney made short work of chasing the target, helped by a multitude of no balls and there were 43 extras in all.
Owen Peddelty again looked composed as he and Cameron McKnight gave Barney a start from which the win was inevitable.
McKnight and Adam Bainbridge, returning for a guest stunt as captain, finished the match in style.
Norton 167 all out (48.2 overs, D Cross 37, A Fenby 35, C Jones 29, T Truss 5-26, S Mullery 2-18, F Usher 2-32)
Barney 168-2 (C McKnight 73no, O Peddelty 30, A Bainbridge 22no, C Atkinson 2-42) Barney won by eight wickets
Barney III v Seaton Carew III
TWO young sides provided a feast of entertainment for another bumper crowd on Easter Sunday.
Tom Merryweather enjoyed himself hugely while making sure that Barney’s innings did not subside with Finn Usher, Shane Mullery and Theo Truss all helping along the way. His 60 came from 63 balls with 10 fours.
Seaton Carew had their moments in reply but for the second time in two days the spin combination of Usher and Truss proved the opponents’ undoing.
It sealed a splendid weekend and start to the season for the club with four wins from four matches.
Barney 144 all out (36.4 overs, T Merryweather 60, F Usher 20, S Milburn 3-21, J Bell 2-19, E Taylor 2-19); Seaton Carew 106 all out (E Taylor 23, T Truss 4-16, F Usher 4-34)
Barney won by 38 runs
Barney 1st XI travel to Acklam Park on Saturday to face Middlesbrough whose new professional Jack Newby hit an unbeaten 140 on the opening day. Barney 2nd XI are at home to in-form Stockton.
The matches start 1t 12.30pm.
On Sunday Barney begin their National Cup campaign with a first round home tie against Harrogate.
