NYSD Cricket League

WHILE the final Bank Holiday weekend of the summer' will see a double league programme of activity, all eyes will be focused on Marton on Sunday when the third Surridge Sport NYSD Fifteens Finals day takes place.

The first ever coloured clothing competition in the north has quickly become established as the brand leader in club cricket and the last two finals days have attracted large crowds.

Marton are fully geared up for an exciting day, with entertainment including the TFM Roadshow, a Bungee Run and a dance act (World Cup style).

But the main event is the cricket and fittingly a Marton team sets proceedings in motion when they play Redcar in the Division 2 final at 10.30am. Darlington then take on Middlesbrough in the Division 1 final at 1.30, leading up to the Premier final at 4.30 between Great Ayton and Middlesbrough.

In league terms, Middlesbrough need a further 45 points to be assured of the title but it is quite possible they could be crowned on Monday if other results go their way. Their double starts with a home game against Marton, followed by a trip to Normanby Hall, although skipper Danny Evans will miss what could be a momentous weekend as he is still on holiday.

Only Guisborough still carry a mathematical chance of catching the Boro, and they entertain struggling Hartlepool before travelling to Marton. The Priorymen bring in Dave Goodchild in place of Simon Filer, but Hartlepool go into one of the most critical double programmes in their history without Michael Gough, who will be donning the white coat for his first ever stint in the middle in a county championship match.

Pools do have skipper Ian Palmer back at the helm, with their second game of the weekend being a Park Drive encounter with Darlington, who have Paul Raine back from holiday.

Redcar will be keeping a close eye on Pools results as they try to gather as many points as possible from their away trip to Northallerton and their home match with Billingham. They do have all-rounder John Davis back in harness, he has been on a trip around Europe and missed a substantial number of games as a result.

Great Ayton started their campaign with Riaz Afridi missing six league matches, and they then lost more games to the weather than any other side during July and August. That they enter the Bank Holiday weekend still with a chance of finishing third in the league, and making the first of two major final appearances, represents another outstanding season for the villagers.

Their long weekend starts at Billingham, continues with the 15s final against Boro, and ends with Marske visiting Leven Park. Matt Wilkinson misses the first league match, but returns for the other two to put the Aytonians at full strength for three days that they hope will see another historical notch added to their bedpost.

A last ball victory for leaders Middlesbrough, and defeat in exactly the same way for struggling Normanby Hall, provided ecstasy and heartbreak in equal proportions last weekend when there was hardly a result that wasn't expected.

Boro, playing without four of their senior players, won at Hartlepool to edge ever closer to retaining the championship, but it meant Pool stayed too close for comfort to the relegation zone even though bottom club Redcar, who are in most danger of the drop, lost again.

Paul Johnston, playing against his former clubmates at Park Drive, hit another splendid half century to share in an opening stand of 70 before Chetnya Nanda (44 and 5-37) destroyed the home side. Alan Tebbett (30) rallied Pool late in the match but was caught from the very last ball by one of Boro's stand-in second teamers.

Guisborough batted well enough at Richmond to reach 219-6 with Martin Hood (79) taking the honours. But they were faced with an opening stand of 117 between Michael Layfield (62) and James Clarkson (58) before five wickets for Paul Goodchild put them back in with a chance of victory.

Home pro Shanuka Dissanayake hit 33 to keep the game alive for Richmond who finished on 202-7.

All out for just 52, Redcar were swamped by Bishop Auckland who, at the interval, must have thought their total of 124 was well short. Tariq Aziz (7-39) produced his best analysis of the season but Jack Conway (5- 13) and Carl McGregor (3-6) hit back in a 12-over burst for the Bishops. The Seasiders survived just 28 overs with opener Paul Rodgers, who made 17, their top scorer.

Normanby Hall came close to getting extra points needed in their fight for safety as they fought for a draw at Marton. But defeat from the last ball was cruel and the result of a late batting recovery by the home side led first by John Glendennen (30), and carried through by Chris Simpson (35no), who needed five runs from the last over including the single he scored from that final delivery.

In the Normanby innings of 169-7, Henry Blackett (50) and Duminda Perera (47) shared a stand of 65. Marton's Dean Kirby (4-86 from 25 overs) and Mohammed Zahid (3-66 from 23 overs) showed great accuracy to keep their side in touch.

Great Ayton celebrated getting on the field for once when they defeated Northallerton by four wickets thanks to Matt Wilkinson (48) and Riaz Afridi (5-66 from 22 overs).

'Allerton recovered from 88-8 with a timely half-century from Andrew Fishburn, who was drafted in from the seconds to keep wicket and finished with his highest senior score. After finally setting a target of 146, Alex Roberts and Jon Barnes, who each took three wickets, made Ayton fight for their victory.

Billingham Synthonia's Sri Lankan professional, Nisal Randika, hit the day's only century which was his second of the season. He took apart the Marske bowling to reach 110 from 129 balls including seven fours and three sixes. His hundred came from 114 balls and it featured a stand of 131 for the second wicket with his captain, David Fairley (48). Marske allowed the game to drift to a dreary draw, finishing 70 runs behind Synthonia's 215-8 with four wickets still intact.

In Division One it is now simply a case of whether Barnard Castle can overcome Thornaby's remaining 20-point lead following a rain raddled weekend in which they lopped 24 points off the deficit. Intriguingly the pair still have to meet twice in league combat in games which will clearly decide the championship outcome.

The League's representative side made history last Sunday, as they swept to glory in the League Cricket Conference's prestigious Presidents Trophy.

While this was the ninth national title in their illustrious history, it carried additional significance because of the fact that they brushed aside all the ECB Premier League challenges put before them.

After swamping the Cheshire Premier in the quarter-final, and then defeating the Liverpool Premier in the semis by eight wickets to become the first non-ECB Premier League to reach the final since the radical change to the structure of league cricket in 2000, they cemented their place in the record books by once again winning on foreign soil, defeating the Nottinghamshire Premier by a convincing six wickets.

Having won an important toss, the NYSD lads exploited the conditions to good effect. Jon Barnes was his usual miserly self and when he bowled key man Darren Bicknell, the home side never really recovered. From a position of 80-3 at the 25 over drinks break, Notts limped to 152-9 at the close with Paul Goodchild grabbing five wickets and also clinging on to a superb outfield catch.

NYSD skipper James Lowe then played brilliantly to anchor the run chase, the only real wobble coming when the fourth wicket fell with 43 still needed and time running out. But Darren Hickey marched in to smack three sixes and three fours and rush the NYSD to victory with six wickets and five overs to spare.

Hickey was undefeated on 34, made from just 18 balls, and Lowe was deservedly at the crease when victory arrived with 63 to his name.

There remains one last challenge awaiting the League - last year the ECB's inaugural national inter-league champions playoff took place where the two national conference champions met for the right to be called the best league representative side in the country.

As League Cricket Conference champions, the NYSD will now take on current holders, Middlesex at Kidderminster on August 31 for the ultimate prize.