Last updated 13:28, Thursday, 24 July 2008

WITH only one second division game escaping yet another soggy Dickinson Dees West Tyne League weekend, the focus switched to Sunday’s knockout cup finals double header at Priors Flat in Hexham.

Knockout! Humshaugh celebrate their West Tyne League Division Two knockout success

Stamfordham featured in both first and second division finals, and whilst unsuccessful in both, they earned plaudits all round.

FIRST DIVISION KO CUP FINALNEWTON vSTAMFORDHAMNewton won by 8 wickets

Newton won the toss and elected to bowl after a delayed start due to some afternoon showers.

Stamfordham got off to a shaky start when Robson picked up a wicket in the second over.

Stamfordham were 24-3 in the fifth over, but Bell then knuckled down to score a good 42 not out, hitting two big sixes on the way.

Robson, Newton, C. Telfer and Tate all bowled well and shared the five wickets around them.

They were backed up by a very good fielding performance.

In pursuit of 110, Newton got off to a disastrous start when they lost two wickets in Schofield’s over to be 0-2.

But Tate, with a magnificent unbeaten 71, brilliantly supported by Balkwill who finished 33 not out, took Newton home with 13 balls to spare.

STAMFORDHAM: I. Donkin c Balkwill b Newton 16; N. Weller c Taylor b Robson 1; D. Bell b Robson 7; R. Urwin b Telfer 15; M. Bell not out 42; J. Urwin c Telfer b Tate 19; R. Gardener not out 4; extras 6; total 110-5.

Bowling: M. Newton 6-0-28-1; D. Robson 6-0-36-2; C. Telfer 4-0-19-1; E. Tate 4-0-23-1.

NEWTON: A. Bowery c Donkin b Schofield 0; E. Tate not out 71; R. Davis lbw b Schofield 0; J. Balkwill not out 33; extras 10; total 114-7.

Bowling: J. Schofield 4-1-19-2; M. Blight 3-0-29-0; I. Donkin 5-0-18-0; R. Urwin 3-0-31-0; J. Urwin 2-0-7-0; M. Bell 0.1-0-4-0.

DIVISION TWO KO CUP FINAL

STAMFORDHAM v HUMSHAUGH II

Humshaugh won by one run

The young dudes of Humshaugh 2nd X1 took a highly experienced Stamfordham right to the wire in the Tyne Valley League second division cup, and snatched the prize.

Chris Heslop – lasher of Leazes and wrecker of Wark – took three wickets in his final over to shatter Stamfordham dreams of a cup double, and closed with figures of four overs 4-21.

That made it three astonishing wins in nine days for Humshaugh.

Under the calm guidance of Tony Gradwell, not altogether an ancient himself, but by turns poker-faced and sunny, Humshaugh batted calmly and with determination – attributes not always associated with young guns.

The Humshaugh innings was built around an elegant 54 from James Walton, eschewing the trumpet and guitar for the blade and picking off the bad ball with ease.

Paul Lishman whacked a six – Lish is a higher octane model than last year thanks to some fearful pumping – and supported well with 21.

A target of 108 in 20 overs, was solid, if possibly 20 runs short.

Stamfordham as a club were in danger of folding recently, but the community weren’t going to let that happen – not least their ladies – and neither were their batsmen going to miss the opportunity of two cups for the same XI.

Ian Donkin was the danger man – as selective with the bat as remorseless with the ball and until he had gone, Stamfordham were likely to make it.

Even with Weller lbw to Andy Elliott and Robbie Bell bowled by Rolly (Whispering Death) Armstrong, Stamfordham were well up with the rate at 50-2.

Armstrong occasionally sprays the ball like Cambridge champagne, but he is quick – and if he doesn’t know where it’s going – neither does anyone else.

Nobody likes nose balls, especially when preceded by a couple that take out second slip, and after a few Harmisons, he was dangerous every ball.

On the boundary Stuey Davison sped from left to right like a Kiwi on viagra.

The first of two critical run outs was Donkin’s for 17, and then when a return was whipped in for Jack Gradwell to stretch and shade Matty Bell’s bat for a fine 36, the Humshaugh lads could smell the Smooth.

Deadly Hedley didn’t take a wicket, but he was his usual sanguine self and even when Bell had thumped him for six, his last three balls only went for one run.

Teenage killer Heslop, with reduced pace and greater guile, then slid the knife in to Stamfordham’s chase with a stupendous last over that had Benson of Berneray leaping into the arms of Graham Howard and howls of glee ringing round Priors Flat.

If they made Heslop Prime Minister, he’d pick this country up in ten minutes.

Six balls – one off the first, wicket (caught Deadly), one run, wicket (bowled), wicket (bowled), and only one off the last ball.

Humshaugh had the cup and Heslop was chaired off.

Women and men, young and old, applauded the teams and ruminated over a dog-eared cricket photo of Humshaugh 2nds cup winning team of 1950 brandished by 82 year-old Eddie Brewis.

A light drizzle had interrupted proceedings and extended the tension unbearably but the rest of the season beckons enticingly for the young Humshaugh hussars.

Thanks to Tynedale CC and umpires Hector Rutherford and Roy Walker, for their calm judgement under fire.

Cricket needs umpires who grace the general scene with sartorial sharpness, instead of resembling a pair of Balkan refugees clad by Oxfam.

HumshaughII: J Gradwell c M Bell b Donkin 0; J Walton b Bell 54; T Gradwell c Gardner b Donkin 5; C Heslop c Gardner b J Irwin 9; P Lishman b Bell 21;S Davison not out 3; H Renton run out 1; extras 15, Total 108-6

Bowling: J Schofield 6-1-25-0, I Donkin 6-0-31-2, J Irwin 4-0-25-1, M Bell 4-0-23-2

Stamfordham: I Donkin run out 17; N Weller lbw Elliott 11; D Bell b Armstrong 14; R Irwin run out 4; M Bell c Renton b Heslop 36; J Irwin b Heslop 10; J Schofield b Heslop 0; R Gardner not out 1; G Adamson b Heslop 0; B Blight run out 1; extras 13, Total 107-9

Bowling: Armstrong 6-0-25-1, Elliott 6-0-27-1, Renton 4-0-27-0, Heslop 4-0-21-4

DIVISION TWO

WARK vHUMSHAUGH IIHumshaugh won by 4 wickets

After a rain delayed start the match was reduced to 34 overs a side.

Humshaugh won the toss and put Wark in to bat on a damp wicket.

Scoring was slow to start, losing the first wicket in the eight over Gordon Jeffrey and Graham Gradwell with some good strokes and luck at times pushed the score to 58 in the 18th over with Gradwell out with a fine innings of 31.

Gordon followed with also a well struck 30, the scoring rate increased wickets fell with Heslop doing the damage with five wickets in his second spell and Wark’s innings ended on 113 all out a good score on a soft wicket.

Humshaugh’s innings started slowly but with watchful patience and occasional luck put on to runs for the first wicket.

Gradwell out for a fine top score of 41 in the 20th over, opening partner Paul Lishman was next on to a brilliant catch by Ryan Potts but Humshaugh were closing in to their target.

Wickets fell but Humshaugh held on to win in the 32nd over.

A good game of cricket played in good spirit by both sides.

Many thanks to club sponsors the Black Bull, Wark.

WARK G. Jeffrey c Heslop b Watson 30; B. Potts b Armstrong 4; G. Gradwell c J. Gradwell b Armstrong 31; R. Potts b Helsop 7; M. Herdman b Heslop 5; P. Armstrong b Heslop 13; D. Scott c Benson b Davidson 8; S. Jeffrey b Heslop 0; T. Rand b Heslop 0; E. Jeffrey lbw b Renton 5; T. Staines not out 0; extras 10; total 113.

Bowling: C. Heslop 10-2-21-5; R. Armstrong 10-1-31-2; H. Renton 7-0-26-1; W.R. Watson 3-0-24-1; S. Davidson 3.2-0-8-1.

HUMSHAUGH: J. Gradwell c and b Rand 41; P. Lishman c Potts b Armstrong 29; T. Gradwell c G. Jeffrey b Rand 15; C. Heslop b Rand 20; S. Davison lbw b Armstrong 0; H. Renton st E. Jeffrey b Potts 5; M. Adams not out 0; G. Howard not out 1; extras 3; total 114-6.

Bowling: P. Armstrong 10-3-35-2; S. Jeffrey 10-1-35-0; T. Rand 10-0-41-3; R. Potts 1.3-0-3-1.

Wark 3 pts,Humshaugh 12 pts.