Newton Aycliffe Cricket Club’s much changed 1st team, sponsored by Franks the Flooring Store, began their new season with a frustrating draw away at Saltburn 2nd XI in the NYSD 2nd division. Asked to bat first, Aycliffe collapsed to 46 for 5, despite some early resistance from opener Luke Telford who scored 26 from 38 balls. Captain Chris Palmer (sponsored by Vanila Design & Print) and vice captain Adam Gittins rescued their side with an excellent 6th wicket partnership of exactly a hundred. Palmer finished with 53 from 93 balls, including seven boundaries, and Gittins scored 42 from 115 balls, reaching the boundary on four occasions. Aycliffe eventually finished their allotted 50 overs with a respectable total of 170 for 9.
In reply, Aycliffe’s Sean Morgan bowled superbly taking 4 for 14 from his 9 overs and he was supported well by fellow pace bowler James Layfield-Carroll (2 for 45) and 16 year old spin bowler Matty Greaves (1 for 17). However, the homeside dug in and safely batted out their 50 overs, finishing on 133 for 8 and were happy to settle for the draw.
The club’s 2nd team, which contained eight junior players and with an average age of just 17, hosted pre-season promotion favourite’s Sedgefield in their opening NYSD 4th division game and were desperately unlucky to be defeated by just two wickets in a very entertaining match.
After losing the toss, Aycliffe were asked to bat first and, similar to their first team counterparts, found themselves in deep trouble at 24 for 5. Aycliffe were thankful to their vice captain Dan Weldon, who missed nearly all of last season due to an overseas posting with the RAF, as he made an outstanding comeback claiming the game’s top score of 57 not out. His chanceless unbeaten innings was made from just 60 balls and contained two huge sixes and eight boundaries and, with a useful 13 runs from 16 year old debutant Ramzan Hussain, Aycliffe were dismissed for a fighting 109 after 34.1 overs.
In reply, superb bowling by 13 year old Will Dearden (3 for 24), 16 year old Leo Mercy (2 for 20) and Ramzan Hussain (1 for 17) almost snatched an unlikely victory for Aycliffe, but the visitors held on in a tense finale, finishing on 114 for 8 after 30.4 overs to give them victory by just two wickets.
Photo: Aycliffe batsman Dan Weldon in action.