Newton Aycliffe Cricket Club’s 1st team, team sponsored by Franks The Flooring Store, had an excellent 61 run home win against a strong Darlington 2nd team in the NYSD 2nd division.
Aycliffe were asked to bat first and got off to a great start with opener Sam Telford scoring 30, Chris Palmer 52 and Matty Atkinson 56 as the home side looked well placed for a big score when they reached 173 for 3. However Aycliffe lost their last 7 wickets for just 13 runs and were bowled out for 186 after 48.2 overs.
Darlington looked to be easing to victory as they comfortably reached 86 for 3, but the introduction of fast bowler Matty Atkinson (photo attached) soon had them on the rack as the talented cricketer took 5 for 31 and joined a select band of only five other Aycliffe players who have scored a half century and taken 5 wickets in the same game.
In a tense finale, fellow fast bowler Michael Howe took the final Darlington wicket with only 1.3 overs remaining as Aycliffe moved up to 2nd place in the 2nd division table with 117 points from their 8 games.
The club’s 2nd team made it a sensational double for Newton Aycliffe as they pulled off a famous 36 run win away at a strong Bishop Auckland 2nd team in the NYSD 3rd division.
After being asked to bat first on a wet wicket, Aycliffe were dismissed for just 79, with Tony Travis (20 runs), Patrick Howe (15 runs) and Adam Gittins (11 runs), the only players to reach double figures.
Bishop Auckland were bowled out for just 43 thanks to brilliant bowling from 16 year old leg spinner Patrick Howe, who took career best figures of 5 for 11 and 17 year old medium pace bowler Tom Wickins who took 4 for 12.
Special mention must go to captain Adam Gittins who held four catches to set a new 2nd team club record for the most catches in a game by an outfield player to help his team to a vital victory which lifted his young Aycliffe 2nd team off the bottom off the table.
The clubs under 15’s team got their league programme off to to a winning start when visitors Evenwood failed to turn up for the match and so Aycliffe duly claimed the points. All of the club’s other teams have their games rained off this week.