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Norton Return To Winning Ways

GNCC vs MK Friends of the Caribbean

After a somewhat fractious series of matches against MK FOC this season Norton had the huge extravagance of two League Umpires for their visit to a sunny and warm GN oval. Norton Skipper Baker won the toss and elected to bat as, with their traditional timekeeping, MK FOC were still short of a few players at start time.

With opener Ebanks taking advantage of some pace off the wicket and Penny some movement in the air batting was tricky, the reliable Bodily went early for 6 caught behind off Ebanks.

Baker and Fitzgerald looked for safety first moving the score on to 39 off 11 with the bowling tight, until Fitzgerald was caught off Penny for 9. Yuill moved the score on but was soon LBW for 14, Norton 65-3.

Honour 11 and Bristow 12 both went but the loss of Baker for 47 in Ebanks last over (3-41) was a major blow as he looked comfortable, leaving Robinson and Hubbard and the score still looking a bit on the low side at 111-6, with still 10 overs to go.

MK were short of a couple of bowlers and this started to show, Hubbard with some lusty blows and Robinson with some lusty nurdles took the score on well against MK's makeshift bowlers to 170, a partnership of 59 - until Hubbard fell C&B to Ali for an excellent 32. Two more wickets in the same over showed Norton's fragility but the last two batsmen took Norton on to 179-9 at the end of the 40 overs.

As the clouds gathered MK came out to bat, always likely to hit the cover off the ball. The dangerous Penney fell first ball to Bowmer senior bowled by a big inswinger which surprised him.

Ebanks came out swinging for a very fast 23 before mistiming one to be well caught low down by Fitzgerald off Bowmer snr, meanwhile Ali at the other end was struggling to hit the ball as Bowmer junior regularly passed the edge of his bat.  Miles missed a Bowmer snr (3-28 inswinger for 12 to bring in skipper Daniels, fresh from 100 last week.

In a key partnership Daniels and Ali took the score on past the key 20 over mark as the weather was by now offering some rain in the air. In a game potentially decided by run rate a key target of 90 off 20 was missed, MK 81-3 off 20.

New bowler Fitzgerald was unlucky with a couple of dropped catches but eventually had one held to see the end of the dangerous Daniels for 33 to bring in Miller, who immediately set about the bowling. He hit Yuill for 16 off one over and brought run rate back to par before falling lbw in the next over for a rapid 21, followed immediately next ball by Clarke as the rain started to intensify. MK 131-6 off 26 (ahead of the run rate).

The patient Ali was joined by the tail and the run rate plunged with Yuill and Fitzgerald grabbed the control back, as the rain got worse and MK looked to come off. As the Umpires  eventually decided it was too tricky everyone trooped off with 6.3 overs technically remaining and the match in the balance. The technical calculations done suggested the match was on a knife edge, Norton ahead by a quarter of a run!

In the spirit of fairness and hope the Umpires decided it would only be fair to play the full overs if possible and as the rain eased a bit the players returned to a very wet ground, although the wicket was fine. Almost immediately Ali, who had been so patient, tried an uncharacteristic slog to be bowled by Fitzgerald for 45 and MK's chances slid away, Fitzgerald quickly cleaning up the tail to end up with 4-24 and MK FOC all out for 165.

A great game played in good spirit, some humour and rather more rain than everyone would have liked, Norton back to winning ways.

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