Fortunately the weather forecast proved to be on the pessimistic side and allowed the 1st team to register a convincing win at home to Norton.
Norton have really struggled since gaining promotion last season. Having lost some of that promotion winning side their batting line up looks very thin and so it proved.
They struggled to 137 for 9 in their 50 overs, Alston Bobb taking 3 for 18, Sam Wood 3 for 31 and Sam Winter 2 for 26.
Richmondshire knocked off the runs in just 18.5 overs, Gary Pratt scoring an unbeaten 68 and Mike Layfield 53. This gives Richmondshire another 20 points and with Stokesley the only other team to record a win, made up some ground on the teams above them.
The weather played more of a part in the 2nd teams visit to Whitby. Topping the division one table Richmondshire travelled with big expectations after recent results. With the threat of bad weather later in the day the toss proved crucial with Whitby winning and electing to bat. The hosts struggled at the start losing early wickets with Shaun Charlton maintaining his great form and start to the season in another opening hostile spell claiming 5 wickets for just 19 runs off his 15 overs. Whitby did have some resistance in the lower order getting to 141 for 8 in their 50 overs with Paul Buck getting 47 not out.
Richmondshire’s reply didn’t start well losing 3 early wickets for just 33 runs before the weather set in. Richmondshire were set a revised target of 109 in 22 overs and started well before Joe Shields was out for 33 and wickets then tumbled and they stumbled from 78/4 to 79/8. In the end they hung on for a losing draw, closing the innings on 106/9. Opener Mike Fleming showing his class with a very impressive knock under tough circumstances of 51 not out holding the Richmondshire innings together. Richmondshire still remain at the top of the table but will want improvement going into the upcoming fixtures
Whitby 11 Richmondshire 6pts
In Sunday’s match Wolviston did manage to field a team and quite a strong one at that. Thanks to a fine 88 not out by Atticus Garlick they posted a challenging 222 for 5. In the Richmondshire innings, it was the turn of the younger of the Kelly clan James to post a big score with 83 not out, as they knocked off the runs with just an over to spare. This gave them 20 points to stay top of the table but just 4 points ahead of Barnard Castle.
The 4th team had a home victory against Nunthorpe. Winning the toss and putting the visitors in, a 5 for 33 from young Harvey Websdale had Nunthorpe all out for 128 in 32.5 overs. In the Richmondshire innings Clive Layfield’s 70 not out was the backbone of the innings. This keeps Richmondshire top of the table but just by one point from local rivals Aldbrough St John.
The 5ths won away to Haughton 2nds. Having elected to bowl, they kept the Haughton scoring rate down to below three an over until after drinks, when big-hitting Aman Ali and former Richmondshire player James Naden struck up a partnership. Captain John Bewell had the misfortune to be bowling at the end with the short leg-side boundary, being hit for three sixes before Ali was stumped by Tom Ward. The Haughton score of 163 for 5 looked good on a pitch that was misbehaving slightly due to the rain.
In the Richmondshire response, run machine Mike Irving was dismissed to one that “popped” up and was caught off the shoulder of his bat, before a superb century partnership between Jack Sene (66 not out) and 13 year old Tom Ward (47 not out) took the fifths to victory with three and a half overs to spare. The 20 pints leaves them second in the table to Cliffe and level on points with Catterick Village.
In Junior games Richmondshire had a clean sweep, starting on Friday evening when the U13s defied the wet weather to beat Stokesley in the ECB cup. Richmondshire won by 24 runs, having lost the toss they were put into bat to make 86 for 7 (Johnny Baines 27, Tom Ward 16)
In the Stokesley innings tight bowling and good fielding kept the score to 62 for 8. With Johnny Baines taking three wickets, Patrick Carlton two and Kai York two.
On Sunday, the U11s defeated Newton Aycliffe by 42 runs having won the toss and elected to bat. Joe Syddall, Owen Wetherall, Alex Nimmo and Jake Percival all impressed with the bat. Owen then took 2 for 4, Andrew Ralph 1 for 7, William Shaefer taking 1 for 2
Richmondshire 273 net v Newton Aycliffe 231 net Richmondshire win by 42 runs.
The Hambleton League U13 team had a good win away at Hutton Rudby. Hutton Rudby won the toss and elected to bat posting 70 for 9 with wickets shared round five Richmondshire bowlers. With 25 from Angus Potter and 17 not out from Will Mawer Richmondshire made the target with just five wickets down.
The Under 15s travelled to Newton Aycliffe, who won the toss and chose to bat. Tight bowling, shared round nine players restricted Newton Ayclffe to just 46 all out. Pick of the figures was a 3 for 5 from Alex Speakman. Richmondshire had little difficulty in knocking off the runs in just ten overs. Openers Dan Baines and Jordan Forbes scored 13 and 24 respectively before retiring not out.
