Century caps a Worthy effort

Aug 7 2007 by Jeff Bowron, Evening Chronicle

EXPERIENCED batsman Allan Worthy finally recorded his first century for Northumberland – and was rewarded with his county cap along with former Durham all-rounder Ian Pattison.

Northumberland were again second best after Minor Counties Eastern Division leaders Hertfordshire ended the penultimate day with a lead of 324 runs with six wickets in hand.

Despite Worthy’s personal best, Hertfordshire took a first-innings lead of 114 after Northumberland were bowled out for 314 in the 79th over.

Worthy said: “After scoring 202 in 40 overs in the morning session we should have got closer to Hertfordshire’s first-innings total of 428.

“We needed someone else to make a big score, but while Parker and Pattison batted well they were out in the 40s, while Mark Dale ran out of partners after making a similar score.

“Hertfordshire have a good lead, but the main reason we put them in after winning the toss was that it would give us a better chance of winning the game.

“They have seen what we are capable of with the bat, and now face a tricky decision when to declare and what target to set us on a good wicket.”

Worthy, whose previous best Championship score was 85, thrashed 14 fours and four sixes before he was caught on the mid-wicket boundary for 119.

With Parker back in form after a poor trot, the pair shared a century stand before Parker was also caught on the ropes four short of his half-century.

Hertfordshire bossed the first two days and they remained in control after a 127-run stand in 30 overs from openers Nick Lamb and Gary Brown stretched the lead.

Lamb was run out for 49 and Pattison was on a hat-trick after he removed Brown and David Ward as Herts ended the day on 228-4.

SCOREBOARD: Hertfordshire 428-8 and 228-4 after 53 overs (G Brown 68, N Lamb 49, A Laraman 42no, I Pattison 2-55). Northumberland 314 all out after 78.4 overs (A Worthy 119, B Parker 46, I Pattison 46, M Dale 40no, A Laraman 3-49).