North seal title after finale

Aug 22 2007 by Richard Neale, The Journal

NORTHUMBERLAND have won the Minor Counties Eastern Division for the first time in their history following a dramatic final day of the season.

The county needed to beat Bedfordshire and hope that none of their three title rivals won.

And their victory along with Norfolk, Cambridgeshire and Suffolk all failing to secure victory means Northumberland will now host Western Division winners Cheshire in a four-day clash starting on September 9 for the Minor Counties Championship. Centuries from Graeme Bridge and Allan Worthy and an unbeaten 80 from Marc Symington saw Northumberland to a three-wicket win over Bedfordshire.

The county successfully chased down a 400-plus target for the second consecutive game to end the campaign with three wins. It was another superb effort from Phil Nicholson’s side who were set a target of 401 in 80 overs in a game reduced to two days. Bedfordshire took their overnight score from 48 without loss to 150-2 before they declared in the 28th over.

The irrepressible Worthy then blasted a 72-ball 102 that included 15 fours and three sixes to get Northumberland’s run chase off to a flying start. The Blaydon player-coach eventually fell to a mistimed hook off Shaun Rashid who had earlier removed Dan Shurben for six.

Worthy dominated a 113 second-wicket stand with Mark Dale before the dismissal of Ian Pattison first ball saw three wickets fall for four runs in three overs. A massive stand of 165 from 135 balls between Bridge and Symington, however, set up another great win.

Bridge, missed by Richard Howitt on 58 at point, scored at a rate of two runs a ball as he struck 98 runs in boundaries including five sixes.

The former Durham spinner was eventually caught at long off for a magnificent 120 but Symington held his nerve to see Northumberland to a famous victory.

SCOREBOARD

Bedfordshire Second Innings: Overnight 4-0: JEP Walford run out (Shurben) 69; R W J Howitt not out 29, M H Steed c Parker b Symington 15, A J Trott not out 21. Extras 16. Total (2 wickets declared) 150 (27.2 overs). Fall: 1-82, 2-117.

Bowling: G Stewart 5-2-27-0, M J Symington 13-0-63-1, D J Rutherford 8-0-40-0, P J Nicholson 1-0-13-0, B Parker 0.2-0-2-0.

Northumberland Second Innings: D G Shurben c Knott b Rashid 6, A Worthy c Walford b Rashid 102, M A P Dale lbw b Roberts 33, B Parker b Roberts 12, I Pattison c Knott b Rashid 0, M J Symington not out 80, G D Bridge c Trott b Howitt 120, D J Rutherford c Howitt b Rashid 14, P J Nicholson not out 8. Extras 28. Total (7 wickets) 403 (70.3 overs). Fall: 1-30, 2-143, 3-147, 4-147, 5-155, 6-330, 7-370.

Bowling: S Rashid 24.3-3-145-4, M I Jackson 10-1-63-0, C M Goode 8-0-69-0m A R Roberts 14-5-51-2, A J Trott 2-0-19-0, P W J Howitt 12-2-42-1.

Northumberland (20 points) beat Bedfordshire (3 points) by three wickets.