LUDDINGTON v NORMANBY PARK
By Glen Sands
Luddington bowler Arron Curry took an exceptional eight wickets for just five runs against Normanby Park as the Isle side recorded their first win in the Broughton Evening League on Wednesday May 30th , earning him his best ever figures since he began playing for the club.
Normanby won the toss and invited Ludd to bat first on a cloudy evening which saw them chose to play fourteen overs rather than the statutory sixteen but openers Jamie Belton and Scott Buttrick made a competent start , running crisply between the wickets and punishing any slack deliveries. They had put together a stand of 66 when Buttrick was out , caught by Alex Czbanuk off Declan Dunning for 23. Home skipper Andy Lawson joined Belton and scored quickly against a relatively young Normanby attack but he was to be the next to fall when the visitors elder statesman Paul Mitchell bowled him for 18 with the total on102. Belton retired having reached 53 as per league rules which saw Russell Fletcher head out to the middle only to be out to a quite stunning catch by bowler Jack Cowling for just a single , the youngster diving full length to hold a return drive from the left hander. Peter Tait and Graeme Fletcher were there at the end on four and one respectively as Luddington finished on 112 for 3 , with Cowling ( 1 for 32 ) Declan Dunnung ( 1 for 13 ) and Paul Mitchell ( 1 for 13 ) sharing the three wickets that fell.
Mitchell and debutant Colin Harvey opened for Normanby and made a good fist of it , Mitchell in particular striking the ball well as he hit the first 22 runs of the innings , all off the bowling of Liam McAnaney ! However just as he appeared set to prssurise the Ludd attack further he was bowled by Graeme Fletcher who was bowling a quick and accurate spell , which brought Alex Czbanuk to the crease to join Harvey. They took the total from 37 to 59 when the former was caught by Scott Buttrick off Jason Whiteley for five but it was the introduction of slow bowler Arron Curry that swung the game in Ludd's favour. He bowled opener Harvey for 25 from his very first delivery and by the time the over was finished he had taken no less than three further wickets , bowling Andy McDaid for nought then having Andy Dawson caught by Jamie Belton for one followed by Will Wenban who was caught by Anthony Fitzgerald for nought ! The whole momentum of the match had swung in favour of the Isle side and it was that man Curry who went on to finish matters in his second over as he took another four wickets to repeat his first over heroics. The first delivery of his second over saw him trap Will Wenban LBW for one , followed instantly by the bowling of Jack Cowling to take his tally to six from ten balls bowled !! After conceding a single he then bowled Zack Meadows for six and he brought the match to an end when bowling Declan Dunning for two to make it EIGHT wickets from fifteen deliveries to finish with the most remarkable figures of 8 for 5 !
What a tremendous achievement this was by the young spin king who completely turned the game on its head.
But the good news for Normanby is that master Curry will not be available when the teams meet on Sunday in the North Lindsey League. To their credit the young Normanby side bowled and fielded well but simply had no answer to Ludd's man of the match. The win means Luddington will travel to Hibaldstow next Wednesday in good heart whilst Normanby will look to pick up their first win when entertaining Scunthorpe Scorpions as the league moves into week three.
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