Results for 2014 Season 14th May v Leicestershire Lost by 20 runs 21th May v Huntingdonshire Lost by 3 wickets 28th May v Cambridgeshire Rained off 11th June v Lincolnshire Lost by 40 runs 18th June v Bedfordshire Lost by 6 wickets 25th June v Cambridgeshire Lost by 10 wickets 2nd July v Suffolk Lost by 8 wickets 9th July v Northamptonshire Lost by 32 runs
Norfolk v Northants 50 Overstone Park CC Wed 9th July 2014
With Norfolk’s worst ever position already confirmed, it was a battle with the no 6 team Northamptonshire. Irony that both teams have been the stand out leaders of Group 2 in the last 19 years, Norfolk having won the Group 9 times and Northants 5. So for both teams to be at the bottom is an enormous sea change.
Captain Andy Gregory has had no luck with availability and he has had to call on O60 players on many occasions. However for 2015, a number of players are interested and possibly available, Duncan Lanchester, Will Howett, Geoff Roff, Alan Lithins, Rob Ebbage, Steve Rowe, Steve Tate, Rob Howe and the icing on the cake if he agrees to play Steve Goldsmith........
On a grassy green wicket with plenty of wind, Northants were inserted. Chambers looked immediately in charge when Cook and Barnham were bowling seam, imperiously delivering anything off line straight to the boundary. Kilsby looked all at sea and when Shales came on, Northants were immediately 40-2. No 3 Goodjohn was immediately dropped twice, one easy and his innings (which defied description politely) of 81 hurt Norfolk. No 4 Grant Timms also started slowly but the lack of back up bowlers saw Northants ravage 170 in the last 21 overs to make 231-4, Timms out for 72. Shales bowled absolutely beautifully. 5 of him and Norfolk would have won.
The Northants bowling was rock steady with ECB leading seamer David Pegg in full flow, bowling Lund for 25 in the tenth. A stand developed between Martin Pearse and a confident Johnny Briggs and with ten overs to go, Norfolk actually headed Northants in runs scored. But the demise of Briggs for a superb 67 to a boundary catch and another quick wicket, plus extremely tight bowling, saw Pearse lose the strike and despite his unbeaten 78 in his 19th year playing for the 50’s 1sts, , Norfolk closed on 199-5, 32 runs short. Martin heads both the National overall ECB50 run charts with 4642@ 37.73 and the National overall Seevent 60 run aggregate with [email protected] total of 8108 runs for Norfolk @42.22.
His ultra reliable opening partner in both the 50’s and 60’s John Lund, meanwhile only needs 251 runs for his 5000, having amassed 2775 in the [email protected] and 1974 in the Seevent 60 @45.90
Martin Pearse
Norfolk o50 vs Cambridgeshire o50, Old Buckenham CC. 25th June 2014
Norfolk 139 ao, Cambridge 145-0
Norfolk won the toss, and on the advice of the wise men of Old Buckenham, elected to bat. Cambridge are a side transformed from last season, having had half a dozen players of a good standard turn 49 to 50 over the previous year. Only John Lund and Clive Bennett made much of the Cambridge attack, both making well compiled 40s. Norfolk’s total of 139 looked well under par on a good Old Buckenham pitch. Wheatley bowled very well and was ably supported by the other bowlers and by the Cambridge fielding. Norfolk’s total of 139 looked well under par on a good Old Buckenham pitch.
So it proved as the Cambridge openers made light work of the Norfolk bowling, especially to the short boundary on the far side of the ground. Gadsby hit 84 and Redfarn 51 and it was all over by the 19th over. We were simply outclassed and a good day to bat first, or we might have been chasing a rather large total. Availability was again a major issue for Norfolk, with 8 drop outs from the original 11.
Andy Gregory
Norfolk v Bedfordshire Over 50 played at Mattishall-Wednesday 18th June 2014
An on off fixture as Mattishall had been accidently doubled booked d the start brought forward to 12.45. With two players missing, stand in skipper John Lund was forced to bat. Martin Pearse played on in the second over to a very low ball and only John Lund (35) seemed at home. Micky Piggott (17) was caught at long on and newcomer Bob Eagleton hit one screaming six straight in his 26. The others struggled until Trevor Shales blasted 27 and the home team totalled 160 all out in 39.4. The Bedfordshire spinners dominated with Lee Selfe 5-45, but the danger man, Sri Lankan Canagaseby was a live wire leg spinner, a quality act, 7.4-0-29-1
Norfolk opened with two seamers who were taken apart by the league’s top scorer of the last four seasons, Jeremy Page. So much so, they had 56 on the board in 9 overs. The introduction of spin saw Page 9350 removed first ball by Andy King who then took another with his third ball. However, Mark Ling at number 3 stayed the course, not attempting anything 36 not out, as number 5 Alan Garratt made a quick fire 32 and number 6 Lee Selfe, MOM, with a hard hitting 28 not out, as Bedfordshire won with 1 ball to spare
Dave Horrex made his debut and bowled tightly, but Trevor Shales again, was the stand out with 8-2-0-14, backed up by fellow 60 year old Andy King, 8-0-3-27. Highlight was a stupendous catch in the deep by Ady Gilbert, Test match standard.
So for the first time in 19 years, Norfolk prop up the bottom of the table with two leaders, Cambridgeshire, who have never beaten us, and Suffolk to come...........
Martin Pearse
Lincolnshire o50 vs Norfolk o50, Alford CC. 11th June 2014
Lincs 210-4, Norfolk 170-6
After a long haul out to Alford, Norfolk won the toss and put Lincs in to bat in overcast conditions. Gilbert and Cooke began well, taking a wicket each and restricting the scoring rate. Trevor ‘Silver Fox’ Shales bowled tightly too but the Lincoln innings gradually gained momentum, helped by an excellent 78 in 59 balls from Mark Irvine. They closed on 210, rather more than they might have expected at the half-way stage but not out of sight by any means.
Pearse, Lund and Gregory got Norfolk off to a solid start but Lincoln bowled tightly and fielded well such that it was hard to increase the scoring rate. Lincoln effected two good run outs at critical times and the Norfolk innings could not gain the necessary momentum and ended on 170-6. In retrospect we let them have a few too many in their innings, especially in the second half of it.
Norfolk Over 50 vrs Huntingdon Over 50’s. Played at Barnach- May 21st 2014
T.Shales takes 4-24 against Huntingdonshire, but still ends up on the losing side
On a sunny day at Barnach CC, Norfolk O50 lost the toss and were asked to bat on what initially looked to be a flat and dry wicket. However, the bounce was very variable and the Huntingdon openers bowled accurately and with movement. The Norfolk innings was solid enough, led by John Lund with 42 and although there were other useful contributions, we found it hard to raise the scoring rate and finished on 162-6. This looked a below par score but Gilbert, Barnham, Shales and Cook all bowled tightly and backed by good fielding Huntingdon were reduced to 112-6, Shales taking 4-24 from his 9 overs. The Huntingdon lower order batted well though and saw them through to 163-7 in a tight finish. We made it difficult for them, but didn’t help ourselves by dropping three catches in the latter stages, albeit all hard chances.
Norfolk O50 vrs Leicestershire O50 Wednesday 14th May at North Runcton
Norfolk O50 short despite 111* from Peter Coote
Norfolk won the toss and inserted Leicestershire at North Runcton. Norfolk started well, tight bowling reducing Leicestershire to 40-4 in the 18th over. However, well composed 50’s in a 100 run stand between Kinch and Hendry allowed the Leicestershire lower order to attack and they finished on 238-7.
The Norfolk reply was steady with 50 stands between Coote and Lund and then Coote and Piggott. Coote accelerated superbly, his second 50 taking just 35 balls. However he lacked support from the middle order and Norfolk finished 20 runs short
