NORTHANTS PREMIER DIVISION: Town are the perfect party poopers

Jamie Smith was in fine form for Peterborough Town at Rushton.

Rushton, a team who had won their five previous completed Northants Premier Division matches, celebrated the wedding of skipper Bradley Armer the day before this game. Judging by the way they batted against Town’s pace attack, it must have been one hell of a night.

Despite spending part of his honeymoon at the game, Armer didn’t play. Instead he watched his team subside to 54 all out in 28 largely shot-free overs.

Not one home player reached double figures, although they weren’t helped by an outfield with grass high enough to conceal small animals. Extras top scored with 14 as Joe Dawborn (5-25) and Jamie Smith (4-26) bowled unchanged to share the wickets following an early run out executed by Mohammed Danyaal.

Joe Dawborn bagged five wickets for Peterborough Town at Rushton.

It was a welcome set of figures for Dawborn who has been struggling for form and confidence.

Town lost Ajaz Akhtar in the first over of their reply, but Asim Butt (33no) and David Clarke (22no) steered their side home without further loss in just 10 overs and three balls. The match was all over at 2.50pm, less than three hours after the start.

“It was a strange game,” captain Clarke admitted. “We did bowl well though.”

The win kept Town in second place, nine points behind leaders Old Northamptonians who they play away from home next Saturday (June 18).

Town and Rushton meet again at Bretton Gate on Tuesday (June 14) for a first round Northants Twenty/20 match. Rushton knocked Town out of the competition last season, just 12 months after the city side had reached National Finals Day.

Scores

Rushton

D. McGovern b Dawborn 7

J. Bindley run out 2

R. Henry c Bruce b Smith 7

M. Steed b Dawborn 5

A. Reynoldson lbw Dawborn 1

J. Parmar c Howard b Smith 3

J. Higginbotham not out 4

M. Jackson c and b Smith 8

S. Malton lbw Dawborn 0

D. Joy c Young b Dawborn 0

A. Babar c Bruce b Smith 4

Extras 14

TOTAL (1 wkt) 54

Bowling: J. Dawborn 14-6-25-5; J. Smith 14-5-26-4.

Town

D. Clarke not out 22

A. Akhtar lbw Higginbotham 2

A. Butt not out 33

Extras 0

TOTAL (1 wkt) 57

Bowling: J. Higginbotham 4-0-16-1; R. Henry 3-0-16-0; A. Reynoldson 2-0-19-0; M. Steed 1.3-0-6-0.

Oundle inserted Stony Stratford at Milton Road, but any hope of a quick victory against a team without a win all season soon evaporated.

The visitors took full advantage of some butter-fingered fielding to pile up 298-4 in their 50 overs. Import Teja Nidamanuru finished unbeaten on 124.

George Martin (2-60) was Oundle’s most successful bowler, but that honour would have fallen to Tshepo Moreki if his fielders hadn’t dropped four presentable catches.

Oundle made little effort to chase down the runs and were also rarely in danger of losing, leading to a rather pedestrian second innings with the home side closing on 181-8.

Mark Hodgson top scored with 40, while Moreki (30), Pete Foster (27) and Jonathan Dalley (24) also hung around at the crease for a while.

OUNDLE drew with STONY STRATFORD

Stony Stratford 298-4 (T. Nidamanuru 124no, V. Sohal 74, G. Martin 2-60).

Oundle 181-8 (M. Hodgson 40, T. Moreki 30, P. Foster 27, J. Dalley 24, K. Anwar 4-46).