2021 Senior Season Closes

The curtain came down on the senior season with all teams confirming strong finishes but ultimately falling short of any silverware. The teams competed well across all four sides with all finishing in the top half of their respective divisions with some fine team and individual performances which will be honoured in the weeks to come.

Barnton v 1stXI

A strong season for the 1stXI ended with a whimper as they fell to a 5-run defeat at Broomsedge in a dead rubber for the Jets who were locked into a 5th place finish regardless. By contrast, Barnton still required a handful of points to avoid any mathematical chance of relegation and they did the job from a position of real weakness at 104-9 after electing to bat. North East had controlled proceedings up until the last pair who added an invaluable 51 runs in some real end-of-season fayre from the fielding side.

An aggressive start in reply ended when Jake Reynolds dragged on for 26 with the score at 43-1, the skipper finishing the season at the top end of the Division 1 runs chart. A more even contest ensued but fellow opener Saul Gould held firm as the teenager finally converted one of his promising starts into a big score. He sent the ball skimming to all corners of the ground for a maiden first team half-century only ended on a fine 76 (15x4, 0x6, 83b) via a Mankad, a harsh lesson in the ruthless nature of 1stXI cricket.

With the set batsman finally dismissed, a tight finish always looked in order and so it proved as the final wicket fell with North East just a single hit from victory. After suffering a league-high five abandonments -- as well a mid-season rule change that disadvantaged the team even further -- it was a great season for the 1stXI who adapted well to the 40 over win-lose format and found a method to win whilst also developing the club’s younger talent.

2ndXI v Cheadle Hulme

The second string signed off with a 10-wicket thrashing of basement side Cheadle Hulme at London Road to also finish in fifth place. Matt Wragg (4-9), Sam Turnbull (2-13) and Jimmy Williams (3-14) signed off in style with the ball, the latter finishing the campaign with a league-leading 46 scalps at 6.59 apiece. The visitors hung around for 33 overs but could only accrue 66 all out which was duly knocked off in style.

Youngsters Harrison Waddington (37*) and Rory Caine (25*) did the business inside ten overs of the reply to send the Jets to the bar early. Both struck five boundaries apiece as the twos romped home to finish a frustrating season on a high. Lack of consistency cost any chance of a promotion challenge but there were real positives in the Twenty20 cup where the side fell in the semi-final to eventual winners Oxton. A title challenge in 2022 is now a must.

3rdXI v Haslington

The threes joined their 2ndXI counterparts in finishing their season early with a comprehensive dismantling of their opposition, this time visiting Haslington on Jackson’s Edge. A tenth win of the campaign saw the side finish 6th in a maiden season under Andy Welsby’s leadership as Haslington were shot out for just 59. Luke Johnson cleaned up the tail with four wickets in fourteen deliveries after spinners Andy Hadfield (2-22) and Kris Bajaj (2-14) both returned braces.

Despite the early loss of Adam Burgess, the Jets wasted little time in knocking off the runs and completed the job in the 11th over. Lyell Tweed struck six boundaries in his run-a-ball 28, whilst Alex Dickman (21*) finished the season in style as the winning runs arrived from an impudent reverse ramp shot to third man. The 3rdXI finished the season in fine form after a mixed start held them back early in the season. On their day they proved capable of beating the best sides in the division and with more consistency could go well in 2022