Second Team
2007 Review
The 2007 season started well for the 2nd XI (despite losing Simon West for the season with a cruciate ligament injury!) with 3 wins on the bounce against Gateshead Fell, Norton and Chester-le-Street. Blaydon was washed out (if only we knew what weather lay ahead!) followed, by 2 winning draws, one against Stockton including Hammill's infamous "if we come off here umps its a complete disgrace" chat.
June started brightly with a 9 wicket win over Benwell Hill. The rest of the month saw the Tynemouth, Newcastle and South Shields matches all abandoned due to torrential rain. We eventually got some play at the beginning of July with a frustrating winning draw at home to Gateshead Fell. The following week the rain stayed away and we recorded a 6 wicket win over Norton before another wash out against Blaydon. In bizarre fashion Chester-le-Street inflicted our only defeat of the season. Set 230 to win, we were 170-3 with the skipper weighing in with 83. After a loss of 4 quick wickets we started the final over at 200-7. Six deliveries later we were all out for 201 after some ‘kamikaze’ decision making from the tail. We picked ourselves up winning the next 2 games against Stockton and Sunderland and entered the business end of the season full of confidence.
South North entered the bank holiday weekend knowing that, two 30point wins could put us top of the league. Things went to plan in the first of these games against Benwell Hill, We won comfortably by 187 runs. A fine bowling performance by John Dawson and John Harbottle saw Benwell Hill skittled for 44! Two days later at Tynemouth, we scored 220-9 off 50 overs, Michael Smalley hitting another fine half century. Unfortunately we were unable to bowl Tynemouth out and had to settle for a winning draw, all but ending our hopes of winning the league. It made the following weeks game against table topping Newcastle a 30 point must win. We won the all important toss and batted first, declaring 43 overs later with 221-9, 50s for both Sidney Wilmott and Michael Smalley. Newcastle needed 222 to win the league in our own back yard of 57 overs. An inspired bowling performance by Smalley saw us to an impressive victory by 20 runs. This meant we were going into the last game of the season with an outside chance of winning the league providing Newcastle slipped up at Blaydon.
South Shields proved to be stubborn opposition and the final game ended as a winning draw. Newcastle won at Blaydon leaving us just short in the end.. We got news about the 1st team winning the league and returned swiftly to congratulate John and his team for an outstanding effort. The celebrations carried on long into the night and were as usual full of incident.
To finish 2nd was no disgrace and was helped by the rarity of being able to field a similar team each week. We were only beaten once� in the league. Outstanding performers with the bat were Howard Sidney Wilmott, John Hammill and Michael Smalley whilst John Harbottle and Michael Smalley shone with the ball, supported by Seymour, Dawson and Dresser. On many occasions, other team members stood up to be counted and made major contributions to the winning of matches. Michael Smalley and Howard Sidney Wilmott were nominated by the league for Player of the Year at the annual awards dinner with Howard Sidney Wilmott coming away with the trophy, a top achievement for one so old and stupid.
Moving forward, we recognise the need for further improvement and importantly for more young players to commit, train and play in the senior teams. A framework for such development will be in place by the New Year and we encourage the senior juniors to use the opportunities that it will bring.
Thanks must go to June for making the wonderful teas and Jimmy Ruddick for scoring. Special thanks must go to groundsman John Dodds who worked tirelessly in the rain to get matches on with the odd argument with umpires and opposite players on the way!