Norden keep good run going despite

THE heatwave came to an abrupt end at Stag Park on Saturday, but Norden’s recent good run went on in the JW Lees Lancashire League.

Two heavy rain showers and a sprinkling of hailstones threatened a positive result, but any surface water quickly soaked into the bone-dry ground and a result became possible thanks to those two chaps Duckworth and Lewis.

Visitors East Lancashire were given a good start by Joe Bolton and Harry Caton. They pushed the score along without risk, but with 64 on the board Caton was bowled by a delivery from Hashum Malik, which looked to go through low.

Skipper Malik stuck with an all pace attack for a time, and he struck again with the total on 77 when Josh Tolley, making a rare appearance as wicket-keeper, took a catch to dismiss Paul Turner.

The first break for rain resulted in the remainder of the innings being reduced from 26 to 16 overs, and wickets started to tumble, some as the result of batsmen trying to hit out, others to good bowling. Opener Bolton was on 53, and the total on 110, when he found the hands of Ross Collin at mid-off, and two runs later Tolley took a flying catch to dismiss John Turner, although the batsman didn’t exactly agree that bat had connected with ball.

Norden turned to spin from the Shawfield end and Greg Butterworth had success in his first over when Shahrukh Khan tried to sweep to leg and was trapped leg before.

It then became a bit of a procession as the overs ran down. The returned