Pole position
Littleborough were all out from the last ball of the innings for 159.
Despite the difficult nature of the pitch, scores of this size are rarely enough on a small ground like Stag Park and it felt like 40/50 short at the break.
Things soon had a very different look to them, though, as Lewis Willman and Miskella had the Norden top three back in the dressing room with just 18 on the board.
It was game on but Norden had Zaidi at the crease and he found the partner he required in
Nick Brierley.
Brierley hasn’t been at his best since his return from long-term injury but this was much more like his old self, solid in defense and quick to punish anything over-pitched.
Their partnership of 98 looked to have set up the game but both were dismissed in pretty quick succession and when Alex Willis followed shortly afterwards, Boro felt they had a sniff once again.
Hamza Ali was bowling an impressive spell of slow left arm from the scorebox end and it required cool heads from
Lee Crabtree and Sami Waheed to finish the job.
A quarter-final awaits for Norden, and it looks highly likely that this local fixture will be back on the calendar in the league next season.
Friday night saw the start of the 2022 t20 competition and Norden got off to a winning start away to Ramsbottom.
Dean Lord was the star of the show with the ball, taking 3 for 10 in his 4 overs as Ramsbottom struggled to 103 all out.
A half-century from Zaidi was the main contribution in the run-chase and, despite a few late wickets, the Stags got home comfortably and took the two points.
The 2nds had mixed fortunes over the weekend; unfortunately going out of the Junior Cup at Burnley on Saturday, but bouncing back with a good win at Bacup on Sunday to keep the pressure on the leaders at the top of the league table.
Dropped catches cost Phil Docker’s men in the cup game, allowing Burnley to score at least 50 more than they should have as they racked up 279 for 5 in their 50 overs.
A special mention should be given to young Jamie Taylor, whose figures of 1 for 28 from 10 overs were outstanding in the context of that score. Norden were well in it at 100 for 2 with Kabir Ahmed and Tom Booth going well but they both fell to spinner Ben Sutcliffe and with them went Norden’s hopes of an unlikely chase.
Sunday was a different story with a hundred from Kabir Ahmed and a fivewicket haul from Mo Munawar leading the way to a 130 run victory at Bacup.