Blyth rain supreme in beating Crammo

NORTHUMBERLAND LEAGUE PREMIER DIVISION

LEADERS Blyth took a big step towards the title, beating bottom side Cramlington by 77 runs - and the weather also helped their cause.

Blyth were put into bat after a lengthy delay which reduced the match to 32 overs, opener Will Asher top-scoring with 41.

Gary Cotterill smashed 38 off 12 balls, including five successive sixes in one Ian Black over, before being caught on the boundary attempting to complete the rare feat.

Gary Quinn then hit a quick 35 as the hosts ended on 179-9.

Dylan Bolam claimed 4-46 and Black finished with 3-50.

Cramlington replied with only 102-8, David Ebdale, Surj Singh, Cameron Walker and Andrew Ebdale all taking two wickets apiece.

There is no change at the bottom with Cramlington staying level on points with Stobswood, whose match at Blagdon Park was off due to rain.

Berwick stay nine points above the pair after their home match against title-chasing Backworth was also called off.

That was a severe dent in their chances of becoming champions they now require Blyth to lose twice in the remaining five matches as they trail the leaders by 44 points.

Third-placed Blue Flames won at Chopwell, beating GEMs by six wickets in a rain-delayed game.

A 28-over match was possible after the rain cleared, the hosts deciding to bat first with opener Atif Mansoor hitting 50.

Javed Mirza (pictured below) smashed six fours and four sixes, finishing unbeaten on 75 as GEMs finished on 163-4.

Blue Flames opener Ijaz Khan also made 50, Amir Riaz 36.

Mohsin Iqbal (23 not out) and Zeeshan Bhatti (17 not out) saw the Benton side home, reaching 164-4 after 26 overs. There was a nail-biting match at Warkworth as they won by a single run against Ashington Rugby.

Warkworth posted 217-6 from their reduced 40 overs, thanks to 59 from Adam Hall - while Joseph Leddy finished 51 not out.

In reply, the visitors fell to 101-5 after Adam Peacock was out, hitting seven fours and a six in his 53.

Rugby kept fighting and Andrew Storey nearly took them to their target, progressing to 209-9.

Needing nine runs off two balls, Storey hit a six - leaving three to win off the final ball.

However, he was run out coming back for a second which would have tied the match.

His 57 off 36 balls, smashing six fours and two sixes, was not enough in the end as Ashington were all out for 216.

Whickham won at Corbridge by 62 runs in a rain-affected match.

Reduced to 35 overs, the visitors reached 69-1 from 14 overs before another downpour.

The 80-minute delay reduced the match to 25 overs as Whickham ended on 149-6. Corbridge replied with 87-5.