White is happy to pass on the baton to terrific Tom
OLD Northamptonians captain Rob White is predicting great things for young pace bowler Tom Heathfield after wrapping up an unbeaten season last weekend.
Former Northants man White made just 17 against Finedon Dolben, but it did not matter as Old Northamptonians comfortably defended their total of 185 to win by 69 runs.
White made up for his batting performance with a five-fer with the ball to seal the win, with Tom Webb and starlet Heathfield also taking two wickets apiece in a fine bowling display.
That meant the Northamptonshire Premier League champions finished the season with 15 victories and no losses from their 22 matches.
And skipper White insists: “I was lucky to be part of a team who are just a great group of good young players. They are a top quality group, and I have just been lucky to take over the captaincy at a time where the players have all pulled through which has made a really big difference for me.
“Tom Heathfield has been fantastic for us over a couple of seasons now and he’s still only an under-19.
“He’s gone from being a lad who we would give a couple overs to and see how he goes, to being the most vital bowler to our attack, so all credit to him.
“He’s got a very natural style of bowling, the ability to swing the ball either way and he’s just been brilliant for use this year.The best of Tom is still to come.
“I am really enjoying my cricket. I don’t feel anymore that it is a matter of if I don’t score runs, we won’t win. There’s a good group of players around me and all of them have the capability of being match winners.”
Heathfield recorded his most prolific season yet with 42 league scalps – one more than last year’s tally – and accounted for 22.5 per cent of Old Northamptonians’ wickets, with the highlight coming against Oundle Town when he took 7-33.
But White admitted his champagne moment had come four games before the end of the season, when they beat defending champions Rushden Town by 44 runs away from home.
However he warned: “We played excellently this season, but I think next year will be much tougher.
“We need to score a few more runs more consistently and hopefully everyone will just be a year older and show just that little bit more experience.”
Elsewhere in the Northamptonshire table, Peterborough cruised past Wellingborough thanks to Asim Butt’s century to seal second spot, while Jameson Coutts (9-31) came within a whisker of a ten-fer as Wollaston smashed Northampton Saints.
Birmingham and District League champions Berkswell rounded off a season to remember with a seven-run win at Walsall, although second-placed Kidderminster finished with similar panache as Craig Wood struck 169 and they thrashed relegated Leamington.
And Market Harborough captain Robert Taylor ensured his side would still be playing Leicestershire Premier League cricket next season with a magnificent century in his side’s three-wicket win over Sileby Town.
Hinckley Town needed a win to be in with a chance of staying up, but despite Janak Valand’s 4-41 Barrow Town reached their target of 252 with two wickets remaining.