It’s nervy at times but Staffs battle for their first win
STAFFORDSHIRE are off the mark in their NCCA Knockout Trophy campaign, beating Northumberland by 26 runs at Checkley.
A second defeat would have left Staffs with a near-impossible task to qualify from their group and while theirs was far from a perfect performance, winning was the most important thing.
The top order largely failed to fire for the second week running, Louis Allison aside, and it required a rescue mission from Tim Maxfield and Rob Hemmings to propel Staffs to a handy 293-7.
A poor start with the ball then caused alarm as Northumberland openers Alasdair Appleby and Jack Jessop started with a stand of 105.
However, Staffs battled back and worked their way through the visitors’ line-up to keep them to 267-9.
Alex Mellor chose to bat after winning the toss but they lost Zen Malik to the fourth ball of the innings when he edged Matthew Oswell to Michael Allan at first slip.
Debutant Allison came in and justified his selection with a pleasing innings.
The Porthill Park batsman was happy to take the lead alongside the more experienced Mellor as the duo carved out a 90-run stand which ended when Mellor was lbw to Callum Fletcher for 29.
Allison soon reached his first Staffordshire half-century, from 52 balls, hitting eight fours and a six.
But he was tied down to a degree after that and fell for 58 when he carved Matthew Scott to Oliver Mcgee on the boundary.
Jack Redman (seven) and Michael Hill (19) fell in quick succession and Staffs were in trouble on 128-5.
Step forward Maxfield and Hemmings with a crucial 139-run stand for the sixth wicket in 15 overs to wrestle back the initiative.
They moved through the gears and sent the ball flying to all parts of the Staffordshire Moorlands.
Hemmings took only 46 balls to contribute 68, with seven fours and three sixes, before gloving a Fletcher delivery to wicketkeeper Michael Brown.
Ben Cotton fell swiftly in the chase for quick runs but Maxfield saw out the innings to on 88 not out, matching his one-day best for the county with 12 fours and two sixes in a 56-ball knock.
Northumberland raced out of the blocks in reply as Appleby and Jessop gorged on some indifferent bowling, their 100-run stand taking only 13 overs, but they both fell on 105.
Jessop was bowled by Cotton for 42 and Appleby, who made 53, skewed a catch to Alex
Coates off spinner Jack Redman.
The introduction of slow leftarmer Paul Byrne accounted for John Oswell, trapped lbw for 20, then Brown was bowled by Redman.
That left Northumberland 135-4, but Allan and skipper Tom Cant got to 166-4 before another double wicket success for Staffs.
Toby Bulcock claimed his first Staffs wicket when Allan was pouched by Coates in the deep for 22, Matthew Oswell following two balls later, leg before.
Now Northumberland needed 128 from 19 overs with only four wickets in hand and the pendulum had swung Staffs’ way.
A patnership of 50 between captain Cant and Mcgee kept Northumberland interested and got them to 216 in the 42nd over before legspinner Malik tempted Cant into a big shot and he found the safe hands of Redman at long on for 43.
Hemmings bowled Mcgee for 24 in the next over and he struck again to bowl Fletcher for 14.
That was 246-9 and Scott’s unbeaten 25 in the closing overs could not deny Staffs.