Northern Club Cricket Round-Up - July 2012

Northern Club Cricket Round-Up - July 2012

Pakistani batsman Umar Amin was in good form with the ball for Morecambe in the Northern Premier League.

©Action Images / Andrew Boyers

Cricket World look at the state of play across the 26 ECB Premier Leagues at the end of July in our monthly club cricket league round-up.

Oxton and Hyde continue to lead the way in the Cheshire Premier League. However, it is closely fought league with the leading quartet – Chester Boughton Hall and Macclesfield are the other two teams – separated by just 22 points. At the other end of the table lie Widnes and Urmston with 155 and 134 points respectively, although even Widnes are only 70 points off the leaders.

Batting – July top three
1. Khalid Sawas (Macclesfield) – 228 runs from four matches
2. Alan Day (Alderley Edge) – 168 runs from four matches
3. Louis Bentley (Nantwich) – 163 runs from two matches
Top score: Khalid Sawas (137 against Hyde on 7th July)

Bowling – July top three
1. Mark Rowlands (Chester Boughton Hall) – 14 wickets at an average of 10.29
2. James Lomas (Toft) – 13 wickets at 19.31
3. Barney Cutbill (Macclesfield) – 12 wickets at 11.08
Best bowling: Adam Syddall (eight for 49 for Urmston against Neston on 14th July)

Player of the month: Khalid Sawas has been a consistent performer all season for Macclesfield and July was no different. His run of scores reads 137, 30, 30, 31.

Lytham have a commanding 42-point lead over Northern at the top of the Liverpool & District Cricket Competition’s Premier League. They have won 11 and lost just one of their 14 matches, while Northern have lost three of theirs. Defending champions Ormskirk have moved up to third, but they will have virtually given up any hope of regaining their title as they trail Lytham by 72 points. Rainford and Colwyn Bay continue their vigils at the foot of the standings and are still yet to win a game between them from 28 attempts.

Batting – July top three
1. Stephen Lucas (Northern) – 216 runs from three matches
2. David While (New Brighton) – 162 runs from four matches
3. Andrea Agathangelou (Highfield) – 142 runs from four matches
Top score: Mark Burns (112 not out for New Brighton against Hightown on 28th July)

Bowling – July top three
1. Christopher Liptrot (Highfield) – 20 wickets at an average of 7.05
2. Steven Mullaney (Leigh) – 12 wickets at 4.08
3. Martyn Farrell (Ormskirk) – 11 wickets at 9.18
Best bowling: Anthony Mulligan (eight for 36 for Lytham against Southport & Birkdale on 21st July)

Player of the month: Former Worcestershire seamer Christopher Liptrot has been in exceptional form with the ball for Highfield. He has taken seven for 57 against Lytham; six for 14 against Hightown; and seven for 70 against Bootle in July.

Barrow and Fleetwood are the leading pair at the top of the Northern Premier League with 178 and 171 points respectively. Kendal are third and lead the chasing pack, which contains Netherfield, Leyland, Preston and Morecambe. Defending champions St Annes have won only two of their 16 games in 2012.

Batting – July top three
1. Jamie How (Kendal) – 217 runs from five matches
2. Adam Parker (Fleetwood) – 175 runs from three matches
3. Terry Hunter (Kendal) – 159 runs from five matches
Top score: Luis Reece (112 not out for Leyland against Blackpool on 14th July)

Bowling – July top three
1. Jack White (Kendal) – 15 wickets at an average of 10.33
2. Umar Amin (Morecambe) – 14 wickets at 8.5
3. Daryl Wearing (Barrow) – 13 wickets at 13.62
Best bowling: Umar Amin (seven for 33 against Kendal)

Player of the month: As many as six different players could have won this month’s award. Adam Parker, Lukman Vahaluwala, Umar Amin, Dale Deeb and Shaun de Kock all put in excellent all-round performances for their respective clubs, but Jamie How takes the award in recognition of his season-long excellence as much as for his superb batting form in July.

Blaydon have taken the lead of the North-East Premier League and lead South Northumberland, who are nine points ahead of Sunderland in third, by eight points in what is rapidly developing into a three-way battle for the title. Chester-le-Street are the best of the rest in fourth, while Benwell Hill and Gateshead Fell occupy the final two places.

Batting – July top three
1= Sam Jobson (South Northumberland) – 165 runs from three matches
1= Keaton Jennings (Stockton) – 165 runs from three matches
3. Benjamin Alexander (Blaydon) – 116 runs from three matches
Top score: Sam Jobson (118 not out against Benwell Hill on 28th July)

Bowling – July top three
1. Zohaib Khan (Benwell Hill) – 11 wickets at an average of 11.45
2. Graeme Bridge (Blaydon) – 10 wickets at 11.4
3. Cole McConchie (Blaydon) – nine wickets at 7
Best bowling: Anthony Watson (six for 32 for Hetton Lyons against Tynemouth on 14th July)

Player of the month: Keaton Jennings’ haul of six wickets and 165 runs from three matches for Stockton was enough to win him a contract with Durham as well as this month’s award.