Ashington firsts' captain says team suffered a bad day at the office at Tynemouth

Ashington's James Harmison bowls Tshepo Ntuli of Tynemouth. Picture: Stephen Graham Sports Photography

They made a decent start when Jeremiah Louis had Ben Debnam caught behind by wicketkeeper Jack McCarthy, and spinner James Harmison bowled Tshepo Ntuli at 30-2.

But the home side recovered to close their innings after 35 overs on 195-6, with Matthew Kimmitt hitting 63, Matthew Brown 37 and Robbie Bowman an unbeaten 54.

In reply, Ashington lost wickets at regular intervals until Louis and Ben Harmison forged a partnership of 35 in the middle order.

But with the rate increasing, Harmison was caught behind for 20 then Ashington lost a cluster of wickets before they were all out in the 29th over for 134 – Louis top scoring with 27.

For the hosts, Philip Morse took 4-39.

Ashington Cricket Club’s first XI skipper Sean McCafferty summed up his side’s by describing it as a ‘bad day at the office’.

The defeat – in a shortened game of 35 overs following heavy overnight rain – affected the Mighty Acorns’ placing in the league as they slipped to fifth.

McCafferty said: “I won the toss and we bowled. We started well and then veered off in the middle and didn’t bowl to our plans very well at all.

“We let them get away and we almost looked a little bit rusty. Then we’ve ended up grounding a catch for a lad who went on to get over 50 and who batted really well for them, so it was a costly drop and he made us pay.”

He continued: “I thought 195, which Tynemouth got, was over par – and batting-wise nobody really got in for us. We gave our wickets away again all down the order and didn’t give ourselves a chance to go for the total late on.

“All in all it was a bad day at the office – and it almost looked like a bit of an end of season game for us, which was a shame considering the position we were in in the league. Tynemouth probably played well whilst we’ve been well below the standards that I would expect.”

Ashington face a double header over the bank holiday. On Saturday (August 26) they are away to South Northumberland then play Whitburn at Langwell Crescent on Monday.