Winning start for Tillside in the Northumberland Premier League

Tillside 1sts opened with a four wicket win over Blyth at Etal.

Blyth batted first and were all out for 119 with Mark Lawrence the top scorer on 38. Stuart Wright was Tillside’s most successful bowler with figures of 4-36.

In reply, Tillside made 123-6 with Jake Birkett the top scorer on 35.

Also in the Premier League, warkworth 1sts went down to a 76 run defeat at the hands of Gateshead EM.

An unbeaten 135 from Zhoaib Shahid and 64 from Atif Majeed set the visitors up nicely as they posted 277-5 in their 50 overs.

That was always a difficult ask for the home side, and despite a knock of 58 from Adam Hall they came up short at 201 all out with Tabashir Alam taking 3-41.

Berwick 1st XI kicked off with an eight wicket win over newly promoted Ulgham.

Ulgham won the toss and elected to bat, a decision which looked misjudged when Berwick opening bowlers Steven Emery and Sean Wales ripped through the Ulgham top order to restrict the visitors to 25-5. Runs came with great difficulty for the visitors and they were eventually bowled out for an under par 77.

Berwick’s new opening partnership of Gregor Thomson and Martin Hush set about chasing the total, but after a solid start, Hush perished for five, mistiming a pull shot. He was soon followed back to the pavilion by Thomson who was clean bowled for 15. Any chances of a Berwick collapse were quickly extinguished as Middlemist and Wales guided Berwick over the line inside 16 overs.

Newly promoted Warenford, in their first game in Division 1, suffered a heavy eight wicket home defeat at the hands of Hebburn.

Alan Sinton (15) was the only bat in double figures as they were reduced to only 47 all out, with Nick Robson the match-winner on figures of 5-5.

Hebburn then raced to 49-2 to take maximum points.

In Division 2, Tillside 2nds opened with a big 80 run away win over Clara Vale.

Tillside batted first and scored 168-6 with Keith Bickerton on 70 and Jamie Pick on 36.

The visitors then bowled their hosts out for 88 with xxx taking figures of 5-1 off seven overs, which included six maidens.

In Division 3, Wooler had a high-scoring victory over Kirkley.

The game started with a minute’s silence for Dick Clarke, a founder member of Wooler CC, who died earlier in the week.

The Glendale side batted first, and with Andy Gallivan on 77 not out, Andrew Aitchison on 56 and Ian Clarke on 52, they put on a big score of 242-4 in their 40 overs.

Kirkley, with David Alexander on 47 and Bertie Hinson on 44, managed 200 in reply, but fell short of their target. Gallivan was Wooler’s top bowler on 3-35.

Warkworth 2nds faced gateshead EM away from home and they went down to a heavy 144-run defeat. Nasir Amin hit 73 not out as Gateshead posted 188-7, with Connor Lee taking 2-28.

In reply, Warkworth were reduced to 44 all out with John Briggs(jnr) the top scorer on 18.

Alnmouth and Lesbury had a five wicket win over Ulgham.

Ulgham were all out for 75 with Alan Hynd top scoring on 13, Dan baines claiming 4-16.

In reply, opener Mick Williams hit 29 as Alnmouith and Lesbury easily passed their target with the loss of only four wickets, all of which fell to Jess Thomson, who finished with 4-33.