Ashington CC and Ashington Rugby CC secure weekend victories

Ashington CC secured an away victory over Benwell Hill CC in the North East Premier League Premier Division over the weekend.

After losing the toss, Ashington bowled first, with their hosts setting a target of 230/7. Cameron Skinner, Ian Sharkey, and Lennon Harmison each took two wickets as opener David Christie hit a 48 for the home side.

At the crease, dual 53s from John Woolley and Ben Harmison, alongside a 45 from Daniel Gardiner, went a long way towards aiding Ashington’s chase, and they would end the afternoon on 232/6 with a little under seven overs remaining.

Elsewhere, Ashington Rugby CC picked up a four-wicket win over Berwick CC on Saturday afternoon.

Playing on home soil, Berwick set a target of 121 after being put into bat first by their visitors, with Elliot Keenan spearheading their innings with a patient 49 from 89 deliveries. The rest of Berwick’s batting order struggled to match the first drop’s output, however, with just two other players reaching double figures. Consequently, the hosts ended their innings on 121 with a dozen overs remaining as Mark Lawrence and James Richards both claimed four-wicket hauls for Ashington Rugby.

From there, the visitors eased their way to a relatively comfortable victory. Ryan Jenner’s opening 57 provided a solid platform for their chase, while Callum Milburn hit 28, and despite James Thompson and Louis Outterson both taking a pair of wickets each, Ashington Rugby would end the afternoon on 123/6 in the 34th over.