Ashington lose run fest against Shotley Bridge by one wicket after nail-biting finale

Over the years, these two sides have served up some classic encounters – and on a day in Wansbeck which began in sunshine but later turned bitterly cold, just short of 600 runs were scored on a belter of a pitch.

Sri Lankan Avishka Perera, Ashington’s professional this term, came in for his debut and must have been impressed with his new team-mates, who made a cracking start to proceedings and went on to amass 295 from their 45 overs.

Jack Jessop and Jack McCarthy forged an opening stand of 94 but in the 20th over, the former danced down the wicket and was stumped by wicketkeeper Ross Andrews off the bowling of Ross Burdon for 36.

McCarthy – now partnered by Perera – continued to pile on the runs but six overs later and only seven runs short of his century, he skied a delivery from Thomas Howatson and was caught in the deep by Oliver Gibson.

Shortly afterwards, Perera followed him back falling lbw to Howatson for 38, then a promising partnership between Ben Harmison and Sean McCafferty ended when Harmison’s straight drive was touched onto the stumps by the bowler and with McCafferty out of his crease he was consequently run out.

Harmison and Dan Gardiner put on 45 but after both had been caught, the former behind the stumps by Andrews for 48 and Gardiner just inside the boundary by Jack Rowley for 37, Ashington were pegged back towards the end of their innings and finished five runs short of 300.

In reply, Gardiner pouched a catch at mid-wicket offered by Daniel Anderson in the fifth over but the visitors, through Burdon and Paul Greenwell, kept up with the required rate.

Greenwell reached his 50 and continued to bat well until the 19th over when he was well caught in the deep by Perera for 71.

Burdon and Reece Carr forged the next stand, which was to profit 86 runs, but when the latter departed for 48 in the 33rd over at 209-3, the odds were still firmly in favour of the visitors.

The visitors continued to whittle the runs required down to almost a run a ball with 63 the target from 10 overs and still looked favourites until Ashington staged a late comeback in a nail-biting finale.

James Harmison pocketed an excellent diving catch at short mid-wicket to bring the curtain down on Burdon’s superb knock of 90 and eventually Shotley needed 11 off three overs, then four off two.

In the 44th over when Perera ran around from mid-on to take a fine catch which brought the last man to the wicket, Shotley required two to win and a boundary by Joe Gibson sealed their win with seven balls remaining.