Teenage bowler Alex Nice is 'buzzing' after helping Ashington do the double over Hetton Lyons
Ashington Cricket Club’s Alex Nice said he was ‘absolutely buzzing’ after taking a seven-wicket haul for the Mighty Acorns in their win over Hetton Lyons on Saturday.
The result saw the Wansbeck side complete the double over the County Durham side, but for Nice it was the first time he had captured as many wickets in one innings.
“About three years ago I had a 6-fer, but today I took six in my second spell and I’m absolutely buzzing,” said the 18-year-old.
“When I went in at the tea interval and they were only three wickets down, I thought it was going to be hard work to bowl them out, but Ben Harmison said to bowl full and straight and the pitch would do the work.
“I wasn’t trying to do too much as opposed to the last couple of weeks where I hadn’t taken any wickets and was almost trying to force things too much.
“Today I tried to bowl top of the stumps, with a boring line and length – and things started happening with the ball where it started swinging back in.”
Nice, who was born in Heaton, continued: “When I got my third wicket, I thought to myself there was a chance I could get five. Then after I got my fourth, that’s when I started running in a bit harder and the lads said that I was bowling a bit quicker than over the past couple of weeks.
“When I got my sixth, all I was thinking was if I bowled full and straight, I would have every chance of taking a seventh – and I bowled a delivery which luckily hit the pad and I got it from an lbw shout.”
Nice got the nod from sponsors Brian and Tony from the Coors corner for player of the match, and he said: “I’m delighted. Alexander Charnley had a good day with the bat as he hit 92 and took a couple of great grabs in the slips, whilst after his magnificent innings of 124 not out, Jack McCarthy also held a couple of good catches, so everything that could go right – did – so what a day.”