Firsts finish a creditable fifth

The 2005 season ended with Stockton finishing fifth in the Fosters North East Premier League, winning the prestigious Just Sport Trophy and losing in the semi final of the other major North East Club Cricket competition the Matthew Oswald Cup.

In April, the club may have hoped to have finished a couple of places higher in the league and win at least one piece of silverware. However, fifth place and the Justpsort Trophy make 2005 a creditable campaign. Individual highlights included centuries for Richard Waite, Guy Darwin, Chris Oliver and James Lowe.

Durham contracted player, James Lowe's (left), 705 runs at an average of 44.06 were enough to ensure he not only topped the club's list of run scorers but also finished fourth in the league averages. Kevin Ward was the leading wicket taker with 32 victims at average of 23.19.

| Averages |

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Saturday 3rd September

Stockton v Benwell Hill

Stockton took on Benwell Hill at the Grangefield Ground looking to maintain their spot in the top four. Benwell Hill won the toss and batted first on a flat wicket and took full advantage as they progressed to 131 for two at lunch. Some tight bowling and fielding after the break reduced Benwell Hill to 249 for nine when they declared after 64 overs. Richard Waite took 3 late wickets and Peter Howells claimed 4 dismissals behind the stumps.

Needing a solid start, James Lowe and Guy Darwin once again put together a fine partnership. When Lowe was out for 64 with the score on 122, Stockton were still clearly in the drivers seat. However, after the loss of Darwin for 63, steady wickets fell leaving Stockton to survive the final two balls of the innings to save the match.

Benwell Hill 249-9 (M Farukh 101*, D N G Myers 69, R P Waite 3-43)
Stockton 209-9 (J.Lowe 64, G.Darwin 63, P Cummins 6-64)
Match Drawn
Stockton 10pts Benwell Hill 14pts

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Monday 29th August

Chester le Street v Stockton

Having lost the toss and being sent into the field, Stockton dropped several regulation catches. Chester declared after 60 overs at 237 for eight. James Lowe (30) and Guy Darwin (75) continued their fine form with an opening stand of 79. However Stockton were unable to capitalise on a great start and slumped to 145 for eight. However, Ian Still (21*) and Tom Armstrong (27*) then batted sensibly to ensure Stockton stay in the top four.



Chester Le Street 237-8 dec (K L Ward 3-31, R P Waite 3-78)
Stockton 208-9 (G Darwin 75, J Lowe 30)
Match Drawn
Stockton 10pts Chester le Street 14pts

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Sunday 28th August

Hooker stars in Stockton Justsport triumph 

Stockton v Tynemouth
at Jesmond

A dull and windy Jesmond day greeted both sides. Alan Walker won the toss and elected to bat. Solid contributions at the top of the order by Guy Darwin (25), Chris Oliver (20) and Richard Waite (22) gave Stockton a steady start. But it was Chris Hooker (45) and Peter Howells (39) who took control in the last 15overs to set Tynemouth a difficult task of 190 in 45 overs. Chris Hooker dismissed four of the Tynemouth top order batsmen during a lethal seven over opening spell. From then on, Stockton were in control. Ward and Waite took important middle order wickets whilst Ian Still and Tom Armstrong bowled tight spells. Alan Walker returned to take the final three wickets and give Stockton victory.

Stockton 189 (C J Hooker 45, P Howells 39)
Tynemouth 131 (C J Hooker 4-35, A Walker 3-20)
Stockton won by 58 runs

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Saturday 27th August

Stockton v Philadelphia

Confident of maintaining their receent form Stockton skipper Alan Walker invited Philadelphia to take the field and inspite of the early loss of Guy Darwin, the score was moved along nicely by James Lowe and Richard Waite. Waite was out lbw for 38 but a confident innings from Peter Howells (33) ensured a challenging total. James Lowe (below) made his first NEPL century and was unbeaten on 118* when the innings closed. Philadelphia lost wickets consistently throughout their innings and never looked like threatening the Stockton total eventually being bowled out 94 runs short.

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Saturday 20th August

Stockton v Tynemouth

Looking for consecutive wins after victory against Tynemouth two weeks ago. Alan Walker won the toss and elected to bat. James Lowe and Guy Darwin once again gave Stockton an ideal start, with Lowe falling just before lunch for 53 with the score on 109. Scott Gillespie joined Darwin , and they added 66 after the interval, until Gillespie was run out for 21. Darwin (below) was in superb touch, and brought up a fine century with a quick single to mid on. Stockton declared at 210 for 6 and were confident of victory. Chris Hooker and Alan Walker bowled tight opening spells, with Hooker producing a rosner with just the 5th ball of the innings. With the score on 41, Walker removed Pattison, who was looking dangerous. Kevin Ward and Richard Waite bowled well in tandem after tea, as Gateshead Fell went from 65 for 4 to 93 all out. Kevin Ward doing most of the damage to end up with the remarkable figures of five for 8 from 7 overs. The win moved Stockton up to fifth in the league, and with 4 games remaining a top four position is certainly achievable.

Stockton 210-6 (G Darwin 113, J Lowe 53)
Gateshead Fell 93 (K L Ward 5-8, C J Hooker 2-26)
Stockton won by 117 runs
Stockton 29pts Gateshead Fell 4pts

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Saturday 6th August

Stockton v Gateshead Fell

Following two close winning draws, Stockton required a win to maintain their mid table position. Tynemouth won the toss and batted on a flat Grangefield wicket and built a solid total of 231 for 7 before declaring. Alan Walker, returning to theattack after injury, bowled superbly to take four for 17 off 16 overs icluding nine maidens.This combined with some good fielding and catching, gave the Stockton batsmen a good chance of reaching the target.

Guy Darwin and James Lowe started well before Darwin was well caught for 34 with the score on 61. Stockton then lost 4 quick wickets, including Lowe for 31, reducing them to 89 for five. A partnership of 52 between Peter Howells and Chris Hooker was extremely valuable, but when Hooker was run out for 30 the game was still in the balance. Howells was out shortly after for a fine 53 leaving Stockton 30 to win. Alan Walker then produced a classic unbeaten innings of 37 to guide Grangefielders to victory with just 5 balls to spare and two wickets to spare.

Tynemouth 231 for 7 (I Purdy 74, S Scott 44, S Sarkar 41*, A Walker 4-17)
Stockton 232 for 8 (P Howells 53, G Darwin 38, A Walker 37*, B Stewart 4-28)
Stockton won by 2 wkts
Stockton 22pts Tynemouth 8pts

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Friday 5th August

Stockton v Durham Academy
Justsport Trophy
Quarter Final

Stockton 127-3 (G.Darwin 58*, S.Gillespie 34)
Durham Academy 75 (S.Gillespie 2-10, R.Waite 2-12)
Stockton won by 52 runs

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Saturday 30th July

Durham Academy v Stockton

Match abandoned
Stockton 5pts Durham Academy 5pts

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Saturday 23rd July

Stockton v Sunderland

Sunderland arrived at the Grangefield Ground determined to halt a run of three consecutive losses. Stockton won the toss and chose to bat. Guy Darwin and James Lowe started confidently, scoring at better than a run-a-ball until Lowe was bowled for 16. Richard Waite came to the crease and began to dominate the Sunderland attack. Darwin and Waite put on a 2nd wicket partnership of 156 until Darwin was adjudged lbw for 73. Scott Gillespie joined Waite as he continued to plunder the bowling to all parts of the ground. During a partnership of 82, Waite brought up his century, and shortly after eclipsed the highest North East Premier League score by a non-professional at Stockton CC (118* set earlier in the year by Chris Oliver). When Waite was out for 135 Stockton were in a commanding position at 267 for 3. Gillespie finished unbeaten on 59 as Stockton made 315 for 5, in only 57 overs, their highest score of the season.

Needing early wickets to put pressure on Sunderland, Chris Hooker gave the home side a great start with a fiery opening spell. Hooker (1-27) bowled Napier and the return of Alan Walker (2-28) to the bowling crease had an immediate impact with the wicket of the dangerous Alan Mustard. Joel Thwaites again bowled with fine control to take two for 20. Kevin Ward (2-39) and Guy Darwin (2-12) also bowled well, in what was a good all-round effort in the field. The last two Sunderland batsman hung in at the end of the innings to stave off defeat, and deny Stockton a much needed win.

Stockton 315 for 5 dec (R P Waite 135, S Gillespie 59*, J Lowe 73)
Sunderland 221 for 9
Match Drawn
Stockton 16pts Sunderland 9pts

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Saturday 16th July

Stockton v Blaydon

Needing a win to get their season back on track, Stockton faced Blaydon at the Grangefield ground. Batting first James Lowe (28) and Guy Darwin (36) gave the home side a positive start. Good performances through the middle order from Scott Gillespie (41), Peter Howells (38) and Chris Hooker (36) were enough for Stockton to reach 218/7 after 63 overs.

Blaydon started slowly, with Richard Waite and Hooker bowling tightly. Unlike recent weeks, Stockton were able to capture wickets regularly and restricted Blaydon to 177/7 after 57 overs. Waite (3/53) and Kevin Ward (2/26) were the multiple wicket-takers. Stockton drew for only the second time this season, again with Blaydon, repeating the result from earlier in the season.

Stockton 218-8  (G Darwin 36, P Howells 38, S Gillespie 41, C J Hooker 36)
Blaydon 177-7  (R P Waite 3-53)
Match Drawn 
Stockton 14pts Blaydon 9pts

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Friday 15th July

Ushaw Moor v Stockton
Capt Ramsden Shield
2nd Round

Stockton 138-3 (G.Darwin 60, P.Howells 34)
Ushaw Moor 142-1
Ushaw Moor won by 9 wkts

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Wednesday 13th July

Norton v Stockton
Matthew Oswald Cup
2nd Round

Stockton 113-7 (S.Gillespie 34)
Norton 106-9 (S.Gillespie 5-/25)
Stockton won by 7 wkts

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Saturday 9th July

Stockton v Newcastle

Newcastle came to the Grangefield Ground keen to register another success, following their first and only win against Stockton in week 1. An aggressive opening saw the total reach 69 before Joel Thwaites on debut claimed a wicket. Stockton once again found it hard to break partnerships and after 63 overs Newcastle declared at 8/270. Kevin Ward bowled well at the end of the innings and finished with 3/68 while Thwaites claimed 2/30 off 10 overs.

Stockton lost steady wickets throughout its innings and never looked likely to pass the Newcastle total. Solid contributions from Ian Still (43), Guy Darwin (24) and Peter Howells (24) made sure that Stockton gained at least one batting point.

A major turnaround will be required if Stockton are to once again get back into the top half of the table.

Newcastle 270-8 (K L Ward 3-68)
Stockton 137 (I Still 43)
Newcastle won by 133 runs
Stockton 5pts Newcastle 27pts

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Thursday 7th July

Stockton v Sunderland
Justsport Trophy
2nd Round

Sunderland 104-4
Stockton 105-8 (C.Hooker 35)
Stockton won by 2 wkts

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Saturday 2nd July

Stockton v South North

South North came to the Grangefield Ground keen to maintain the pressure on Sunderland at the top of the table. Batting first, opening pair Heather (74) and Miller (52) put on 95 as South North compiled a challenging total of 237/6. Ian Still bowled superbly to take 5/50 while Tom Armstrong was the other wicket taker.

Stockton were confident of a successful run chase following the win over Chester le Street 2 weeks earlier, but were under pressure after the early losses of Guy Darwin and Richard Waite. James Lowe and Scott Gillespie battled hard until just before tea when Lowe (23) was dismissed. Steady wickets fell after the break with Gillespie (38), Chris Hooker (25), Kevin Ward (21) and Alan Walker (21) all making starts but unable to go on with it.

The loss sees Stockton drop to 7th on the table and also saw South North return to the top of the League.

South North 237-6 dec (I Still 5-50)
Stockton 157 (S Gillespie 38)
South North won by 80 runs
Stockton 5pts South North 29pts

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Monday 27th June

Blackhall v Stockton
Matthew Oswald Cup
1st Round

Blackhall 134-4
Stockton 135-3 (G.Darwin 63*, P.Howells 44)
Stockton won by 7 wkts

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Saturday 25th June

Stockton v Benwell Hill

Sitting joint fourth on the table, Stockton needed a third consecutive win to stay in touch with the top sides. Batting first, Stockton made a nervous start losing Guy Darwin and Richard Waite early on. James Lowe once again batted well before falling for 29 and this left Stockton in trouble at 50/3. Chris Oliver joined Scott Gillespie and they put on a 4th wicket partnership of 129 before Gillespie was out for a patient 62. Oliver continued to thrash the Benwell Hill attack to all parts of the ground, and brought up a well-deserved century in the 57th over. Oliver finished unbeaten on 118 (131 balls). His first century in the NEPL and the highest score by a non-professional Stockton cricketer in the NEPL.

Useful contributions from Peter Howells (37 off 39 balls) and Chris Hooker at the end of the innings gave Stockton a formidable total of 280/5 decl. The wicket of Taufeeq Umar (currently 35th in the ICC test batting rankings) was going to be vital to the winning chances of Stockton. Umar played superbly, and with some indifferent fielding was able to register his 3rd century of the season (133) and set up a Benwell Hill victory. All bowlers tried hard but were unable to make inroads into the top order, and the game was wrapped up inside 47 overs. A big match next week at the Grangefield ground sees Stockton up against last years League winners, South Northumberland, in what will no doubt be an entertaining game.

Stockton 280-5 dec (C M Oliver 118*, S Gillespie 62, P Howells 37)
Benwell Hill 282-3
Benwell Hill won by 8 wkts
Stockton 6pts Benwell Hill 22pts

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Saturday 18th June

Stockton v Chester-le-Street

Stockton, coming off a good win at Philadelphia, were at home against the strong Chester Le Street side who were looking to bounce back after last weeks loss to Norton. Early signs were good for the visitors with Sherbun (39) and Ritzema putting on 58 in quick time, before Kevin Ward struck with the 1st of his 3 wickets. A big score was looking likely until both Ritzema (105) and Hughes (96) were dismissed. A declaration at 284/4 off 55 overs gave Stockton an outside chance of chasing a record total. Kevin Ward was the pick of the bowlers with 3/69.

Stockton started positively with James Lowe and Guy Darwin (18) maintaining a run rate of over 5. Richard Waite then joined Lowe, and a 97 run partnership ended when Lowe was dismissed for a fine 78. When Waite was dismissed for 68, Stockton still required 98 runs to win from 15 overs. Solid contributions in quick time from Scott Gillespie (25) and Ian Still (20) were also valuable. Chris Hooker then played an exhilarating innings to take the game away from Chester le Street. Hooker scored 57* in just 30 deliveries, with some of the cleanest hitting seen at the Grangefield ground for some time. Kevin Ward (19*) provided good support as the Hooker onslaught was in full flight.

Chester-le-Street 284-4 dec (K. Ward 3-69)
Stockton 288-5 (J Lowe 78, R P Waite 68, C J Hooker 57*)
Stockton won by 5 wkts
Stockton 22 pts Chester-le-Street 7 pts

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Saturday 11th June

Stockton v Philadelphia

After a disappointing result against Gateshead Fell last week, Stockton compiled a terrific score on a tough wicket of 250/6decl. Richard Waite may have turned his season around after a fine 54 but there was better to come later in the day. The top 7 batsmen all contributed with James Lowe (36), Guy Darwin (40) and Chris Oliver (30) the best of an even team effort. Chasing that score would always prove difficult on the Philadelphia ground, and it was Richard Waite who was again the key. Waitey captured career best figures of 6/19 off 17 overs to rout Philadelphia for just 158. He was well supported by Craig Barrington (2/40) and assured Stockton walked away with a full house of points for the first time this season.

Stockton 250-6 (G Darwin 40, R P. Waite 54)
Philadelphia 158 (R P Waite 6-19)
Stockton won by 92 runs 
Stockton 30pts Philadelphia 5pts

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Wednesday 7th June

Middlesbrough v Stockton
Cockspur Cup
2nd Round

Middlesbrough 182-7 (T.Armstrong 2-24, C.Hooker 2-42)
Stockton 157-4 (C.Hooker 49, I.Still 34, C.Oliver 32*)
Middlesbrough won by 15 runs

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Saturday 4th June

Stockton v Gateshead Fell

With Stockton needing a win to move within touch of the top teams, Richard Waite won the toss (with Alan Walker unavailable due to injury) and sent Gateshead Fell in. Early wickets were the key, and both Kev Ward and Chris Hooker provided plenty of opportunities early, to reduce Gateshead Fell to 24 for 4 after 11 overs. Wickets fell steadily after that and Stockton were in a commanding position at 95 for 8. A crucial partnership (that later proved to be match winning) of 48 for the 9th wicket, helped Gateshead Fell achieve a total of 159 all out. Chris Hooker bowled extremely well to finish with 4/38 off 18 overs and Kev Ward 4/30 off 11 overs. Chasing a modest target, Stockton’s batsman again struggled, after solid contributions from James Lowe (20) and Tom Armstrong (33) at the top of the order. Wickets fell too regularly, and a final total of 121 was less than satisfactory after being in a winning position for the majority of the match.

Gateshead Fell 159 (C J Hooker 4-38, K. Ward 4-30)
Stockton 121 (T D Armstrong 33)
Gateshead Fell won by 38 runs
Stockton 6pts Gateshead Fell 22pts

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Monday 30th May

Stockton v Norton

The local derby between Stockton and Norton was always going to be a closely fought contest. Batting first, Stockton got off to the best possible start with James Lowe (51) and Guy Darwin (75) putting on 113 for the opening partnership. Solid contributions from the middle order of Chris Oliver (24), Scott Gillespie (20*) and Chris Hooker (27 off 14 balls) saw Stockton declare their innings at 233/6. With Alan Walker unavailable due to injury, Chris Hooker and Kevin Ward led the attack and took 3 early wickets to have Norton in trouble at 32/3. Chris Hooker broke a 59 run partnership from the Symington brothers, and then his 4th wicket reduced Norton to 119/5. Guy Darwin bowled with good pace and control to take 2 wickets and once again put the game back in Stockton’s favour. Needing 31 runs with 3 wickets in hand from the last 12 overs, Norton lost their last 3 wickets for just 13 runs, giving Stockton a much needed consecutive win. Wicket takers were Hooker 65/4 off 18 overs, Darwin 35/2, Ward 48/2 and Scott Gillespie 15/2. Guy Darwin was named man of the match for a fine all round game (and a terrific catch in the gully).

Stockton 233-6 (J Lowe 51, G Darwin 75)
Norton 215 (C J Hooker 4-65)
Stockton won by 18 runs
Stockton 25pts Norton 7pts

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Saturday 28th May

Stockton v Tynemouth

Sitting at the bottom of the league after 3 games a win was a must for Stockton at Tynemouth. Batting first on a wicket with plenty of sideways movement proved difficult early on, and after 15 overs Stockton were in deep trouble at 26/4. Some good middle/lower order batting ensured a competitive total of 147 off 47 overs, with Scott Gillespie (40) and Alan Walker (31) the best of the batsmen. Batting continued to be difficult for the home side early on, as Alan Walker fought off injury to bowl a superb 13 over spell and take 4/21. Ian Still bowled very well with the wind at his back, to register his best figures for the season of 4/18 off 11 overs. Stockton moved off the bottom of the table after bowling Tynemouth out for 101.

Stockton 147 (S Gillespie 40, A Walker 31)
Tynemouth 101 (A Walker 4-21, I Still 4-18)
Stockton won by 46 runs  
Stockton 21pts Tynemouth 5pts

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Friday 27th May

Justsport Trophy
1st Round
Stockton v Eppleton

Eppleton 89/5
Stockton 90/1 (R.Waite 44*)
Stockton won by 9 wkts

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Saturday 21st May

Stockton v Durham Academy

Stockton continued their ordinary start to the season with an 8 wicket loss to Durham CA at home. After winning the toss and batting, Stockton were confident of victory compiling 239/6 after 60 overs. Scott Gillespie (76no) and Ian Still (62) put on a record 6th wicket partnership of 134 to put Stockton in a strong position. A shortage of seam bowlers meant that 5 spinners were used to try and break through the strong Academy batting line up, but quality performances by Cummins (99no) and Harmison (96) put the game out of reach as the young professionals eased past Stockton total.

Stockton 239-6 (S Gillespie 76*)
Durham Academy 242-2
Durham Academy won by 8 wkts
Stockton 5pts Durham Academy 23pts

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Sunday 15th May

Stockton v Benwell Hill
Cockspur Cup
1st Round

Benwell Hill 127 (C Hooker 3-38, K Ward 3-22)
Stockton 131 for 0 (G Darwin 56*, C Oliver 55*)
Stockton won by 10 wkts

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Saturday 14th May

Stockton v Sunderland

Stockton continued to be off the pace at the start of the 2005 season. Visiting Ashbrook, Sunderland on a cold, but fair day, Stockton won the toss and elected to bowl first. Although the session started badly with Alan Walker breaking down with a calf injury in the first over, after 90 minutes play Sunderland were struggling at 53 for four with Guy Darwin taking two wickets in his first two overs. However Sunderland staged a recovery, helped by some sloppy fielding , and a fifty from Fred Napier, a recent Sunderland acquisition form Philadelphia . Sunderland eventually declared at 200 for 8 after 62 overs. In reply Stockton made a steady start with Durhan contracted player James Lowe making 24, and at 58 for 2 the 200 run target looked well within reach, however a batting collapse reduced Stockton to 126 for 8, and only the resistance and shot play of Kevin Ward (30) batting at No 10, made a the final total of 158 respectable. Things will have to improve quickly if the Stockton outfit have any aspirations of being among the league front runners!!!

Sunderland 200-9
Stockton 169
Stockton lost by 42 runs
Stockton 6pts Sunderland 23pts

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Saturday 7th May

Blaydon v Stockton

Another away game saw us take on Blaydon on a cold windy day. Once again sent the opposition in, and with a tight opening from Alan Walker the run rate was kept to less than 2p/o for the first 25 overs. Richard Waite and Scott Gillespie both bowled well to take the honours with the ball.

Rain reduced the game to a revised target of 103 off 36 overs for the winning draw. James Lowe was the key, as he batted throughout the innings on a difficult wicket to guide us past the target

Blaydon 179-7 (R P Waite 3-31, S Gillespie 3-37)
Stockton  107-6 (J Lowe 56*)
Match Drawn
Stockton 10pts

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Sunday 1st May

Banks Salver 1st Round

Stockton v Tynemouth

Tynemouth 189 all out (S Gillespie 3-31)
Stockton 165 all out (A Walker 34)
Tynemouth won by 24 runs

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Saturday 30th April

Newcastle v Stockton

Stockton 1st XI were away to Newcastle for the opening match of the season. After winning the toss and sending Newcasatle in, we were right on top with some tight bowling and energetic fielding. Wickets in hand were the key for Newcastle, as they scored at a good rate for the last 15 overs to register a challenging total of 7/216.

A positive start by Alistair Maiden and James Lowe had us in a good position at 0/70 but a middle order collapse put enormous pressure on the lower order, and we came up 23 runs short. It was a fine batting display by Maiden on his debut for Stockton.

Newcastle 216-7
Stockton 193 (A Maiden 70)
Newcastle won by 23 runs
Stockton 8pts

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