HIGHEST SCORES
Netherfield's Australian professional Nick
Kruger stole the individual highlights during the 2010 season
as he equalled the Northern League record by hitting a
blistering 208 for Netherfield against Preston at Parkside
Road on 22 May. Netherfield's total of 353 for 5 declared was
also a new record total for the league.
The 26-year-old Kruger made 208 off 109 balls
with 23 fours and ten sixes. When he was dismissed, caught in
the deep by David Fisher off Sajid Patel he had equalled the
league record set by Darwen pro Atif Ashraf, who made 208 not
out against Barrow in 2007. Netherfield also surpassed their
previous league record total which they had set by scoring 319
for 2 declared against Fleetwood in 2005. The league record
was then surpassed by St Annes who scored 325 for 5 at
Carnforth in 2007.
Sydney born Kruger, the opening batsman for
Queensland, put on 96 for the first wicket in 11.3 overs with
Craig Walmsley (45) and 179 for the fourth wicket in only 19.5
overs with John Huck (59 not out) before being dismissed with
the score on 322. He reached his first hundred off 57 balls
and his second off only 52, hitting sixes on both occasions.
Netherfield Marc Hadwin called a halt with 4.4 overs unused
but despite having 54 overs to face Preston gallantly fought
out a draw, closing on 212 for 8. Kruger completed a busy day
by bowling 16 overs in the searing heat and taking three for
48.
Afterwards Hadwin paid tribute to the
Netherfield professional. "It was a sensational innings,
absolutely amazing," Hadwin said. "I've never seen anything
like it. Some of his sixes were enormous and the innings was a
spectacle to watch from ball one. He got good support from
Craig Walmsley and John Huck but just kept going.
"Nick didn't know he was on the verge of beating
the record when he got out. But he doesn't play the game for
records, just for fours and sixes. He's a tall, left-handed
batsman who packs incredible power into his shots and his
display was phenomenal."
Hadwin has played alongside some great
professionals during his 20 years at Netherfield including
Callum Ferguson, Pierre de Bruyn, Charl Langeveldt, Dale
Benkenstein, Pieter Strydom, Jacques Kallis and Geoff Foley
and rates Kruger among the best.
"Batting wise he is not far off some of the
great players we've had at Netherfield, "Hadwin added.
"Certainly he's one of the most destructive. He doesn't let
you get away with a bad ball and if he stays in long enough
he'll destroy the bowling attack."
On 12 June Chorley professional JJ Smuts hit a
club record 177 not out in his side's win at Carnforth. The
21-year-old South African deleted Bob Yardley's 151 not out
back in 1978 as the club's highest individual score in the
Northern League. Smuts reached a chanceless hundred off 46
overs including 12 fours before cutting loose in remarkable
fashion. In the last four overs Smuts hit 77 runs off 22 balls
including ten sixes and three fours as Chorley reached 278 for
6.
With professional Gareth Pedder restricted to
just two overs by a groin injury sustained in the warm-up
Carnforth bowlers Darren Nelson and John Denwood bore the
brunt of Smuts remarkable assault. Both had bowled tidily
until the onslaught as Nelson finished with four for 122 off
25 overs and Denwood with one for 133 off 23 overs.
Just a fortnight after Smuts's remarkable innings
Chorley's second team opener Stu Naden hit a magnificent 192
off 166 balls, including 25 fours and two sixes, to set a new
league and club record batting performance. Naden surpassed
Chorley's Arthur Diamond's 182 in a second team game in 1992
with the highest individual score in Northern League Division
Two cricket. Chorley made 283 for 5 to win a highscoring game
by five wickets. Only Darwen's Atif Ashraf (208no in 2007) and
Netherfield's Nick Kruger (208 in 2010) have hit higher scores
in the league, their performances being in Division One
games.
RECORD BREAKERS
Chorley's centenary season was marked by new
seasonal batting records set in both divisions. Professional
JJ Smuts broke Stuart Duff's Northern League Division One
batting record of 719 runs set in 1987. Smuts hit 747 at an
average of 57.46 before leaving his engagement at the end of
July to take part in South Africa's emerging players
tournament in Australia.
Stu Naden beat Bob Dickinson's club record in
Division Two, making 740 runs at an average of 38.95.
Dickinson had made 721 runs in the 1993 season. Barrow's Jon
Miles broke his own Barrow batting record in division, easily
surpassing the 545 runs he made in 2009. Miles made 878 runs
at an average of 46.21 with newcomer Greg Paltten following
him closely with 736 runs at an average of 36.80.
In the bowling stakes Barrow's professional and
amateur records were both broken. Professional Pasan
Wanasinghe took 74 wickets at an average of 11.96 to beat Rawl
Lewis's total of 53 wickets in 2005. Graham Dawson beat Peter
Lawson's amateur record with 43 wickets at 17.27, Lawson
having taken 42 in 2005. Wanasinghe's analysis of seven for 25
at Carnforth was the best by a Barrow bowler in Northern
League cricket.
Carnforth professional Gareth Pedder took a club
record 54 wickets in the Northern League, surpassing the
professional record set by Irfan Fazil (42) in 2007 and
amateur Warren Quinn's tally of 53 wickets in 2009. Pedder
also took Carnforth's best analysis in the league when he
collected figures of seven for 26 against Netherfield at Lodge
Quarry.
Kendal off-spinner Chris Miller set a new Kendal
seasonal bowling record by taking 60 wickets at an average of
15.90. The club record was previously jointly held by Jiva
Malak and Brian Evans with 52 wickets apiece.
In Division Two Donovan Du Plessis beat Paul
Dodds Kendal batting record by making 603 runs at an average
of 37.69. Dodds made 557 runs in 1993.
Leyland's Australian guest player Daniel Hall
set a new club record in Division two by scoring 846 runs at
an average of 60.43. The previous record was held by John
Pallett with 793 runs in 1991.
St Annes bowler Dinuka Hettiarachchi became
only the fifth bowler to take 90 wickets or over in a Division
One season, collecting 94 wickets at 11.80. He was denied the
opportunity to get to a century when St Annes final game was
washed-out.
HADWIN REACHES MILESTONE
Netherfield's popular and long-serving leg-spin
bowler Marc Hadwin reached the milestone of 500 Division One
wickets on 4 September. Hadwin's second wicket in that game
brought up the 500 was a distinguished one when David Heywood
was caught by Shane Dixon.
Heywood is one of only nine batsmen to make
10,000 runs in Northern League division one games and made his
Lancaster debut in 1987, three seasons before Hadwin.
Hadwin's best season was in 2004 when he took 45
wickets at an average of 15.17. His best bowling was nine for
44 in 1999 and he took a hat-trick against Kendal in 2007. He
finished the season with 500 wickets at an average of 19.50
and has also taken 117 wickets at 17.23 in Division Two.
