Outstanding season for Netherfield pro
Callum Ferguson- an all-time record 1,381 runs |
Netherfield professional Callum Ferguson set a new Northern League record with 1,381 runs in the 2008 season at an average of 106.23.
Ferguson surpassed Terry Hunte's all-time league record of 1,351 (set in 1994) on the final day as Netherfield clinched the title.
Ferguson hit six hundreds and six half centuries in 22 innings with a highest score of 137 not out against Leyland. He also collected 38 wickets.
St Annes' former Pakistan test batsman Atiq Uz-Zaman also passed the thousand run mark, ironically achieving the distinction in the final game of the season at his former club Carnforth.
Atiq had scored 999 runs for Carnforth in 2006.
Carnforth's Ryan Bailey hit 859 runs before departing early home to South Africa. Leyland professional Ameer Khan hit 848 runs and also took 55 wickets and has re-signed for the Fox Lane club again next season.
Barrow professional Pasan Wanasinghe will return to Ernest Pass for a third year after scoring 834 runs.
Departing Darwen professional Atif Ashraf ended three seasons at Darwen by also topping 800 runs.
Atiq ran away with the Castle Amateur Award for batting but 18-year-old Josh Tolley had a breakthrough season with Chorley, hitting 710 runs including a maiden league hundred.
Kendal's Terry Hunte again set standards for others to follow with a haul of 707 runs while Adam Parker's tally of 685 runs in a struggling Fleetwood side was an outstanding effort.
St Annes' Stephen Twist enjoyed a fine all round season with 639 runs and 37 wickets. But Twist was beaten to the Castle Amateur Awards for bowling by Kendal off-spinner Ben Simm.
Simm's 46 wickets saw him surpass stiff competition from Netherfield's opening bowler Scott Clement (43), Morecambe's Graham Lee (42) and Blackpool's Richard Gleeson (41).
Kendal professional Ross McMillan marked a successful first Northern League season by topping the wicket-taking charts with 66. The South African also hit 667 runs.
Departing St Annes professional Mansoor Ahmed collected 63 victims with his leg-spin while Morecambe's Kiwi pro Bruce Martin and Blackpool's Sri Lankan Saj Weerakoon both took 58 wickets with left arm spin in their first experience of the league.
Chorley's South African pace bowler Friedel de Wet took 56 wickets in an impressive season at Windsor Park.
Blackpool wicket-keeper and vice-captain James Smith tied with St Annes captain Duncan Whalley with 34 victims from behind the timbers. Smith took 24 catches and ten stumpings while Whalley snaffled 17 catches and as many stumpings.
Morecambe captain Mark Lomas again led the fielding table with 18 catches.
Bailey hit the season's highest score, an imperious undefeated 162 for Carnforth at Netherfield but finished on the losing side.
Netherfield off-spinner Chris Miller became only the second player to take all ten wickets in the league, with a sensational 10 for 51 haul at Carnforth. Miller emulated the Morecambe professional Colin Hilton whose ten-for was back in 1969.
Chris Miller took all ten wickets for Netherfield at Carnforth |
Atiq Uz-Zaman also reaches one thousand runs
STATISTICS
DIVISION ONE
MOST RUNS
1,381 Callum Ferguson (Netherfield)
1,005 Atiq Uz-Zaman (St Annes)
859 Ryan Bailey (St Annes)
848 Ameer Khan (Leyland)
834 Pasan Wanasinghe (Barrow)
808 Atif Ashraf (Darwen)
MOST WICKETS:
66 Ross McMillan (Kendal)
63 Mansoor Ahmed (St Annes)
58 Bruce Martin (Morecambe)
58 Saj Weerakoon (Blackpool)
56 Friedel de Wet (Chorley)
WICKET-KEEPERS:
34 James Smith (Blackpool) and Duncan Whalley (St Annes)
FIELDERS:
18 Mark Lomas (Morecambe)
15 Oliver Killiner (Kendal)
HIGHEST SCORE:
162 not out Ryan Bailey
BEST BOWLING:
10 for 51, Chris Miller (Netherfield)
Atiq Uz-Zaman passed the thousand runs barrier in 2008 |
CASTLE AMATEUR AWARDS
BATTING
Atiq Uz-Zaman (St Annes) 1,005 runs
BOWLING:
Ben Simm (Kendal) 46 wickets
WICKET-KEEPING:
James Smith (Blackpool) and Duncan Whalley (St Annes) each 34 victims
FIELDING:
Mark Lomas (Morecambe) 18 catches
Kendal's Ben Simm took 46 wickets |
