Shields look to build on success
SOUTH Shields travel to Blaydon tomorrow for their North East Premier League Division One clash, and on recent form must fancy that they can take something out of the game.
Tomorrow marks the start of the second half of the season, with all teams having already played each other once.
Shields will look back at their earlier encounter against Blaydon in the second game of the season, and know they have the bowling ammunition to limit Blaydon's scoring, and that their batting line-up has strengthened since the early part of the season.
The Sapphire Engineering Ltd-sponsored side has gone on to win four of its last five games. The latest was against Newcastle last weekend, which saw the Shields side bowl the North Tyneside team out for 191 in just 40 overs.
Chris Watson put in yet another tremendous spell of medium-pace seam bowling, which saw him remove the four top order batsmen in a nine-over spell in which he went for only 36 runs.
Skipper Matthew Muchall also cashed in with a four-wicket haul, for 61 runs, with only Niall Penfold (46) and Ross Mclaren (73), being able to put up any resistance against the Shields bowling attack.
Shields then produced another accomplished batting performance, which saw Andrew Elliott (47) and Phillip Bell put on a second wicket partnership of 156.
Bell produced a superb performance, which saw him notch his first ton for the club, in an innings of 122 not out.
Blaydon are 30 points ahead of Shields going into tomorrow's clash, and Muchall knows that another good performance is needed.
He said: "I will be looking for a good performance from the lads, and we will go into the game in a confident frame of mind.
"If we can play as well as we have done over the last month then we will be in with a good shout of coming away with some good points."
Muchall is without the services of Bell, and he will be replaced by Ray McRae. Chris Nichol also returns to first-team action.
The first XI will also be in action tonight at Wood Terrace in the second round of the Hedworth Williamson Cup against Boldon, who currently top the Durham Senior League.
Shields 2nd XI entertain Blaydon at Wood Terrace tomorrow, and captain Mark Appleton will be looking for his players to start performing to their potential.
On Sunday South Northumberland are the opposition for the Academy side at Wood Terrace, with the Gosforth outfit likely to provide a good test for the developing Shields youngsters.
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Weather for South Shields
Friday 10 February 2012
Today
Cloudy
Temperature: -3 C to 2 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Cloudy
Temperature: 2 C to 3 C
Wind Speed: 10 mph
Wind direction: South west
