Burridge CC finally complete marquee signing of all-rounder Will Donald

The left-hander has at last moved to the south after skippering Whitby in the North Yorkshire & South Durham League.

The 23-year old Newcastle University graduate topped the NY & SD League Division 1 batting charts in 2019 with 649 runs, including one century and five half-centuries.

He also featured in the top ten bowling averages, taking 39 wickets with his left-arm spin for Whitby, who finished fourth in Division 1 - the league below the main ECB competition.

In all, Donald has made 3,385 league runs for Whitby – two hundreds and 18 fifties – and taken 269 wickets, including nine five-wicket hauls.

Donald had been due to play for Burridge last season, but his move delayed due to the

pandemic.

He made his debut in the ECB Southern Premier Division game against Lymington at Botley Road at the weekend. It was an inauspicious first appearance, as he was dismissed for just a single as the visitors claimed a 29-run victory.

It was the only Premier Division match that survived the heavy early morning rain that washed out all bar four of the 20 scheduled games across the board.

Lymington were asked to bat in damp, blustery conditions, but eventually defended 155 with relative comfort after Burridge lost wickets at regular intervals during the 40-over run chase.

They were eventually bowled out for 126, Ryan Scott catching the eye with bat and ball.

The fact the match took place at all was of immense credit to veteran groundsman Gerry Candy and his helpers – and Burridge skipper Hilio de Abreu must have thought their efforts might be rewarded when stand-in skipper Terry Crabb called wrongly and Lymington were sent into bat.

Crabb became the first of four victims for the impressive Dan Stancliffe (4-28). But by the time the Kiwi left-hander was bowled, Lymington had 38 on the board - Ben Rogers (32) punching six boundaries in his 22-ball knock.

Patience proved a great virtue as Scott (28) got his head down, but with De Abreu (3-35) creating inroads Lymington dropped to 118-6.

The tail added a handy 37 runs before Oli Southon (2-38) and Stancliffe finished things off.

‘We thought we were 20 or 25 runs short, with only Ben Rogers looking at home,, admitted Lymington’s teenage vice-captain Josh Royan

Impressive new-ball bowling by South Wilts raised James Wade (2-17) and Josh Proctor (2-26) had Burridge rocking at 21-3 with Donald, opening with Joe Collings-Wells, departing early.

The left-handed Matt Norris (31) steadied the ship - following on from his debut half-century in the opening day victory against Alton.

But tight eight-over spells by spin pair Dan Cox (1-15) and South African Ximus du Plooy (2-15) kept Burridge in check before Scott (3-29) re-emerged into the action with a three-wicket blast that reduced the hosts to 88-8.

Azimunnor Chowdhury (16) and Oli Southon (23) are renowned big hitters and threatened Lymington’s target before Luke Mortimore took a good catch off the bowling of Proctor to ensure a 29-run win for the visitors.

‘The match really was in the balance until Scotty came on and produced a match-winning spell,’ Royan remarked.

‘Ryan picked up two wickets in two balls, the second (James Hughes) a brilliant stumping by Luke, to tip the game in our favour.

‘It was a great game to play in, though I needed a hot cocoa drink to warm me up afterwards.’

Finn Coleman turned in a fine all-round display as Burridge 3rds lost a Hampshire League nailbiter to Langley Manor 3rds.

Coleman’s 3-15 haul off eight tight overs had helped restrict Langley to 138-9 from their 40 overs.

Coleman then top scored with 32 as Burridge finished agonisingly short on 134-7.

Dominic Osborne (28) and Duncan Field (26) were also in the runs, but Thomas Keil’s 4-14 spell off eight overs helped tie the batsmen down.