A Tale of a Cricket Society Member
Norman is pictured third from the right and Brad fourth from the right on the picture.
He knew nobody in Durham but he got hold of The Cricket Society and they know where to find a team short of a player. Chester-le-Street Cricket Clubs midweek side obliged and Norman achieved his full set on the evening of the 2nd July in a win over Komatsu. He played a key part in the victory with a run a ball 17 and a couple of wickets in the reply.
Also in the team was a man who hadn’t played in any English county. Brad Hopes, father of the club’s Australian pro, Ty Hopes, is visiting the area on holiday and played his first game in England and got the side off to a flying start with some elegant late cuts as he adapted to local conditions within a couple of balls.
Given the English summer Norman took the precaution of arranging a back up match. It was just as well that it only rained a little bit at Chester-le-Street as his team Davipart, managed only 15 balls against Sunderland QS on the 3rd July before the heavens opened and the game was abandoned. He didn’t get on the pitch.