Werneth body blow

JOE TAYLOR: shattered thumb

CRICKET: WERNETH have been shattered by the news that all-rounder Joe Taylor has been ruled out for the season with an horrific thumb injury.

The 23 year old was fielding on the boundary edge against Norden when he went to take a catch off visiting professional Daniel Salpietro. Taylor misjudged the catch and the ball hit his thumb end-on, shattering the bone.

His cousin, Werneth skipper Matthew, said: “It was a horrible sight. It’s shocking for Joe, and the team will miss him too.”

But that hasn’t been the team’s only depressing news this week: pace bowler Michael Wilson would have been his logical replacement in the Werneth side - but he split the webbing on his right hand taking a catch and could be out for up to three weeks.

But it’s not all gloom: though they lost by 10 wickets at home to a powerful Norden outfit, they at least scored 228 before four dropped catches — two of them off Salpietro — undermined their bowling..