Widnes 145, Macclesfield 110

MACCLESFIELD made the trip to Widnes hoping to avoid the foot of the Premier Leagu table, with Khalid Sawas captaining the side for the first time.

In dryer conditions to the two previous weeks Widnes batted first and reached 60 without loss, Dan Naughton looked in good touch producing a couple of delightful straight drives andMelrose punishing anything slightly short.

Tait bowled a tight, lengthy spell from the other end in which he finished with three deserved wickets and it was he who made the first breakthrough, which triggered a collapse for Widnes as wickets fell regularly. Jack Ward replaced Melrose to pick up two wickets. But it was Rob Porter who changed the course of the innings completely.

He claimed five wickets, bowling with great control in conditions conducive to spin, Widnes ending up all out for 145.

In similar fashion to Widnes, Porter and Keen then got off to a solid start with the latter looking particularly fluent.

Porter was first to fall with the score on 40. Once again the wickets began to tumble with Sawas, Crosthwaite, Ward and both Melroses all falling cheaply.

Chris Moores then joined Keen to consolidate and rebuild the innings with good ruinning and punsihment of bad balls to move the score on steadily.

Keen moved onto a well played 50 but unfortunately fell soon after to a change in the bowling. Chris Moores continued batting well and started to find the boundary more frequently. Support at the other end was lacking however, with Macc ending up well short on 110 all out, with Moores left unbeaten.

Next week Macc are at home to Urmston.

THE second XI hosted Grappenhall who batted first and scored 224-9 off 47 overs, Liam Markie claiming five wickets. Macclesfield were then all out for 205. Matt Fry scored 54, Andy Moores 36 and Markie completing a fine game with 28.

The thirds hosted Irby and also lost with Mark Knight the stand-out performer with a fluent 80.

On a very positive note in a bad weekend for the club Khalid Sawas made his Cheshire debut against Cumberland CCC in a Minor Counties Knock out 50-over game.

Cheshire totalled 312-4 as new captain James Duffy scored 100, but Khalid stole the show with a brilliant 119 not out.

Cheshire went on to win a thriller by one run as Cumberland closed on 311-5 and those at Victoria Road are hopeful it will spark a rich vein of form for their batsman.

Bredbury St Mark’s 114, Bollington 116-5

Bollington had a successful weekend’s cricket, notching their first league victory at home to Bredbury St Marks and following that up with an eight-wicket thrashing of Chelford in the Cheshire Cup.

On Saturday skipper Toby Ward won the toss and asked Bredbury to bat first. Opening bowler Mo Jahangir was in superb form as he ran through the visitors line-up to claim an excellent 6-37, well supported by Stuart Plant (2-21) and Matt Dawson (2-26) as Bredbury were bowled out in the 44th over for just 114.

The experienced Chris wood top scored with 44.

In reply Bolly lost Aussie Mike Rixon early but Ged McKernan (20) and Tom Barrass’ fluent 46 put Bolly in pole position.

When both were dismissed it was left to Dawson (13 not out) and Jahangir (12 not out) to guide Bolly home to bag the full 25 points.

On Sunday Bolly entertained Chelford in the first round of the Cheshire Cup. Bolly again bowled first and skittled their visitors for 119, Aldo Palazzo the star man, claiming 5-24. Palazzo was backed up by Dawson (2-4), Tom Horsfield (2-38) and Jahangir (1-17).

Bolly knocked the small total off in 28 overs for the loss of just two wickets.

Barrass followed up his good innings on Saturday with another 46, while wicketkeeper Alex Sykes supported well with an unbeaten 37 and Dawson an unbeaten 15.

In league action, Bolly travel to Brooklands on Saturday.

Upton 76, Poynton 77-0

AFTER having their opening two games washed out after relegation to the Second Division, nine of Poynton’s batsmen failed to get to the wicket against Upton at Stockport Road.

However, that was because they completed an overwhelming win without losing a wicket.

Upton mustered a miserable 76 against the Poynton attack headed by Danny Williams (3-8) and Matt Heathcote (2-6).

The runs were then knocked off within 31 overs by openers Tom Berzins, who hit an unbeaten 39 and Damien Stringer who made 29 not out.

LANGLEY entertained local rivals Pott Shrigley in a league game for the first time at the weekend, a battling draw.

On a bitterly cold day skipper Letven won the toss and elected to bat on what looked a slow wicket.

Openers Gay and Little got Langley off to a solid start. Punishing any loose deliveries from the Shrigley attack, the pair hit 42 in 11 overs before Little was bowled by Alex Jackson for 18.

The belligerent Rick Laughton joined Gay and the run rate dipped as the Shrigley bowlers turned the screw, Langley reaching 64 before Gay was trapped LBW for 28.

Cook and Laughton then added 49 in just seven including 24 from one over by Laughton before he was bowled for 46 with the score on 113-3.

But the middle order folded tamely as Patterson, Westwood, Johnson and Betteridge all failed to reach double figures as Langley stumbled to 145-8, Letven (15 not out) and Gregory took the hosts to 164-8 off their 45 overs.

For Shrigley Jackson’s 4-55 was the pick of the attack.

In reply Langley suffered a double early blow as the pacy Betteridge pulled his hamstring and Dave Gregory spilled a skier from the dangerous Warren Barlow, who at the time had failed to score.

Supported by Hart, Barlow then laid a platform for the Shrigley batsman and in taking full advantage of his let-off he raced to 50 after a patient start.

The duo scored 62 in 21 overs before Cook trapped Hart LBW for 14. Barlow soon followed for a stylish 50 as Cook struck again, a wicket that triggered a batting collapse. The Pott middle order then folded in timid style as the classy Patterson and Cook ripped into them.

They were reduced to 94-8 with 12 overs remaining, but on a slow pitch offering little help to the bowlers the resilience of Matt Jackson (14 not out) and Alex Clarke (two not out) saw out the overs as Shrigley closed on 113-8. to secure a share of the points.

For Langley Cook (5-30) and Patterson (3-22) were the wicket takers.

Langley travel to Barrow still searching for their first win of the season.

Pott Shrigley seconds hosted Langley seconds at home. Skipper Dawson lost the toss and Pott were asked to bat.

Langley started well, taking an early wicket but Lisney (38) dug in well. Matt Tarr’s quick 54 and Rawsthorne’s 20 saw the Hillmen reach 156-8.

On a slow outfield this was always looking difficult for Langley, and the Pott bowlers all bowled well.

Rob Lea’s five wickets in three overs sealed a comfortable victory for the Hillmen and takes them to second in the league.

PRESTBURY’S first result of the 2012 season saw them suffer a 101-run defeat at Davenham.

The hosts batted first and declared on 169-8. Prestbury’s reply fell well short as they were bowled out for just 68, four points their return from the fixture.