Macclesfield travelled to local side Toft and knocked off 206 runs in fine style, putting to bed any doubts that had arisen about chasing targets that may have set in from the previous week.
Toft’s stand-in skipper Pat Roberts won the toss and opted to bat on a hard, flat track.
The Macclesfield opening bowling pair of Barron and Tait in particular, again bowled well with the new ball, giving very few loose deliveries. The Toft opening pair remained patient and took advantage of the few bad balls that came.
Although Toft hadn’t lost any wickets the scoring rate was always slow. After a good spell from Tait, the introduction of the golden-armed Rob Porter saw the loss of the first wicket, Sayers chopping on two short of his half-century.
In the very next over Ben Morrison held a smart catch behind the stumps off Barney Cutbill to claim Maudalige, the other set batsman. With two new batters at the crease and the run rate slow Roberts and Carolan tried to push the rate on and were both looking good until a misjudged two saw Carolan run out with a tremendous piece of work from Ward on the boundary.
Roberts soon followed, caught in the ring off Cutbill. At 153-4 off 46 overs Stubbs provided much-needed runs with a good run-a-ball 42, but with no support at the other end Toft crumbled to a well under par 206 all out.
Tait bowled well on a pitch that offered the seamers very little with 14 overs going for just 34 runs, but plaudits go to Porter with figures of 5-48 off 14 overs.
Macclesfield didn’t start their run chase off in particularly good fashion, losing Hough in the seventh over with the score on just 11.
Morrison and Khalid Sawas then proceeded to put together a 119-run partnership with some intelligent batting selecting the right times to be patient and attack.
With the score on 130 Morrison got out caught in the ring for a well-made 61. Porter came and went for a quick 13, bringing Parfett to the crease.
With a dispersed field and just 37 to win frustration got the better of Sawas as he was bowled for 62 while looking for the boundary.
Barron and Parfett then proceeded to knock the runs off in the 43rd over with Macclesfield just four wickets down.
Parfett finished with a fluent 33 not out and Pete Barron an unbeaten 13 in a confident run chase from Macclesfield.
