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Si earns Pat on back

11/ 5/2005

ECB First Division
Macclesfield 184-5
Alsager 187-9

SIMON Patterson just failed to spin Macclesfield to victory after they lost in dramatic fashion against Alsager.

Needing one more wicket for their first victory of the season, the Victoria Road fell just short as the visitors scraped home. Earlier, Aussie Stuart Brohaska (55) and Jason Knight (46) crafted a partnership of 98 in Macclesfield's 184-5.

The home side made quick inroads into the Alsager reply but Ashwin Punja and Tom Smalley (61) put on 111 before the latter became the first of Patterson's four wickets for 44 runs.

Wickets continued to fall at regular intervals and when Ian Tait (3-69) produced a superb caught and bowled to dismiss Punja for 57, Alsager were in trouble at 141-7. But Phil Cotterill (31no) went on the attack, hitting Patterson for 27 in two overs, and steered the visitors home.

Eddie Bones laid the foundations for victory against Grappenhall with a superb 123 from 108 balls in the second team's total of 188-3. But, despite Matt Towns' best effort, the skipper finishing with 5-59, Macc could not take the final wicket and the hosts finished on 165-9.

Macc thirds cruised to an emphatic eight-wicket win against eight-man Irby. The visitors struggled to 61-6 in a reduced 72-over game, which proved no problem for Macc who reached the total in 11 overs.

The firsts travel to Didsbury on Saturday, while the seconds entertain Bollington in a local derby and the thirds visit Irby.