In a dramatic finale to the Cheshire Premier League season last Saturday, Edge survived by staging a remarkable comeback against Macclesfield just when it looked like they would be relegated.
Edge batted first on a wicket that provided considerable help to the bowlers all afternoon and meant that large totals were unlikely and runs would be at a premium.
They lost the early wickets of Alan Day, Mark Currie and Jon Steele, but were saved from collapse by an aggressive 56 from wicketkeeper Adam Worrall with Macclesfield skipper Barney Cutbill taking six wickets.
A useful 16 from Adam Wildig still meant Edge posted a below par 115 with news coming through from Grappenhall that they were on course for a victory over Oxton, meaning the only way Edge could save themselves would be to bowl out Macclesfield for less than 115 – a feat that appeared unlikely.
The visitors, however, lost a steady stream of wickets as Edge’s best bowler this season, Mark Warnes, came good again with a five-wicket haul for 21 runs.
That took his tally for the season to 33 and second place in the Cheshire Premier League bowling averages for 2011.
A dramatic game looked like it was finally going Macclesfield’s way with Khalid Sawas making 44 before being caught on the boundary by Tom Atkinson off Warnes’ bowling.
It meant Macclesfield’s last pair came together with just 14 runs required to relegate Edge.
However, it was Edge skipper Jason Whittaker that took a caught and bowled chance to seal a dramatic comeback for Edge and spark huge celebrations among the home side’s faithful.
News that Alderley’s second team had been promoted after starting the day outside the promotion places meant that celebrations continued long in to the night as the season reached a dramatic conclusion.
