On Saturday Macclesfield travelled to Chester to play a side very much still in the hunt for the league title.
Having narrowly lost to Chester earlier in the season and lost their previous three games Macclesfield were hoping to get back to winning ways.
Macclesfield won the toss and on a hard, flat deck they opted to bat first. They lost Hough in the first over, which was the start of a collapse that left Macclesfield at 85-5.
Macclesfield still had hope with Khalid Sawas still in and batting well, but when he departed for a good 69 with the score on 95 Macc looked in serious trouble. Hodgson and Ward knuckled down and batted well, taking advantage of anything loose and being particularly dismissive of anything too straight.
When Hodgson went for a fluent 22 the tail chipped in to get Macclesfield up to a below-par 198 all out with the last two wickets costing Chester 58 runs. Ward finished on 42 not out and a mention must go to Tait for a career-best 20 in only 14 balls.
With an low score to try and defend, Macclesfield’s fielding began in the worst possible way, dropping Cruickshank in the slips on a single-figure score. He got quickly into his stride and dispatched the ball to all parts for 87.
Macc took their first wicket with the score on 109 as Thompson departed, quickly followed by Law. Clarke then bludgeoned 33 before he was caught by Parfett on the boundary. Tait picked up late wickets including Cruickshank’s but Chester cruised home.
