PREMIER DIVISION REVIEW 11th JULY 2009
Knypersley went to the top of the table, as both Longton and Porthill Park suffered shock defeats at home on an exciting day of cricket in the Premier A.
Paul Goodwin’s side’s game at Wood Lane was set up for a grandstand finish, but the late afternoon rain foiled their run chase at Megacre. The home side’s 288-7 declared was built around a superb unbeaten century from professional Ashar Zaidi, who received excellent support from Richard Hasall (62) and Mustafa Bashir (60). Danny Hancock toiled away in good batting conditions for 3-76 before Matt Hagan’s declaration.
Knypersely looked on target for a win after openers Jon Cumberbatch and Staffordshire’s Kim Barnett shared an opening stand of . When Barnett (78) and Cumberbatch (79) were removed skipper Paul Goodwin took up the fight with a quickfire 33 before both sides’ victory hopes dashed by the weather, with Knypersely 220-5.
Longton are going through a dip in form and they were soundly beaten at home by Little Stoke by 132 runs, who are now handily placed in fifth. A steady half centuries by Richard Adams was followed by a belligerent 62 (12 boundaries) from Dan Hancock which saw Richard Harvey’s side reach a total of 204. Staffordshire opening bowler continued his good recent form with 4-48.
But opening attack Dan Colclough and veteran Nick Brat blew away the Longton top order and left their innings in tatters at 31-7 with only a stand of 24 between Andy Kenvyn and Dave Edwards saving Longton from humiliation. Bratt finished with 3-9 and his strike partner Colclough impressed with 4-28, while ex-Longton spinner Gareth Morris will have enjoyed his three cheap wickets on his return to his old club.
Despite the crushing defeat, Longton are just two points behind the leaders and another team who suffered a crushing blow to their title hopes were Porthill Park who were convincingly beaten by Chris Lowndes’ Burslem side at the Old County Ground.
Tariq Ghani backed Lowndes’ decision to filed first upon winning the toss, with a devastating burst of new-ball bowling. He took the first six wickets to fall and eventually finished with superb figures of 7-48 from his 22 overs. Ghani ripped the heart of the home side’s batting line-up and left arm spinner Michael Brown continued his excellent form this season with 3-6.
Despite the early loss of their skipper, Burslem cantered to a nine wicket victory in just 21.2 overs for an early finish. For once, the outstanding Fazl Akbar was wicketless and Chris Roberts blazed a rapid 75 not out to see his side to a nine wicket win.
At the bottom of the table the rain did nothing to help either Leek or Leycett who drew in the Sentinel’s Match of the Day.
There was a tense finish at Stone where all three results were possible in the closing stages of their game with struggling reigning champions Moddershall.
Moddershall’s total of 188 owed much to professional Jeevantha Kulatunga’s 69. Kulatunga who received good support from skipper Scott Oliver who hit a quick 34. Pick of the hom,e attack was veteran seamer Andrew Winfield with his four wickets. Stone’s reoply looked in trouble at 24-2 and with home professional Qaiser Abbas dismissed for just a couple of runs, but a 79-run partnership between Shaun Jenkinson (58) and skipper Phil Cheadle (36) seemed to tilt the game back in the home side’s favour.
At 133-3 a victory for the home side looked on the cards, but Jenkinson’s dismissal turned the game and Stone began to lose wickets at regular intervals, with Kulatunga adding three wickets to his half century and Matt Stupples continuing his good season with the ball (3-26). At stumps the home side were hanging on at 174-9, just 15 runs short of their victory target meaning both sides are still looking nervously over their shoulders.
In the division’s remaining game, Hem Heath had the better of their draw at mid-table Audley. The outstanding performance of the match came from Hem Heath’s John Cheadle, who hit an unbeaten in his side’s 212 from their allotted 60 overs. Michael Hall (49) shared a 108-run partnership with Cheadle in the face of good bowling from Ugasen Govender (3-50) and Richard Holloway (3-63).
Sean Price was dropped twice in the second over but struck a typical swashbuckling 43, but wickets fell regularly to Dan Milligan (4-68) and Mo Hussain (4-48) and it needed a steady 58 from captain Dave Fairbanks to ensure the visitors didn’t capture the full 25 points as Audley were left clinging on at the end on 173-9.
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