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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.
DIVISION 1A REVIEW 11th JULY 2009
Elworth and Barlaston are the two sides who are starting to build a gap at the top of Division 1A, and both won convincingly at the weekend.
Murray Ranger once again starred with the bat for Elworth, as he struck 74 off just 68 balls to set up Elworth’s imposing total of 213-7 declared in their Cheshire derby with Crewe. Ranger shared a rapid 81-run partnership with Ross Kesteven (44) whilst Nauman Alavi was the pick of the visiting attack with 3-75.
Whilst Bernie Bishop (85 not out) was at the crease, Crewe always had a sniff of victory, but he received little support from his batting partners as home skipper Matthew Buckley took a handful of wickets to lead the victory charge. Outstanding off-spinner and loyal Elworth servant Jim Higgins was once again in the wickets with 3-54, as his side gained maximum points in a 42 run victory.
Niroshan Bandaratilleke was once more in outstanding form, as Barlaston’s victory in their crunch home game with Sandyford moved them 29 points clear of Gareth Rigby’s side who are third.
Sandyford were shot-out for just 81 after being 41-1, with the introduction of spinners Bandaratilleke and Mark Stanyer once again doing the business for Neil Davies’ men. The Barlaston professional took 5-18, with Stanyer taking 3-19 leaving what loked to be a comfortable victory target.
But the home side looked anything but comfortable at 21-3 and it took 36 not out from veteran Wayne Morray to see his side to victory in the face of another good opening burst from Andy Barnett (3-22).
Blythe missed out on the chance to close the gap as they were held at home by Norton, for whom new professional Simon Kellett was immediately in the runs.
Kellett’s boundary-laden 45 set up Norton for a decent total, which was added to rapidly by Ian Reynold’s quickfire 43 (40 in boundaries). The away side were eventually bowled out for 233, with home professional Nilantha Cooray yet again in the wickets (5-37) and he received stout support from home captain Pete Finch’s 4-74.
Cooray (59) then starred in a stand of 113 with Rob Ginders (43) as Blythe looked ready to mount a victory charge at 135-2. But persistant rain put paid to any chance of a positive result, and both sides had to settle for a draw, with the home side closing on 177-6.
Stafford are still bottom of the table and looked to be in trouble before the weather intervened in their draw at home to Cheadle. The visitors’ total of 223-9 declared was built around an opening partnership of 104 between Rob Coxon (45) and Hamza Siddique (85). After that, the Moorlands side lost wickets regularly, with Sean Connolly and Guy Seaton each picking up three wickets apiece.
It needed 43 from the home side’s Rob James to see his side to safety on 118-6 at the close, as Chris Barker once again showed good form with the ball in taking 3-32. Cheadle remain in mid-table whilst Stafford are 13 points behind Kidsgrove who drew at neighbours Rode Park and Lawton.
Steady half centuries from Jon Gallimore and Jeremy Orme were the backbone of the home side’s 237-5 declared, but with only 39 overs available to Kidsgrove due to rain, a positive result was not going to be possible. Kidsgrove laboured to 144-6 in the face of steady bowling from the Rode Park attack and they are now 10 oints behind Meir Heath who just about escaped with a draw in their home game against Whitmore.
The visitors amassed 213-9 declared in 50 overs built around 58 from Justin Mould and solid contributions from Ian Porter and Rob Giannasi. Captain Richard Stonier with 4-46 was easily the pick of the home attack.
Visiting new-ball attack Irfan Fazil (4-48) and Lee Johnson (3-41) soon had the home side in all sorts of trouble, and it needed a solid knock of 41 from Jason Britton to see Meir Heath to scrape a draw on 156-9 from their 44 overs.
DIVISION 2A REVIEW 11th JULY 2009
Ashcombe Park are ten points clear at the top after they won at Stone/SP which leaves the home side in dire relegation straits.
Will Kitchen and Nick Cooper both put up plenty of fight for the home side as their half centuries ensured that Stone/SP reached a more than useful 222-9. Andy Jones and Dave Clowes both picked up four wickets, and Ashcombe’s Dave Proffitt then ensured his team went to the top of the league with an unbeaten 84, despite James Ecclestone’s four wickets.
Despite struggling off the field, Betley are making good progress on it, as they went second by hammering previous leaders Oulton. Betley’s 204 all out was built around A Simcox (51) and Neil Harrison (48) and then ex-Middlesex seamer Dave Follett and Darren Snape both took three wickets, as Oulton crashed to 126 all out, with only Miles Coughlan putting up any resistance with 55.
Improving Silverdale will be cursing the weather as they were deprived the full 25 points at home to struggling Bignall End with the visitors hanging on at 93- in response to 210-8.
Mick Moore top scored with 47 for the home side despite Matthew Saive’s 3-45, and as Scott Degg (4-21) and Mitchell Stokes (3-22) tore through the visiting batting line-up it seemed victory was inevitable. But Andy Howle’s 34 might be crucial at both ends of the table come September as Bignall End narrowly avoided a drubbing.
Meakin’s normally reliable batting line-up came unstuck at Caverswall as they were skittled for just 71 to lose by 112 runs.
The home side’s 183-9 declared owed much to steady knocks from Stefan Barker and Marlon Martin, with Meakins pro Ranil Dhammika once again the chief destroyer for Meakins with 7-35.
But Martin completed a superb all-round match with 5-20, and Chris Baranowski was once more in the wickets with 4-18 as Carsa won easily.
Weston were another team hanging on for dear life in their big game with Checkley. The visitors amassed a huge 247-7 declared thanks to steady contributions throughout their innings. For once, Raj Kumar failed with the bat, and with Ian Carr taking wickets it seemed that victory for Checkley was inevitable as Weston were 143-9. But tenth man Mike Holt struck an amazingly belligerent 40 not out from just 21 balls to see his side to a draw 175-9.
There was a full day’s play at Newcastle, where visitors Alsager had the better of their draw. Oliver Sadler, Simon Dyer and Paul Tibbetts all made good contributions in the visitors’ 186-6. Chris Hampshire then took regular wickets as the home side limped to 125-8 by the close.
DIVISION 3A REVIEW 11th JULY 2009
Moddershall A and Bagnall both won to strengthen their position as the top two sides in a topsy-turvy division where any side can beat any other side.
Moddershall A put a dent in Endon’s promotion hopes as they won a low-scoring game at home by 44 runs. Impressive youngster Jordan Weaver and Mike Dawson were once again in the wickets for Endon as they reduced the home side to 159 all out. Only Matt Stupples (38) and pro Upal Unrasiri (55) put up much resistance, but their runs were crucial as Undrasiri’s four wickets and Shaun Brian with 5-31 shot-out Endon for just 115.
Moddershall A’s maximum points puts them just 2 points in front of Bagnall who won easily at struggling Woore, who were dismissed for a low score for the second wek running. Vish Sharma and M Lawton both hit half centuries in Bagnall’s 235-8 declared, and then Alex Ravenscroft’s outstanding 7-61 gave maximum points to Bagnall as Woore were dismissed for 94.
Wedgwood/Stanfields are now third after they won a close game at home to bottom placed Norton-in-Hales. The visitors posted 164 despite Gareth Lello’s five wickets, and N Bloor’s 4-47 had looked to have given the visitors a scent of victory, but Lee Smith’s unbeaten 76 saw the home side to victory.
Eccleshall and Hanford were involved in an exciting game which swung either way. Ian Davies scored 124 for the visitors in their total of 208 and Tim Ecleston’s 92 looked to have won it for the home side, but Mike Coxon’s 5-75 ensured that Eccleshall finished just 4 runs short of victory on 205-7 in a rain-reduced match.
Improving Oakamoor were brought back to earth with a bump as they lost 37 runs at home to mid-table Hem Heath/Forsbrook. C Harisson’s 38 was the backbone of the visitors 147 (M Ayub 6-45) and C Wright and W Aubrey both bowled well to see Oakamoor dismissed for just 110 in reply.
In the division’s remaining game, Porthill Park A were convincing winners against Meir Heath/Fenton. Porthill’s 243-9 declared was based around Aaron Brunt’s 76, and then Matt Webster’s four wickets ensured a comfortable 71 run victory for the home side.
Anthony Bunn 12th July 2009