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PREMIER DIVISION REVIEW 29th AUGUST 2009

With two games to go it looks like a two-horse race at the top of the league and a three-team battle to avoid the drop at the other end.

Little Stoke did everything but beat rivals Knypersley but had to settle for a winning draw as Longton hammered Leycett to become their closest rivals for the title. At Knypersley, Richard Harvey (52) and John Hancock (42) ensured that d espitre Andy Marshall’s 4-34, the visitors reached a competetive total of 178-8 in their 60 overs.

In  reply, Knypersely limped to just 89-7 from their 48 overs with Dan Colclough once again amongst the wickets.

Longton smashed visiting Leycett by nine wickets after all their bowlers were amongst the wickets as the Leycett line-up crumbled to a meagre 81 all out. Pete Wilshaw was a man in a hurry as he smashed an unbeaten half-century to ensure the game only lasted 49 overs in total.

Little Stoke are now five points clear of Longton with Knype now 21 points off Gareth Morris’ men.

At the bottom, Leycett’s hammering opened the door for Moddershall, Leek and Hem Heath, but all three lost and Leycett remain with a fighting chance of avoiding the drop. Leek’s Colin Dearden would have been disappointed that his side lost after he took 7-43 to restrict home side Stone to 152-9. But Qisaer Abbas and Russ Ballard spun a web that could spell relegation for Jamie Cullerton’s side who stumbled to 131 all out and are now eight points behind Moddershall who lost a close game at home to an improving Burslem side.

Harish Reddy’s 61 and N Khan’s unbeaten 73 saw Scott Oliver declare on 185-4, and despite in-form Chris Beech taking three wickets, solid knocks from Michael Brown and Alex Bailey saw Burslem home by just tow wickets.

Hem Heath lost easily at Wood Lane, but are 27 points clear of the relegation dogfight which should be enough to see them safe. Brian Sims (36) and Andy Palmer (46) saw Hem Heath total 158, but despite Mo Hussain’s 3-51, half-centuries from A Zaidi and Dan Brierley saw Wood Lane easily home by seven wicket s.

In the division’s other game Porthill and Audley drew in an uninspiring end-of-season game with both teams in mid-table. Richard Holloway and Shaun Price both smashed half-centuries for Audley as they ammassed 226-6, but Porthill were never in the hunt and ended up on 116-6.

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Premier Division Review 22nd August 2009

Little Stoke remain on top of the league and still have a healthy lead of fourteen points, but it is Longton who have now emerged as their closest challengers with just 3 games of the season remaining.

The league leaders were beaten at home by struggling reigning champions Moddershall in a game swung by a superb unbeaten century from Moddershall opening batsman Chris Beech. Beech’s 104 not out from just 133deliveries, contained 18 boundaries and two huge sixes as he single-handedly ensured that Little Stoke’s total of 157 (Jon Hancock 33, George Cairns 48) was never going to be enough.

Matt Stupples continued his good form with the ball for Scott Oliver’s side, taking 6-50 to still leave Little Stoke with a useful gap between themselves and second placed Longton.

Longton’s win at home to Porthill put a huge dent in the visitor’s title aspirations and puts Pete Wilshaw’s side two points ahead of third placed Knypersley.

Dave Ferris (43) and Simon Cork (42 not out) both made solid contributions in Porthill’s 189-7 innings closed, but Roger Sillence and Tom Birks both made half-centuries for the home side, and Dave Edwards’ struck an unbeaten 34 as Longton ran out five wicket victors, despite Mark Bengry’s three wickets.

Longton will fancy their chances of gaining further ground next weekend as they host relegation-threatened Leycett, whilst the top two play each other.

In an exciting match at Trentham Lakes, Hem Heath did their survival chances the world of good after a narrow one wicket win over Knypersley. Kim Barnett’s 73 was the backbone of the visitors 185-4 declared, and he received useful support from Staffordshire skipper Paul Goodwin (32 not out.

Mo Hussain was once again the pick of the home attack and he backed-up his three wickets with a rapid 30. At 99-2 and with Hussain and John Cheadle in great nick a home win looked odds-on, but once Cheadle was dismissed for an excellent half century, Rob James made in-roads into the Hem Heath batting, but Darren Sanders hit the winning run for Double H in spite of James’ excellent figures of 6-64.

Knypersley visit leaders Little Stoke next weekend in what could be the all-important game which decides which direction the 2009 Premier League title is heading.

Hem Heath are now 26 points ahead of second bottom Leycett who were bowled out for just 79 at home to Burslem, for whom opening bowler Abu Jamil had the outstanding return of 7-21 from 14.4 overs. Despite losing wickets at regular intervals, Chris Roberts’ 30 ensured that Burslem won by four wickets in an early finish.

But Ian Boulton’s men are still three points ahead of Leek who were comprehensively beaten at home by a Wood Lane side still in with a sniff of title glory.

Only Richard Cooper (27) and Dan Ball (32) put up any meaningful resistance as A Zaidi’s six wickets saw Leek crawl to 145-9 from their 60 overs. It was nevergoing to be enough, as in reply Matt Burgess and Richard Hassall’s partnership of 79 for the second wicket saw the away side home by seven wickets in just 37.1 overs.

Stone have had an excellent second half to the season, and they won their mid-table battle at Audley, who are just about safe from the relegation scrap.

Stone’s mammoth 243-4 declared was built around solid contributions from James Dawson (45), Qaiser Abass (64), Luke Cheadle (42 not out) and Dave Pashley (59 not out). Despite a hard-hitting 65from Andy Joynson, Audley fell 47 runs short thanks to four wickets apiece from Russ Ballard and James Mccreadie.

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PREMIER DIVISION REVIEW 15th AUGUST 2009

Little Stoke now hold a very decent 18 point lead at the top of the table after they won at Burslem and Knypersely suffered a surprise defeat in the Moorlands derby at home to relegation-threatened Leek.

Dan Colclough continued an excellent season with a five wicket haul as only Khalid Malik (46) put up any real resistance in the home sides’ total of just 122.The visitors and league leaders wasted no time in knocking off the required runs as George Cairns hit a second successive half-century as Little Stoke took just over 28 overs to reach their target.

Leek demolished championship-chasing Knypersley by a massive 141 runs in a massive turn-up for the odds. Batting first, Lee’s pro, South African Robin Peterson top-scored with 48  in Leek’s 189-9 declared, and then evergreen seamer was once again in top form with the ball as his superb 6-24, backed-up by three wickets for Peterson, shot-out the home side for a meagre 48.

The results still doesn’t take Jamie Cullerton’s out of the relegation places as Leycett pulled off another shock to put a huge dent in Porthill’s title-winning dreams.

They would have been mightily relieved to cross the finishing line though by a solitary wicket in a low-scoring game at the Old County Ground. Veteran seamer Richard White (6-64) was in prime form for the visitors as Porthill were dismissed for 131.

And it took a superb and possibly season-changing unbeaten 61 from Richard Walker, to see Ian Boulton’s side home in the face of excellent bowling from Fazl Akbar who took 6 wickets. Leycett are now out of the bottom two but only by 3 points.

Reigning champions Moddershall are now bottom and were clinging on at the end against fellow strugglers Hem Heath. John Cheadle’s invaluable 90 not out saw the visitors to a respectable total of 174, and Mo Hussain’s six wickets looked like earning a precious win for Double H, but Chris Beech’s half century saw Moddershall to safety at 130-8.

Longton missed the chance to close the gap significantly on the top two, by losing away at improving Stone. Jimmy Dawson struck a superb 111 for Stone as they totalled 225-5, receiving good support from Phil Cheadle.

Tom Birks 46, Mike Longmore 45, Roger Sillence 45, and Danny Cumming 35 all scored well for the visitors, but Stone pro Qaiser Abbas’ seven wicket haul saw his team home by just 8 runs in a superb game.

Audley had by far the better of their rain-affected local derby against Wood Lane, but had to settle for a draw after having their rivals nine wickets down at the death. Solid scoring throughout the Audley innings saw them to a decent total of 193, despite the best efforts of Steve Norcup who took a five wicket haul.

In reply, U. Govender (4-44) and Chris Barker (4-19) had the home side in all sorts of trouble until they limped to a draw on 110-9.

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