News from 10th July 2010
Monday, July 12th, 2010 
Burslem closed the gap on Little Stoke at the top of the Waterworld Premier Division after a remarkable comeback against strugglers Hem Heath. Burslem batted first posting 200-6 with Khalid Malik (69) and Alex Bailey (45 not out) the main contributors. In reply, Hem Heath were 161-2 thanks to Qasier Abbas (101) and Lee Ridgway (53) but once the latter was stumped off the bowling of Michael Brown (3-40) it sparked an unbelievable collapse. The next eight wickets fell for 16 runs with Brown and Samiullah Khan (7-73) ripping through the Hem Heath line-up.
Little Stoke’s Richard Adams carried his bat to steer his side to victory over Elworth. Adams (79 not out), Shabir Ahmed (34) and Josh Lowndes (30 not out) helped to chase the target of 196 down in the 56th over. Earlier, young leg-spinner Greg Massingham claimed 6-25 to help dismiss Elworth with Robert Beech top scoring with 50.
Barlaston beat Moddershall in a low-scoring affair. Four wickets apiece from Tom Taylor (4-18) and Niroshan Bandaratilleke (4-29) helped to bowl Moddershall out for 113. And the chase was in doubt until Ramzan Mohammed came in at number eight to hit a quickfire 46 not out to keep his side in second spot in the league.
Knypersley scraped home against Audley two record a two-wicket win. Audley posted 156-9 with skipper Dave Fairbanks top scoring on 44. Knypersley’s professional Nayyer Abbas was the pick of the attack with returns of 5-43. Audley took regular wickets in reply but determined knocks from Dan Ball (38) and Tim Goodwin (28) down the order made sure of the win after 57 overs.
Longton dealt Porthill Park a hefty blow as they cruised to a 10-wicket win. Porthill were dismissed for 164 mainly due to superb bowling from Will Purser (6-40). Saeed Anwar top scored for Porthill with 27. In reply, Longton’s James Towle (72 not out) and Pete Wilshaw (82 not out) smashed their way to victory in the 33rd over.
Wood Lane had to settle for a winning draw against Stone, after the latter finished nine runs short of their target. Wood Lane hit 249 all out with half centuries from Daniel Brierley (81) and Matt Hagan (53). Jeff Maynard also chipped in with an unbeaten 41. Matt Stupples was the pick of the Stone attack claiming 6-75. Stone looked to have the chase in their grasp as Richard Harvey (42), Phil Cheadle (89) and Asim Zaka (39) were at the crease. But Ashar Zaidi (5-55) put a stranglehold on the chase and the game ended up with Stone’s last pair saving the game.
DIVISION ONE
Leek had a winning draw over Sandyford to bridge a 48-point gap between the sides at the top of the JSW Insurance Division One. Mohammad Hussain hit an unbeaten 104 in Leek’s innings of 205-7. And Greg Willott took 5-39 in reply, but Sandyford’s Jonathan Barnett hit a gritty 44 as they settled for the losing draw to finish on 164-7.
Meir Heath moved back into second spot after a 25-point win over Oulton. Adam Birch (131 not out) and Iftikhar Asghar (58 not out) took Meir Heath to a competitive 222-3. And the Meir Heath bowlers worked as a unit sharing the wickets around to dismiss Oulton for 181, with professional Pradeep Jayaprakashdaran top scoring on 63.
Cheadle managed to bowl Stafford out to claim the points in their clash. Cheadle posted 251-6 declared with half centuries from Andrew Shaw (78) and Matthew Coxon (56). And the chase was never really on as Cheadle took regular wickets through Chris Barker (4-54) and Simon Plant (4-39), dismissing Stafford for 149.
Blythe’s Haydon Simcock hit an unbeaten 81 as he steered his side to an eight-wicket win over Rode Park & Lawton. Rode Park were dismissed for 165 with Jonathan Gallimore hitting 33. Imranullah Aslam was the danger man with the ball taking 5-31. Blythe made short work of the chase with Simcock, Martin Bailey (31) and Tom Simcock (24 not out) to reach the total in the 38th over .
Betley scraped home in game where only 165 runs were scored. Leycett were asked to bat first and were dismissed for 82 with Adrian Butler (4-7), Darren Snape (2-2) and James Austin (3-45) doing the damage. And the run chase was in doubt at 65-7 but Tom Blackwood kept a cool head to hit 27 not out and send his side to a three-wicket win. Muhammad Khalil the pick of the attack with 5-41.
Norton held on for a losing draw against Whitmore. Whitmore batted first and hit 216 with Mudassar Butt (56) and Justin Mould (64) the main contributors. Alex Graham (4-62) and Ian Reynolds (5-56) did the damage for Norton with the ball. Simon Kellett top scored for Norton in reply with 68 but lacked support as they finished on 176-9.
DIVISION TWO
Weston cling onto top spot in the ASC Financial Management Division Two despite a shock defeat to relegation strugglers Moddershall ‘A’. Moddershall ‘A’ batted first and posted a commanding 263-8 with all the top order contributing, Ijaz Ahmed top scoring with 52. Ahmed then claimed 4-35 as Weston were dismissed for 229, despite Phil Stockton’s best efforts as he was left stranded on 100 not out.
Checkley’s Nick Hunt hit an unbeaten 133 as his side chased down Newcastle & Hartshill’s total of 221-8 for the loss of only two wickets. Hunt received support from Andy Carr (46) as the pair put on 151 for the first wicket. Earlier, Hunt took 4-71 to restrict Newcastle as Andy Elliot top scored with 87.
Ashcombe Park’s Mohammad Junaid Khan took match-winning figures of 6-64 as they bowled Alsager out for 131. It had looked a lot worse for Alsager though at 57-8 until Gareth Rowe (69 not out) took his side to a respectable total. Ashcombe Park chased the total down comfortably through Khan (33) and David Proffitt (30 not out) to complete the five-wicket win.
Meakins recorded a comfortable seven-wicket win over Crewe. Matthew Redican took 4-33 as they dismissed Crewe for 108, with opener Ahsan Tariq stranded on 72 not out. Meakins made no doubt of the chase through Sam Nixon (33) and Ranil Dhammika (24) as they knocked of the total in the 26th over.
Caverswall claimed a 25-point win after Silverdale were dismissed 11 runs shy of the target. Caverswall posted 206-9 with Robert King top scoring on 85. Silverdale’s Glynn Moore (4-65) and Scoot Degg (4-37) spearheaded their attack with the ball. In reply, Mitchell Stokes hit a quickfire 53 with knocks from Matt Baker (34) and Matt Myatt (30) but they were dismissed in the 48th over.
Kidsgrove’s Mukresh Sharma had a match-winning bat and ball performance to help them to a three-wicket win over Wedgwood & Stanfields. Sharma claimed 6-58 in Wedgwood’s innings of 170 all out and then hit an unbeaten 84 as Kidsgrove reached the total in the 24th over.
DIVISION THREE
Kim Barnett’s 95 helped Bignall End to victory over Hem Heath/ Forsbrook and keeps them at the top of the Little Gym Division Three. Hem Heath/Forsbrook batted first and hit 192 thanks to Darren Sanders’s 69 and an unbeaten 46 from 15-year-old Ben Warrender. Matthew Saive (4-66) and Simon Howle (4-45) did the damage for Bignall End. Barnett’s knock however secured the win alongside 31 apiece for Harry Jones and Gareth Moulton.
Bagnall’s victory over Eccleshall has created a 36-point gap for the top two places in Division Three. Eccleshall hit 191 all out thanks to Robert Lakin’s 103. Kashif Daud was the pick of the attack with 7-51. And Bagnall’s run chase was never certain as Richie Gallichan (4-64) bowled unchanged. It needed Matt Brazier’s unbeaten 32 alongside 30 not out from Anthony Griffiths to secure the two-wicket win.
Endon recorded a five-wicket win over Meir Heath/Fenton. Anthony Bunn’s 73 and an unbeaten 67 from Kevin Cockerton ensured that they reached Meir Heath/Fenton’s target of 187 in the 43rd over. Earlier, Cockerton claimed 3-40 as Shahid Mahmood (38), Paul Farmer (28) and Steve Bishop (26) helped them to a competitive total.
Woore have nipped into third place after Eccleshall’s defeat after beating Porthill Park ‘A’ by five wickets. Porthill hit 211 with Greg Bailey hitting 51 and Matthew Bailey (32) chipping in. Andrew Kenvyn starred with the ball taking 4-74. But Woore’s Ramesh Gunalan showed his class, smashing 15 fours in his knock of 81. He received welcome support from fellow opener Dan O’Callaghan (56) and Shanker Gunalan (25) as they reached the total in the 48th over.
Oakamoor had to settle for a winning draw against Wootton. Oakamoor posted 215-7 with half centuries from Muhammad Ayub (54) and Matthew Carnwell (55 not out). Wootton looked on course for the win with Thomas Leese (55) and Luke Woodcock (84 not out) at the crease but Edward Brookes (3-38) took quick wickets to stun Wootton who eventually finished on 198-8.
Daniel Milligan
