FORMER Lancashire batsman Richard Green blasted a superb 149 not out as Grappenhall stormed to victory over Sale to keep alive their promotion hopes in the Right Move Abroad Cheshire County League.
Green – whose innings is being described as the best by a Grappenhall batsman for 30 years – hit 18 fours and five sixes as he set the Broad Lane ground alight.
The game did not start well for Grappers with skipper Steve Titchard losing the toss and the visitors electing to bat.
Some wayward bowling and six dropped catches enabled Sale to reach a highly respectable 240.
Cameron Park was the most effective bowler with 3-84.
Grappenhall were left 48 overs to reach their target and started brightly until Ian Jackson was adjudged lbw for 13.
Will Sharp joined Green and they took the score to 91 when Sharp was caught at the wicket for 25.
Titchard joined Green and the two ex-Lancashire players began to take control, hitting the Sale bowlers to all parts of the ground. Green reached his 100 in 136 balls but when Titchard was dismissed for 39, a further 40 were still required.
Green, however, continued to dominate the game and when Park hit the winning runs, Green was left on 149 not out.
The 25 point, five-wicket victory kept Grappenhall in second place and with rivals Tattenhall losing it now leaves promotion firmly in their own hands.
Grappenhall 2nd were at Timperley and also seeking victory to maintain promotion hopes. In fact they went down by 47 runs but gained seven points which was enough to move them one place up the table.
Timperley batted first and reached 216-6. Andrew Hards was Grappenhall’s best bowler with 4-25 in 14 overs.
Grappenhall started well in reply, with 50 for the first wicket. But a mid-order collapse reduced them to 65-5.
Matt Titchard, 30 and Dean Langhorne, 67, shared in a partnership of 93 before Langhorne was stumped. This left Grappenhall needing 58 from nine overs.
It wasn’t to be. Titchard was caught on the boundary and the last wicket fell on 169.
Grappenhall 3rd were away at Congleton and bowled first on a soft pitch.
The home side were sood in trouble at 49-4 and were restricted to a modest 164-8 from 45 overs.
But the total could have been lower but for some undisciplined bowling which led to 31 extras.
They were made to pay later when they fell eight runs short, despite good knocks from Roylance, 45 and Tom Roberts, 51 not out.
Warrington suffered a heavy defeat at Poynton.
The home side batted first and declared on 193-5. Warrington’s batting crumbled before the home attack and the side were all out for 80, only two batsmen reaching double figures and wicket keeper Simon Batey, batting at number nine, top scoring with 18.
In the Cheshire Alliance, division one, Appleton recorded a good seven wicket victory over Holmes Chapel at Lyons Lane.
The visitors were dismissed for 110, with Ed Sygroves taking 4-22. Appleton coasted to 112-3.
In division two, Glazebury were dismissed for 115 at Hurst Lane, Andy Durrington top scoring with 54. Visitors Trinity had no difficulty in reaching their target for the loss of two wickets.
Rylands entertained Saughall and won by four wickets. The visitors were dismissed for 164, Richard Wright taking 4-15. Rylands replied with 165-5, Richard Buck 51.
In division three the game between Appleton 2nd and Eastham ended as a tie.
Appleton batted first and scored 139, Marcus Pepper 36 and Tom Broadhurst 41.
Eastham were bowled for the same score, Ryan Swart taking 6-22.
Glazebury 2nd conceded their game to Offerton 2nd.
In division four, Appleton 3rd were dismissed for 50 and then saw opponents Aston coast to victory at 56-4.
Rylands 2nd had a five wicket victory against Holmes Chapel dismissing the home side for 74 with Bond Bateman taking 4-21 and S Howarth 5-25. Rylands replied with 76=5.
In division five, Appleton 4th were able to declare on 214-9 against Port Sunlight. John Ormson hit 79, Ali Sharif 42 and William Ralston 41.
But Port Sunlight held out on 117-4 to force a draw.
Over Forties
THE first-ever Over 40s game between Grappenhall and Stretton was played at Broad Lane – and resulted in victory for a Stretton side which boasted several Grappenhall 40s players.
Stretton batted first and after a quiet first couple of overs proceeded to take control with first Delaney, 26, Hughes, 26 and Critchley, 25 all retiring. They received excellent support from Green, 22, Mullins, 15no and Lyons, 12no in reaching a formidable score of 141. Guest and Tetlow for Grappenhall were the most economical bowlers with 1-23 and 1-25 off their 4 overs.
In reply Grappenhall made a flying start with Neil Baxter quickly reaching his 25 to retire. However wickets tumbled fast and only Neil Titchard managed to get to 25 from the rest of the line-up. Both batsmen were allowed to return however Baxter soon went for 34 and Titchard followed soon after also for 34 and Grappenhall were all out for 97.
Women’s Cricket
APPLETON women’s cricket team have won their first-ever trophy.
They defeated Oakmere by six runs in a nail-biting finish to the Cheshire Twenty20 Plate contest.
The game was played at Warrington’s Walton Lea ground.
Retired scores in the twenties by Amy Page and Katie Rudd saw Appleton Tigers score 55 in the first 10 overs, and despite 2-13 from Vicky Heaton clawing things back somewhat for Oakmere, the 84 posted was a very competitive total.
In contrast, Oakmere’s rapid scoring came in the closing overs.
Five Oakmere batsmen departed cheaply under the pressure exerted by Natalie Lyons (2-9), Jen Regan (2-12) and Anni Rasgid (1-7) and 52 were still needed from the last seven overs.
Clare Waterhouse and Nicola Heaton both got the scoreboard moving, but the momentum slipped again slightly once both had reached 20 and retired, and Appleton were able to hold their nerve for a victory rapturously received by their vociferous supporters.
