Sam’s swing set Grappers on track to victory

A BLISTERING spell of swing bowling from Sam Guest set Grappenhall on track for a nine wicket victory over Bollington at Broad Lane.
Guest took 7-32, including three wickets in five balls and only missed out on a hat trick when a confident lbw appeal was turned down.
The win keeps Grappers in second place in the Vivio Cheshire County League first division.
Bollington had started confidently enough, dispatching a couple of balls to the boundary, before Guest started his demolition job.  Ryan Ninan chipped in with 2-8 as Bollington crumbled to 73 all out.
Grappenhall made short work of reaching their modest target, skipper Adam Roylance hammering an unbeaten 53.
A low-scoring  game at Stockport gave Grappenhall 2nd a five wicket victory which keeps their promotion hopes alive.
The home side were dismissed for 85, Arran McCabe taking 3-23 and 16-year-old Josh Hayes taking 3-15. When Grappers batted, Hayes was again in form hitting 36 not out with a maturity that belied his years.  James Jenkinson hit 20 as Grappers ended the day on 87-5.
Grappenhall 3rd completed a hat-trick of wins for the club when they defeated Stockport at Broad Lane. It was an entertaining game with the visitors batting first and reaching 172-9, Ben Bravington taking 4-19.
Opener Dave Tully hit 77 as Grappers replied and, after a mid-order wobble, Matt Titchard pitched in with an unbeaten 46 to take the side to 175-7 and victory.
But if everything was looking good at Grappenhall, things were not going so well at near neighbours Warrington but suffered another heavy defeat and remain precariously only one place above the relegation zone.
They were put in at Didsbury and bowled out for 102, opener Malcolm Agar top scoring with 30 and Richard Heaney hitting 24. Didsbury lost only three wickets reaching their target, Brad McIntosh taking 2-39.
In the Cheshire League, Lymm Oughtrington Park were humbled on their own ground by Bradbury St Marks who bowled them out for 69, only three players reaching double figures. St Marks chased down the modest total for the loss of two wickets.
Lymm 2nd  fared better, holding Wilmslow Wayfarers to 84-9 and then replying with 87-2.
Tony Spaven took 5-41 and Shovan Chatterjee 3-39 and Asim Shah, 34 and Steven Gladwin, 37 not out saw the visitors home.
Stretton went down by nine wickets at home to Bunbury. A Ashsaf top scored with 40 as Stretton reached 140 all out and the visitors lost no time in getting the necessary runs for the loss of one wicket.
It was a different story when Stretton 2nd travelled to Chester Boughton Hall and bowled out the home side for 128, J Large taking 3-38 and Mark Green 3-8. Stretton replied with 131-3, Umer Zeb hitting 87 not out and Matt Shouthworth 25 not out.
Appleton 2nd totalled 129, Jim Warham 42 not out, when they batted first at home to Port Sunlight. But the visitors coasted to 130-2, Amir Aslam, 2-21 being Appleton’s most effective bowler.
Warrington 4th lost by four wickets at Oxton after being restricted to 152-9, Les Connolly 34 and Harry Kellett 27. Oxton replied with 153-6, Colin Jeffery taking 2-38.
In the Cheshire Alliance, Glazebury were back to winning ways with a 44-run victory over Audlem.
But it could have been a different story but for some late hitting by Tom Wilkinson who top scored with 46, including six sixes!
He came to the wicket when Glazebury were struggling, with only Dave Acton, 26, show much form with the bat. Even so, Glazebury could only muster 119.  Audlem could find no answer to the pace of skipper Sam Stanier, however, and crumbled to 75 all out, Stanier taking 5-23,  Acton 3-17 and Chris Ayre 2-11.
Appleton 4th earned a six wicket win over Frodsham after restricting them to 126-8, Daniel Hyatt 3-20 and Peter Hesford 3-30.
Hesford was again in form when Appleton batted, hitting an unbeaten 80. Paul White hit 33 not out as Appleton reached 129-4