Grappers promoted – with one game still to play

GRAPPENHALL are promoted to the top flight of Cheshire cricket – with one game still to play.
Their comfortable, five wicket win over Weaverham means that the final match – at ninth placed Oxton can only decide whether or not they are promoted to the Vivio Cheshire County League premier division as champions or not.
Effectively they need to get four points more from the match than current leaders Didsbury get from their home game against Bollington.
Grappenhall’s ups and downs between the premier and first division in recent years must be getting them the reputation of a yo-yo club so work is needed to find a way of staying-up next season. But bouncing back quickly was a great achievement and much credit must go to skipper Adam Roylance.
Grappers’ game with Weaverham was a low-scoring affair with the visitors batting first and being dismissed for 119. The bowling was tight and the Weaverham batsmen were never able to get going. Albert Pennington took 3-17 and Roylance, Gaz Burns and Arran McCabe took two wickets each.
Grappenhall’s reply started badly with two wickets falling cheaply but then in-form Peter Barnes hit a fine 61 not out to clinch victory.
The 2nd XI kept up their own promotion challenge with a comfortable win at Brooklands.
They bowled out the home side for 105, with John Hayes taking 4-21 and Matt Titchard 3-24.  Grappenhall coasted to victory by eight wickets with 30 overs to spare, Will Sharp hitting a fine 49 and Ben Clissold 34.
Grappenhall 3rd defeated relegation-threatened Sale by six runs after a nail-biting finish.
They posted 190-7, Josh Hayes hitting 65 not out, James Jenkinson 55 and David Seed 49.
Sale started badly but then fought back to get into the game but eventually fell six runs short after three wickets fell in the last two overs. Will Metcalfe and Richard Wiles finished with three wickets apiece.
To cap a fine weekend for Grappenhall, the Under 15s won the North Cheshire Cup in some style against Davenham.
They posted a massive 180-1 in 20 overs, Luke Boardman hit 70 not out and Arthur Pennington 51 not out. Davenham fell 80 runs short, with Nathan Waite taking four wickets.
At the wrong end of the first division table, Warrington avoided relegation with the better part of a drawn game at Oxton.
Batting first they reached 186-9, Huw Stone 38, Richard Heaney 36 but were then denied victory by the home side’s last pair, the game ending with them on 170-9. James Rudd took 6-32.
Warrington 2nd also drew after the Oxton second string had  hit 172-8 at Walton Lea. Shivas Jogi took 4-32. Warrington were 159-8 at the close, James Sharrock top scoring with 54.
In the Cheshire League, Lymm Oughtrington Park got a cruel reminder of how tough life can be in the first division when they tumbled out for a humiliating 37 by Stockport Georgians, who then went on to win by nine wickets.
Lymm will survive their first season in the first division, however, as they have a respectable mid-table position, ironically one place above Georgians.
Stretton, 108, won at home to Aston, who were dismissed for 69, Nikhil Bahl taking 7-24.
Warrington 4th lost by seven wickets against Oxton after being bowling out for 94.
In the Cheshire Alliance, Glazebury  lost to Tranmere Victoria by five wickets.
Batting first at Hurst Lane, Glazebury were bowled out for 122 – a lowly score that would have been much lower but for a blistering innings of 73 from Ian Black, who hit seven fours and four sixes. Only one other batsman reached double figures – Dave Mason with 10.
Tom Wilkinso took 3-24 as the visitors cruised to 123-5.
Ryland enjoyed a big win over Mossley, hitting 253-6 and then dismissing their opponents  for 49.
Eddie Platt hit 57, Alan Brady 68, Richard Buck 44 and skipper Graeme Rowlands 33.