Relegation worries deepen for Grappenhall

GRAPPENHALL’S relegation worries deepened with a six wicket defeat at the hands of Cheadle at Broad Lane.
They picked up only seven points from the game and so remain second to bottom in the Vivio Cheshire County League premier division.
Losing the toss, Grappers were asked to bat first and posted a modest 206-9 in 55 overs.
Skipper Adam Roylance top scored with 61 and Arthur Pennington hit a useful 46. But the lower order were unable to make much impression and despite using 55 overs, Grappers had to be content with a total that, while defensible, required a good performance from the bowlers.
Unfortunately, the visitors’ batting proved too strong and Cheadle were able to reach their target for the loss of only four wickets.
Grappenhall 2nd won well at Macclesfield, inserting the home side and bowling them out for 187. Ross Arrowsmith took 5-55 and Ben Cagna 3-49.
After a faltering start, bolstered only by a useful 37 from Iain Wright, Grappers reached their target thanks to an unbroken stand between skipper Arrowsmith, 25 not out, and Matt Titchard, 37 not out, with four wickets to spare.
Grappenhall 3rd lost heavily at home to Didsbury after being asked to bat first and crashing out for 80, Abas Rizvi top scoring with 29 not out.
The visitors cruised to victory for the loss of only three wickets, two of which went to Ben Bravington.
In division two, Warrington picked up a timely win over Alvanley at Walton Lea.
Asked to bat first, they lost half the side cheaply but Jonathan Fletcher stood firm to finish with 93 and there was life in the tail as Ashley Scholes, 30 not out and Aron Soni, 18 added vital runs for the last wickets to take the total to 208.
Alvanley were all out for 177, with Soni taking 3-39, James Rudd 3-31 and Scholes 2-23.
Warrington 2nd won by 33 runs after batting first at Oxton and totalling 215-8 in 50 overs.
The home side were dismissed for 182, Isaac Webster taking 3-47.
In the UKFast Cheshire League, Lymm Oughtrington Park went down by 36 runs at home to Cheadle Hulme.
Winning the toss, they asked to visitors to bat first and bowled them out for 190, Andy Hossack taking 5-51 and Travis Scholes 3-27.
Lymm started well enough with Paul Tong hitting 44 and Sean Day 38.
But a mid-order collapse followed and although Scholes, 21 and Matthew Bradshaw, 17, promised a fight-back the side ended up on 154.
Lymm 2nd earned a draw at Hale Barns after the home side declared on 220-5.
They didn’t look much like getting the runs and were 186-7 at the close, Arvind Pillai top scoring with 75 and Jack Hughes hitting 39 not out.
Stretton won by five wickets at Chelford after dismissing the home side for 116 and there was a two wicket victory for Stretton 2nd entertaining Oxton, who were bowled out for 133.
Appleton lost by eight wickets at Bunbury after being bowled out for 104, Graeme Rowlands top scoring with 18.
The home side hit off the runs for the loss of two wickets.
Appleton 2nd shared the honours in a drawn game against Neston at Lyons Lane.
Batting first, Appleton hit 254-6, Richard Buck hammering 71 and Ed Sygrove 65 while Antony Hurst hit 32 not out.
Neston made little effort to chase down the target and finished on 207-4.
Appleton 3rd settled for a draw after Mellor had amassed 311-4, Charlotte Cross taking 3-35.
Opener David Hurst hit 98 as Appleton replied with 196-6.
Appleton 4th were bowled out for 79 at Kingsley where the home side hit off the runs for the loss of one wicket.
Glazebury chalked up a 101-run victory over Westminster Park at Hurst Lane after batting first and totalling 175.
Kyle Keeble hit 44, Simon Green 33 and Sam Stanier 22 as the middle order made up for an indifferent start.
The visitors had no answer to the pace of Stanier who bagged 7-27 as they crashed out for 74 in the 19th over.
Glazebury 2nd went down at Ashley where the home side batted first and reached 180-7.
In reply, Glazebury were all out for 110, Dave Mason top-scoring with 22 and Ryan Warhurst hitting 20 and despite a defiant last-wicket partnership of 37 between Sean Caine, 19 and Stephen Brunt, 15 not out.
Up-to-date league tables and other details for the Cheshire County League can be found at http://cheshirecountycl.play-cricket.com/ and for the Cheshire League at http://cheshirecl.play-cricket.com/