Grappers avoid relegation nightmare

IT took them until the last match of the season, but Grappenhall finally avoided their relegation nightmare in emphatic style.
They went to Marple and hammered them by 138 runs, with Peter Barnes hitting 110 not out – his second century of the season – and Sam Guest taking 8-50 in 17 overs.
Grappers knew they had to better Bramhall’s result and for once luck smiled on them . Bramhall were facing a team pushing for the Vivio Cheshire County League premier division title while Grappers were taking on a side that had lost their last four games.
Barnes’ ton was well supported by Albert Pennington, 71 and Ben Bodha, 50 as they declared on 260-2.
That gave them 61 overs to bowl Marple out and with Guest taking the first eight wickets – two of them in the first over.
Skipper Adam Roylance and Matt Titchard took the other two wickets.
Grappers’ achievement was particularly impressive as they had lost their first three matches of the season.
Grappenhall 2nd suffered a heavy defeat at home to Marple, with Grappers old boy James Crissall hitting a century as the visitors overtook the home side’s 218-7.
Steve Dickson hit 91 and Tim Sykes 74.
The result was immaterial as Grappers retain their premier division status in eighth place.
There was no game for the 3rs XI as they had ended their season in fourth in their own premier division the previous week.
Overall it was a good season for the club with all three senior teams achieving the targets set at the start of the season.
Next year’s target for the 1st XI should be to widen the gap between them and the relegation zone.
To top off a good season for the Broad Lane club, defeat in the Under 18’s cup final has been overturned as it has been discovered their opponents, Northop Hall, had fielded an ineligible player throughout the competition.
A club spokesman said: “Although not the way the lads would have wanted to win the trophy, there can be no doubt the Grappers under 18’s side were comfortably the best in the competition and fully deserving of the title.”
In division two, Warrington won their last match of the season at Lindow by 42 runs.
James Lewis top scored with 48 and Aaron Soni 34 as Warrington hit 177-7 in 50 overs.
Lindow could only muster 135 with Soni taking 4-52 and Rob Batey 4-29.
The result left Warrington in third place in the division.
Warrington 2nd entertained Bramhall and won by 69 runs.
Batting first, Warrington hit 189 with opener Simon Hewitt top scoring with 38. The visitors were dismissed for 120 with Ben McCarthy taking 4-30 and Isaac Webster 3-33.
The victory left Warrington sixth in their division.
In the UKFast Cheshire League, division one, Lymm Oughtrington Park last their last match by 78 runs at home to Port Sunlight.
The visitors hit 217-6 and then dismissed Lymm for 139 in the 39th over, which left them one place above the relegation zone.
Lymm 2nd also went down at Port Sunlight, being bowled out for 106 after the home side had declared on 204-5.
Steven Gladwin, 29 and skipper Dave Evans, 22, had given Lymm a sound start but after that the batting fell away. Earlier, Jake Hughes had taken 3-63
In division two, a depleted Stretton lost by 11 runs despite dismissing Wilmslow for 128, Ali Sher taking 5-22.
Stretton got off to a fine start through Wahab Aftab, 47 abd Nabeel Shazada, 25 but then collapsed to 117 all out. This left Stretton fifth in the division.
At home to Barrow, Stretton 2nd hit 211-7 to defeat the visitors who were all out for 136.
Appleton missed out on promotion from division three by just one point despite finishing their season with a win away at Cholmondley.
Starting the game six points behind second placed Langley, Appleton needed Langley to slip up at home if they were to go up. Unfortunately before tea, the news came through that Langley had bowled out their opponents for just 41 – rendering Appleton’s result immaterial.
Lee Stoll hit 68 as Appleton posted 168 . Three wickets from Andy Thomas and braces of wickets from Pete MacShane and Ian MacAuley saw the home side bundled out for 99 with overs overs to spare to seal a 69 run victory.
Appleton 2nd I completed a double header by hammering Cholmondley 2nds at Lyons Lane. Mike Cumberland took six wickets as Cholmondley were bowled out for 108. Skipper Dave Lomas hit an unbeaten 60 as Appleton sailed past their target without losing a wicket.
Appleton’s 3rd finished their season with a nail-biting two wicket win away at Lindow. Fourteen year old Georgia Heath claimed four wickets and a runout as Lindow were bowled out for 121 on a damp pitch. Set 122 to win in 51 overs, Appleton’s chase faltered at times but a fine 53 from Si Tomlinson saw the visitors home with 11 overs to spare.
A fine all-round game from Alex Warham saw Appleton 4th complete a fourth win from four for the club. Warham thumped his first league half-century from just 24 deliveries to help Appleton finish their overs on 186-6, then took four wickets as Rostherne were bowled out for 176.
In division four, Glazebury went down at home to Over Peover.
Jack Warhurst hit 41 and Sam Stanier 40 but no-one else reached double figures as Glazebury were dismissed for 134.
Stanier took 3-41 but Over People reached their target in some comfort with six wickets to spare.
Glazebury were left 10th in the division