Grappenhall pick up first league win of the season

GRAPPENHALL picked up their first win of the season in the Vivio Cheshire County League premier division.
Travelling to Marple, they batted first and posted a modest 142-8 from 55 overs in a innings interrupted by the weather and on a difficult wicket.
Albert Pennington batted patiently for 57 with Adam Roylance chipping in with 28. With a low total to defend it was a tough ask and Grappers knew they needed early wickets, which they duly obtained.
Skipper Roylance claimed 5-21 wickets with his left arm spin and Aussie Olly Knight bagging 4-39, including knocking over the tail to win the match with Marple 109 all out with 10 overs to spare.
Grappenhall 2nd lost at home to Marple after their batting collapsed, posting a well below par total of 75, with Steve Rooney top scoring with 21.
Grappers made the visitors work hard for their victory, taking five wickets. But it was never going to be enough and Marple reached their target with time to spare.
Grappenhall 3rd first league game of the season was a nail-biter at home – with Marple again the opponents.
Grappers posted a strong 219-6, with former Lancashire player Richard Green coming out of retirement to hit an excellent 116 not out, well supported by Richard Holden with 40 and David Seed with 22.
Marple lost a couple of early wickets but went for the win with a good mid-innings platform putting them in the driving seat.
Grappers’ skipper David Seed chopped and changed his bowling to great effect with wickets falling at key moments late in the game. The pick of the bowlers was 14 year old Lewis Porter who bowled superbly to take five wickets including the final wicket to win the match  in the last over of the game with the visitors 19 runs short.
Warrington won by 21-runs at Stockport after batting first and totalling a modest 142, Mike Rudd 47.
The home side could only muster 121, with Liam Heaphy taking 4-9 and Ashley Scholes 3-30.
Warrington 2nd hit an impressive 218-5 at Walton Lea, but could not force a win over visitors Bramhall.
Patrick Tyrell hit 61 and Dan Rudd 66 not out for Warrington and then Simon H3ewitt took 3-35 and Sam Houghton 2-11 and Bramhall held out on 176-9.
In the UKFast Cheshire League, Lymm Oughtrington Park fought out a high-scoring draw at Port Sunlight.
Lymm hit 255-9, opener Blake Munilla hitting an unbeaten 123 and Matthew Carr 30.
The home side were never in the hunt but held out on 191-6, Travis Scholas taking 2-26 and Andy Hossack 2-51.
In the return match at Oughtrington Lane, it was Lymm 2nd hanging on for a draw at the end.
Port Sunlight hit 156-9, Graham Waumsley taking 3-24 and Robert Hutton 3-56.
Lymm were 129-8 at the close, Liam Ramsbottom top scoring with 39.
Paceman Sam Stanier took 2-5 in four overs as Glazebury took on Saughall, but then had to come off through injury. Dave Acton took 3-52 and Jordan Carroll 3-27 as Saughall reached 164-9.
Glazebury were bowled out for 126 although Stanier’s injury did not stop him top scoring with 33. Skipper Anthony Meulman and Action hit 27 each.
Stretton claimed a four wicket victory over Ashley, who were held to 189-7, Ali Zubain taking 3-52.
Zubrain then hit 51 not out as Stretton took the game with 191-6. S. Ejaz hit 50 and Adnam Ashraf 45 not out.
Stretton 2nd hit 215-9 at home to Middlewich,
Gagan Insan top scoring with 53. The visitors hung on at 113-6, Insan taking 3-6.
Appleton came agonisingly close to securing their first victory in division two when they were bowled out just 10 runs short of Irby’s total at Lyons Lane.
Andy Thomas and Amir Aslam took three wickets apiece to restrict Irby to 148-8 from their 45 overs. However, five wickets for 16 runs in the middle of Appleton’s innings ruined their victory push and despite an unbeaten 53 from Aslam, they were bowled out for 138.
Appleton 2nd won a nail-biting victory in the 89th over of their game at Oxton. Asked to bat first, Mike Arnold hit 51 and Rick Clarke backed up his hundred from the previous week with a brutal 91 not out to lead Appleton to 206.
Appleton looked to have the game won when the home side slumped to 51-5, but Oxton’s Ed Filer began smashing Appleton’s bowling to all parts of the ground.
With just two overs to go, any result was possible, but Mike Cumberland held his nerve to make Filer his fifth wicket after a superb 124. Oxton were all out for 189.
Appleton 3rd came up short against Urmston at the Grange in Latchford. Set 188 to win in 40 overs, Appleton were all out for 122 despite a maiden league half century for Jonathan Owen.
Appleton 4th lost at Europa Exiles after being bowled out for 128. Europa took just 35 overs to reach their target for the loss of just three wickets.
Warrington 3rd earned a draw at Stockport Trinity who batted first a totalled 204-9. U Zeb took 4-33 and David Lee 4-34.
When they batted, Warrington reached 178-7 thanks to a late revival by Les Connolly, 41 not out and Zeb, 50 not out.
Warrington 4th took a beating from a strong North East Cheshire side who batted first and hammered 236-5 and then dismissed Warrington for a meagre 43 in 27 overs.