Warrington beat the rain – and close in on league leaders

WARRINGTON managed to steal a march over most of their rivals in the Vivio Cheshire County League division two – simply by playing.
Their home game against Stockport Georgians was one of only a handful of games played as a result of Saturday’s almost continuous rain.
Perhaps most credit should go to the groundsman for his achievement in getting the Walton Lea pitch fit for a game shortened to 30 overs.
The visitors were asked to bat first and could only muster 76-8 in 30 overs, Jonathan Fletcher taking 4-20 and Chai Gadepalli 3-23.
Warrington needed only 15.1 overs to reach 80-4, Fletcher hitting an unbeaten 55 and opener Jamie Bye 21.
The 25-point win  left Warrington second in the league table, just 13 points behind leaders Lindow, who also managed to play but picked up only seven points in a drawn game – the same number of points they would have got if the game had been called off!
In the ECB Premiership, Grappenhall’s 1st and 2nd XI games were both abandoned without a ball being bowled.
But on Sunday, the 3rd XI managed to win a rain-affected game at Alderley Edge.
Grappers’ bowlers were in superb form, restricting a youthful home side to 137-7 in 45 overs. Tom Clarke took 3-6 and Ben Bravington picked up two wickets.
Rain meant Grappers only had 31 overs for their reply, but still managed to reach their target with four wickets and six overs to spare.
Richard Wiles saw the side home with a superb 95 not out.
All Warrington area matches in the UKFast Cheshire League were abandoned to the weather.
WOMEN’S CRICKET
THE Cheshire Women’s League enjoyed rather better weather, allowing Appleton to defeat Porthill Park by six wickets in division one.
Porthill were dismissed for 125, Jess Lewis taking 3-7 and Annie Rashid 3-11.
Wicketkeeper Eloise Jackson was involved in four dismissals and followed this up by top-scoring with 36 not out and Rashid hit 22.