THE toss of the coin proved to be a key factor in Grappenhall’s Vivio Cheshire County League premier league game at Broad Lane.
Grappers skipper Adam Roylance called wrong and they were asked to bat on a wet wicket against an in-form Oulton Park side.
In difficult conditions they were bundled out for 106 with only Roylance, 31 and Tim Sykes, 23, offering much resistance.
The visitors hit off the runs for the loss of just one wicket after tea when the wicket had dried out.
It was a similar story in the 2nd XI game at Oulton Park were Grappers were again asked to bat first and again struggled on a wet wicket.
Adam Green hit an excellent 75 not out but got little support and the side were rolled over for 113. The home side knocked off the runs in quick time for the loss of only two wickets.
Ironically, the rain came to the rescue of Grappenhall 3rd the following day at Toft.
The home side posted 190-7, David Seed bowling superbly to take five wickets .
The rain started at the start of Grappers’ innings and they crumbled to 89-6.
Eventually the rain got too heavy and the match ended with no chance of resuming. As a result Grappers picked up seven points for a rained off game, dropping them down to second in the table, nine points behind new leaders Didsbury, whose game wasn’t affected by the weather.
In division two, Warrington won comfortably against Barrow at Walton Lea.
The visitors were bowled out for 124, Jonathan Fletcher taking 4-8 and Brad McIntosh 3-30.
Fletcher hit an unbeaten 67 and Ashley Scholes 35 not out when Warrington replied with 125-2.
Warrington 2nd won comfortably at Urmston, batting first and posting 189 with Robert Dempster 49 and Isaac Webster 40. The home side were dismissed for 104, Raj Soni taking 6-24 and Simon Hewitt 2-41.
In the UKFast Cheshire League, Lymm Oughtrington Park went down heavily at Oakmere, where the home side hit 170 despite good bowling from Travis Scholes, 4-39 and Jack Hughes, 3-36.
Lymm were bowled out for 94 with only Liam Ramsbottom, 35 not out, offering much resistance.
The 2nd XI game at Oughtrington Lane also went Oakmere’s Way.
Batting first, the visitors hit 177-7, Tonly Spaven taking 3-38 and Chris Oakes, 3-26.
Lymm never got to grips with an accurate Oakmere attack and were all out for 53.
In division two, Appleton fell agonisingly short of recording their first win of the season as they lost to table-toppers Ashley by just two runs at Lyons Lane.
Four wickets for Andrew Jackson helped restrict the visitors to just 161-8 from their 45 overs. While Matthias Paltridge struck another half century for the home side, he couldn’t find support from the other end and Appleton were eventually bowled out for 159 with eight balls to spare.
Appleton 2nd crashed to defeat at Aston. Only Ian Mason, 38, was able to make a score of any significance on a very difficult pitch as the visitors were bowled out for just 127. Despite reducing Aston to 67-6, Appleton couldn’t land the killer blow and the home side reached their target with six overs to spare.
Appleton 3rd lost at Prestbury by two wickets. Jon Owen top scored 43 but Appleton were bowled out for just 118. Despite some tight bowling and wickets for Tom Gray, 3-9, and Jess Lewis, 2-24, Prestbury sneaked home with two wickets to spare.
Appleton 4th rounded off a miserable weekend for the club after being thrashed by North East Cheshire Despite being bowled out for just 72, Appleton’s total was the highest NE Cheshire have conceded this year.
They knocked off the runs for the loss of one wicket.
Stretton won a low-scoring nail-biter at Wilmslow with one wicket to spare.
The home side were bowled out for 100 and Stretton finished on 104-9 after 28 overs.
Glazebury were dismissed for just 100 overs when Kerridge visited Hurst Lane. Skipper Anthony Meulman top scored with 42 and Hakeem Dahou hit 22.
The modest target proved be enough as the below-strength visitors succumbed to the pace of Sam Stanier, 7-15, and crashed out for 40.
A depleted Glagebury 2nd suffered a mauling at Bunbury where the home side posted a formidable 249-6. Lewis Nicholson, Wayne Hargreaves and Nirpal Bansel took two wickets each.
But Glazebury were bowled out for 46 in the 21st over with only two batsmen reaching double figures and six ducks waddling back into the pavilion.
WOMEN’S CRICKET
APPLETON 2nd had to work hard to claim the honours in their Cheshire Women’s Cricket League division two game at Oxton.
The home side were held to 98-8 with Kadthryn Jackson, 2-14 the pick of the Appleton bowlers.
Appleton were struggling at 10-3 and then 56-6 but then came back to reach their target with three wickets in hand.
Annie Rashid hit 35 not out and Chloe Page 20.
In the T20 western division competition, Appleton Tigrers defeated Chester Boughton Hall Deemons by three wickets. Emily Page took 3-19 as the home side reached 78-5.
Then the Tigers raced to 79-7, Chloe Page 27 ret and Georgia Heath 23.
