Makin in Dreamland as Marple Do the Hard Yards!
Marple 206 for 4 (50 overs) 20 points beat Maritime 188 all out (49.1 overs) 3 points by 18 runs.
Great win on the Wirral at a tough venue, congrats especially to Makers. The twos keep steaming on!
Marple gained a terrific victory at Maritime’s attractive venue at Bromborough on the Wirral last Saturday. Maritime are an awkward side, especially on their home turf, but the application and determination of the visitors prevailed on a blustery but dry and sunny June afternoon.
Jack Grundy doesn’t win many tosses, and sure enough his side were inserted once again after a very damp week. The pitch was straw coloured but was sluggish, and free strokeplay was never easy throughout the game. After last week’s disappointment at home to Toft, there had obviously been a chat about not gifting the opposition unnecessary early wickets, and with Max Fitzgerald moved up to open with Jack Feilen following the Cheshire Cup heroics, there seemed a fresh determination this game.
Maritime’s bowlers are not an easy prospect. The seamers are accurate, and the slower bowlers fire the ball into the surface, rarely giving it any flight. However, despite losing Feilen to Theivendram for 18 at 29 for 1, Mark Makin joined Fitzgerald in the first of two superb stands for Marple. Fitzgerald 40, Makin 78, and later Owen Reilly 32 not out, all showed exemplary patience and diligence. They defended carefully most of the time, but put the loose balls away with power and timing. The second wicket added 79, and the third 80. Marple reached 188 for 2, but with only a few overs remaining. Makin fell when looking to totally dominate. His high class knock from 133 deliveries contained seven fours and two sixes.
The sluggish nature of the pitch was on show as the visitors were only able to reach 206 for 4, timing of the ball always tricky. Of the home bowlers, slow left-armer Qasim Ali, although wicketless, 0 for 25, proved tough to face. The other main spinning threat from Mickel Joseph , 1 for 35, was largely nullified, and he was also frustrated with the number of wides he delivered.
On the resumption, Jack Feilen took a terrific catch at gully to dismiss skipper Jayawardana for a duck in Reilly’s opening over. From then on, however, the game had an attritional feel. Jacob 45, and Anwar 17, dug in. Anwar fell at 55, and Jacob at 73 for 3. At this point, Marple may have felt that the pressure would tell on the home team. Vensakar Kanthiraj 44, and Theivendram 33, had other ideas though. Taking a leaf out of the Marple innings, they added 68 runs, despite Grundy switching around his attack regularly.
The Marple skipper did though, find his perfect combination in the slow left arm duo of Makin and Eliot Young. They proved irresistible, with Makin taking two in two balls, and Young being virtually impossible to score from.
Now, the pressure did tell. Young removed potential match winner Joseph lbw for just five. With George Clarke also proving tricky with his accurate medium pace, Maritime fell away dramatically. Desilva was run out by Makin, and with 19 needed from the final over, Young bowled Barigela for 15 to send Marple into raptures. Makin’s dream day out ended with figures of 3 for 32, the immaculate Young had 2 for 21, and the persevering Clarke 2 for 35.
As was thought before the start of the season, there are no easy games in division one. Marple, though, are a match for any side when they are focussed and determined.
Next Saturday sees another away fixture at Stockport Georgians, 12 noon start.
Currently, there is no stopping James Hirst’s second eleven. This week it was Macclesfield seconds’ turn to be trampled underfoot at the Michael Hibbert Cricket Ground. The visitors were rolled for just 80 in the thirtieth over, with only Zak Penny 17, reaching double figures. The chief destroyer again was Tom Reeve with 4 for 52. Although he went for a few runs, the bowlers at the other end proved virtually impossible to get away. Ben Bailey 1 for 5, Niall Greenlees 2 for 4, George Bailey 1 for 9 and Hirst 2 for 0 completed the destruction.
The wicket was tricky, but George Bailey anchored the reply, making a polished 34 from 87 deliveries. There was good support from Matt Barrow 16, and James Crisall 12. However, a breezy knock of 17 not out, including two fours and a six by Ed Skelton finished things off in style for Marple, and a six wicket win. Neil Pennington, with 1 for 19 from 13 overs proved awkward for Macclesfield.
Marple/Compstall thirds and fourths both suffered defeats on Saturday as a number of players unavailable stretched resources.
At Compstall’s ground, Heaton Mersey Village, rattled up 190 for 8, with Kumar 66 and Abraham a rapid 39 not out leading the way. Neil Hurren, with 1 for 13, bowled a fine new ball spell, but it was tough for the other bowlers, Chris Lloyd 3 for 35, Tom Lloyd 2 for 36, Luke Leighton 1 for 18 and an unlucky Sophie Sanders 1 for 62.
M/C never really threatened to chase down the total, although an entertaining partnership of 47 for the eighth wicket by Neil Hurren 47, and Tom Bradbury 18, gave the home side a glimmer. It was not to be though, and 142 all out was the final score. Malik 3 for 32, Mickey Wellington 3 for 33 and man of the match Abraham 4 for 19 had matters under control for the Village.
M/C fourths were dismissed for just 53 at Lindow fourths. Only number 11, Nicky Smith with 12 not out reached double figures on a tough afternoon for M/C. Khan 3 for 5, Beran 3 for 7 and Tammam 2 for 16, were all on the mark for Lindow.
Despite losing two early wickets at 3 for 2, Collier, 18, Weatherhead 19, and skipper Khan 15 not out brought up a comfortable win by six wickets for Lindow.
Mark Brook