Reilly Burst Sets up Demolition Job!
Marple 119 for 1 (15.1 overs) 20 points beat Sale 117 all out (33.3 overs)1 point by nine wickets
Marple ran riot against Sale to move into the top half of the first division of the Cheshire County League last Saturday. The second over delivered by Marple’s inform all-rounder, Owen Reilly, set the tone. He clean bowled both openers, Davidson and William with absolute beauties.
It had helped that Jack Grundy had won the toss in overcast conditions and elected to field first, but Marple used the helpful pitch and damp atmosphere to their advantage. When Reilly also claimed the big wicket of Tyrone Lawrence, caught at midwicket by Niall Greenlees for 20, Sale were in the mire at 36 for 3. They never really recovered, despite Cam Kwok, 31 and Muneeb Iftikhar adding 50 for the fourth wicket. Kwok played a cameo of 31, but never looked settled. He was brilliantly caught by Grundy at wide mid off from the bowling of Charlie Hodgson. Also, Iftikhar fretted about the run rate and was bowled by George Clarke for 25.
From 90 for 6 the innings folded pretty quickly as Clarke and Hodgson polished things off. Reilly also showed his fielding prowess by hitting a single stump to run out Seb Schofield for a duck. When skipper Bishop was also farcically run out, it just about summed up the visitors’ day.
Grundy was wicketless, but applied the early pressure alongside Reilly who finished with 3 for 24. Clarke settled into a nagging spell and tied up one end. He had 3 for 21. Hodgson stuck to his guns despite being hit for a couple of sixes, and ended with 2 for 38.
The tall Sale opening attack of Schofield and William has some pace. However, they ignored the home team’s example of good line and length on a helpful pitch, and instead tested the middle of the wicket! Whilst it did bring the early wicket of Hodgson, who had looked composed for 12, caught by Brassell, off William at 27 for one, it barely posed a problem to Jack Feilen and Mark Makin. The second wicket pair smashed the bowling to all parts of Bowden Lane. Eighteen fours and one six entertained the crowd as they rattled off the runs in just 12 overs between them. Feilen, in imperious form now, hit 64 not out with thirteen fours, and Makin bludgeoned 35 not out, five fours and one six. Although rain was closing in, the umpires stayed out to enable Marple to complete a comprehensive thrashing.
Marple seconds achieved the remarkable feat of beating every single side in the league on successive Saturdays at Stockport Georgians. Georgians had defeated Marple on the opening day of the season at the MHCG, but a run of eleven victories is surely unprecedented for the club. One for the statisticians! The side remain top of their division.
Marple’s hugely impressive young seam bowler, Dylan Hodgson set the tone with a magnificent opening spell. He cleaned up the home middle order, and finished with 4 for 39. Marple have depth this season, and Tom Lloyd calmly stepped in to take 5 for 30 with his slow left arm to finish off the innings. Narayan, 45, Kenny, 20, and Bailey, 39, were the only batters into double figures, and they, at least, put 141 on the board for Georgians.
It was experience and class for Marple in the reply. Lewis Braddock and Ed Skelton fell early to leave Marple on 34 for 2. However, Matt Barrow and James Crisall are two of, if not the very best players in the league. They had to be watchful against tight bowling on a testing track, but their partnership of 97 for the third wicket saw Marple home to a DLS reduced target of 132. Barrow finished 58 not out, and Crisall was out for 56, just two runs shy of victory.
A tight game at Compstall’s ground saw Marple/Compstall thirds defeat Cheadle Hulme Ladybridge seconds by just two wickets. In tricky batting conditions, Sam Birkitt 67 not out, and Luca Bray, 31 not out rescued CHL with an unbroken stand of 74 for the fifth wicket, and a total of 157 for 4. Sophie Sanders 1 for 16, Greg Marsland 1 for 15 and Andy Massey 2 for 50 for M/C.
M/C had the class and experience of Craig Young, 79, to thank in the response. The visiting attack proved awkward, but after losing early wickets, Young added 48 with Ed Frost 6, and 58 with Massey, 31.
A middle order wobble saw a collapse to 144 for 8. However, Marsland, 15 not out, calmly hit the winning runs with solid defence from Chris Lloyd, 5 not out. Atal Jan bowled well with 4 for 30 for CHL, backed up by Rehan Zeb-Khan 2 for 36 and Amith Karuvath 2 for 32.
M/C fourths lost at Mellor firsts by 74 runs. Mellor posted a handy 158 all out, Mike Watson 33, and Ryan Bancroft 30 not out. A good effort in the field saw the wickets shared between six bowlers.
It was a tricky reply, as M/C folded for just 84. Josh Hurren, 26 not out, and Joe Wiedemann, were the only two players to reach double figures. Bancroft had 4 for 24, ably backed up by Akram, 3 for 14 and Valluri 2 for 16.
Mark Brook