Focussed Reilly Leads Marple to Crucial Win!
Marple 252 for 6 (50 overs) 20 points beat Bowdon 132 all out (39.2 overs) 3 points by 120 runs.
On a glorious late May bank holiday Saturday, Marple gained their first win of the season with an ultimately comfortable victory over Bowdon at the Michael Hibbert Cricket Ground.
Against a handy visiting opening attack, it was not all plain sailing by any means. Joe Chapple and Tom Bramhall both needed watching with the new ball, and the latter soon dismissed both openers, Feilen, caught from a chip at mid wicket for 5, and Turner lbw for a single. At 11 for 2, some rebuilding was necessary. Max Fitzgerald gave a glimpse of his talent with a breezy 23, and he added 40 for the third wicket with the increasingly impressive Owen Reilly. Makin did not last long, and at 61 for 4, Marple could have fallen away.
However, Eliot Young, like his partner Reilly, is in determined mood this season. He appears to like batting at six in the order, and this fifth wicket pair got Marple out of any real trouble. With resolute defence, and punishment of anything loose, they added 78 runs at an ever increasing tempo. They had to be watchful against Bowdon’s young leg spinner, Joe O’Brien though. He bowled an excellent spell of 2 for 27 from his ten overs, and pouched the wickets of Fitzgerald and Makin.
Young, in particular, was threatening total domination at this stage, but was brilliantly caught at deep square leg by Fin Grosfils, inches from the turf for an excellent 48. At 139 for 5, Mike Schofield strode purposefully to the middle, and when in this mood can be very tough to bowl at. The scoring rate increased as Reilly took up the attacking mantle, racing along to 70, with ten sweetly timed boundaries, before being caught by McCormick off Bottomley. He added a rapid 48 with Schofield.
At 187 for 6, Marple were probably thinking that 225 would be a good total. However, the last few overs were total carnage, and great entertainment for a good-sized crowd. Charlie Hodgson played a superb short innings of 36 not out from just seventeen deliveries, to go alongside Schofield’s brutal 45 not out from just thirty. Of the returning bowlers, only Chapple, with 0 for 24, escaped the mauling. The rest disappeared to all parts of a magnificent looking MHCG. 65 runs were plundered in less than six overs, and one effortlessly pulled six from Hodgson off Bramhall was possibly the shot of the day.
Schofield & Hodgson leave the field as Marple reach 252-6
Bowdon’s bowling had been their stronger suit in a tough start to the season for the South Downs Road outfit, and on the resumption, their fragile batting never remotely threatened to chase down a formidable total of 253. Reilly, found an awkward length, and after Tommy Graham had been run out from a suicidal call, cleaned out the visiting middle order in no time. Chapple, 0, Ashwin Sharma, 0, and Cammie Hertz, 2, were all sent packing, and Bowdon were 25 for 4.
Skipper Jack Tipton had stuck it out, but was never fluent, and he was lbw to one that kept low from Makin for 27 at 87 for 5. Bottomley, 39, and Grosfils, 28, provided some token resistance, but that was all it was. George Clarke proved tricky at the same bottom end as Reilly, and he nagged away to take 3 for 21, as Bowdon subsided for just 132 all out. Reilly had earlier ended with 3 for 21. Ed Skelton was not called with either bat or ball, but showed fine composure and application to pouch a fine catch to dismiss Grosfils at deep square and seal the victory. Makin also had his best spell of the season with 1 for 22 from eight overs.
A welcome and much needed win this for Marple, and any remaining hangover from the opening day’s agonising defeat at Sale will now have been finally vanquished!
Owen Reilly leads the team off after a motm performance with an innings of 70 and bowling figures of 3-21
Next week sees a visit to Macclesfield, with a 12.00 start.
George Bailey, once more, destroyed the opposition batting, this time in dry conditions!
Another incredible spell, this time of 8 for 20 in 9.1 overs, demolished Bowdon 2nds at South Downs Road. This came after Bowdon openers Dom Bramhall, 48, and Yash Polisetty, 17, had found no trouble with Marple’s seam attack. From 73 for 1, the last nine wickets fell for just 47 runs, as Bailey weaved a web of pure magic.
Skipper James Hirst gave good support with 2 for 38. For the statistically minded, Bailey’s combined analysis for the last two games is 15 for 44 from 16.1 overs at an average of less than three runs per wicket!
Bowdon could not blame the surface, as Marple’s powerful line up had earlier posted 222 for 6. Matt Barrow led the way with 86, receiving good support from the evergreen James Crisall 33, Will Darby, 49 not out, and Ed Saxelby 23. Alex Robinson, with 1 for 37 from thirteen overs was Bowdon’s best bowler. This win rockets Marple 2’s to the top of the league, having won five games on the trot.
With Marple/Compstall thirds and fourths also winning in style, it was certainly an evening of celebration. M/C thirds bowled out Langley 2nds for 120 at Compstall’s ground. Jimmy Millward top-scored with 27 for the visitors. Tom Bradbury, with 5 for 9, was lethal for the home side, and there was good support from Tom Lloyd, 2 for 22 Chris Lloyd, 2 for 29, and Sam Cuniffe 1 for 8.
Lewis Braddock is unstoppable this season, and a fifth successive half century, this time of 76 not out, with 9 fours and 2 sixes, took M/C home easily. Sammy Grover 16, and Tom Porter, 15 not out, both supported well.
Craig Young, with 62 not out, anchored M/C fourths battling total of 137 for 7 against Hawk Green seconds at Upper Hibbert Lane. Paul Jones had 3 for 23 for the Green. The home team subsided to just 85 all out though, and defeat by 52 runs. Nathan Nield played a lone hand of 43, with Elliot Roberts, 12, the only other player to reach double figures. Tommy Seargeant led the for M/C with 4 for 15. There were also two wickets apiece for Josh Hurren, Ned Hatley, and Luke Leighton.
Marple under 19’s demolished Hazel Grove under 19’s by ten wickets in the Derbyshire and Cheshire competition last Thursday at Hazel Grove. The Grove made 77 for 5, with Sam Higson top scoring with 45. Marple made short work of this target in just five overs! Charlie Hodgson, 31 not out, and Evan Turner, 38 not out.
Mark Brook