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Alderley Edge.CC

The infuriating and apparently never-ending rain continues to play havoc with clubs’ prospects in the Cheshire Premier League, the elements contriving to produce only three winners on Saturday - Macclesfield, Alderley Edge and Urmston.

Macclesfield are now level on points with Hyde after their seventh victory – one more than Hyde - by 55 runs at home to Toft. 

Macc totalled 203-6, James Crosthwaite scoring 49 and a useful 44 not out from King’s School Chester batsman Andy Hodgson, while Robin Jones claimed 4-86 off 16 busy overs of leg-spin. 

While Aussie Jake Hancock was at the crease Toft always had a chance and he actually scored 93 of his side’s first 120 runs.
But when he was dismissed for a superb 100, his third of the summer, the floodgates opened and the innings declined to 148 all out, left-arm pacdeman Craig Melrose taking a superb 6-52 and Ian Tait 3-52.

On a superb – and totally dry – pitch at Parkgate, Alderley Edge beat Neston by four wickets to pass the 200 points mark.

Neston totalled 194, Andy Murphy 77, Chad Wilson 45, while Charlie Reid claimed 4-45 and Mark Warnes 4-46.

Alan Day opened up with a useful 41 for Alderley, but the match-winning innings came from all-rounder Reid with an unbeaten 54, while Chris Finegan took 4-73.

 Hyde, who continue to curse the weather, saw their match against Didsbury ended before tea by a typical Werneth Low downpour when they had reached 247-9 off 50 overs.

Tom Twiney 66, Chris Tipper 51, Dave Fitzsimmons 41 not out and Scott Kirwin 40, all batting well against fine bowling from Nick Anderson who claimed 5-93 off 20 hard working overs.  

At least, Hyde were able to collect 10 points 

Both Macclesfield and Hyde now lie four points behind Oxton, who suffered a mid-match wash out at Marple when the heavens opened on the Pennine foothills.

 Luckless Marple have been harder hit than most with every home game this season either washed out or reduced by rain.

They had scored 207 all out, James Crisall 71, Andy McGuinness 66, Ross Dixon 4-67. and collected eight points to Oxton’s seven.

 Chester Boughton Hall were left with an impossible situation at home to Nantwich, who were put in, slumped to 11-4, then recovered to post 203-7, Lancashire 2nd batsman Louis Bentley (134) cracking his second successive unbeaten century, aided by Sam Hunt, 52 with Alex Kegg taking 3-30. 

A long rain stoppage then reduced Chester’s reply, originally of 35 overs, to just 21 overs and they wheeled up 68-4, Lee Dixon 24 not out, to bank five points to Nantwich’s nine.

Urmston exchanged places at the foot of the table with Widnes when they applied an eight wickets trouncing to their Beaconsfield Road hosts. 

 Widnes opted to bat, but mustered only 116, Sam Agarwal 59, against England Under 15 spinner Matt Parkinson, who took 5-44 off 16 overs and Adam Syddall, 3-23.

 Chris Watson top scored with an unbeaten 43 as Urmston coasted home by eight wickets, their first win in 12 games since May 29, which was at home to Widnes.