Captain Duffy leads Hyde to the Top

Hyde go top for first time as rain falls! 

WITH Chester Boughton Hall’s game at Didsbury rained off, Hyde took the opportunity to go top of the ECB Premier League for the first time this season with an eight wickets win at Grappenhall.

 While Chester watched the rain fall, Hyde produced another efficient performance to take a six points lead as they aim to take the title for the first time.

 In a match reduced to 70 overs, Grappenhall declared at half-way on 167-4 with 67 from Richard Green and 42 to 18 year-old left hander Adam Roylance.  Hyde passed their target in the 31^st over, Dan Walker scoring 62, Tom Twiney 44 not out and skipper James Duffy 34 not out for a 20 pointer.

 Nantwich moved closer in third spot with a nine wickets win at Neston, whose batsmen had no answer to the pace of Cheshire’s Jimmy Warrington, who claimed 6-51.  With an unbeaten 77 from another Cheshire stalwart, Jonny Kettle, who is having a fine season with his new club, the Dabbers won at a stroll on 125-1. With four defeats in their last five games, Neston are in a spot of bother and have slipped to 10^th position. 

Macc skittled after hard work on ground

 Oxton moved above Macclesfield into fourth place with a 76 runs win on the ground of their east-Cheshire rivals, whose players had been at the ground since 10 a.m. working hard to clear pools of water from the outfield.  Oxton opted to bat and mustered 147, Andy Gibson 40, Lee Dixon 36, Tom Barron 3-17,  Jack Ward 3-27.   Superb bowling from pace duo Andy Birley, 6-21 and Sri Lankan Gayan Fernando, 4-43, then blew Macclesfield away for an all-out 71 in 25 overs.

 Umpire Jon Hacking commented: “Macclesfield are to be commended for their excellent work getting the ground fit. One had to feel sorry for Barney Cutbill and his players collecting only five points from their defeat, wheras if they had sat back and watched the puddles they would have taken seven. But full credit to Oxton for bowling so well”. 

 A superb innings of 168 not out by Lancashire 2^nd XI batsman Louis Bentley helped Oulton Park beat Toft by seven wickets in the day’s highest-scoring game, at Little Budworth.  It was the second highest individual score of the season, topped only by Glen Batticciotto’s unbeaten 176 for Nantwich against Oulton Park in May.

 With a maiden century (105 not out) by teenager Ed Stubbs, aided by 71 from Aussie Aaron Sayers, Toft looked safe when they declared at 295-6, Danny Leech 3-55.  But they reckoned without Bentley and Combined Universities batsman Rick Moore, 86, who added 223 for the second wicket to help steer their side home at 298-3 with three overs to spare.

 Bottom team Alderley Edge were foiled of possible much-needed victory when visitors Urmston were reduced to 153-8 before rain ended play in the 54^th over. Skipper Jason Whittaker had taken 4-46 and Mark Warnes 3-19.

ECB PREMIER LEAGUE

ALDERLEY EDGE (won toss) v URMSTON: match abandoned, 7 pts. each.

 Urmston 153-8 (54 overs: J. Whittaker 4-46, M. Warnes 3-19);

 Alderley Edge did not bat.

DIDSBURY v CHESTER  BOUGHTON HALL: match cancelled, 7 pts. each.

GRAPPENHALL (11 pts.) lost to HYDE (toss, 20 pts.) by 8 wickets

 Grappenhall 167-4 dec. (35 overs: R Green 67, A. Roylance 42); 

 Hyde 169-2 (31 overs: D. Walker 62, T. Twiney 44no, J. Duffy 34no).

MACCLESFIELD (5 pts.) lost to OXTON (toss, 23 pts.) by 76 runs

 Oxton 147 (42 overs: A. Gibson 40, L. Dixon 36, T. Barron 3-17, J. Ward 3-27);

 Macclesfield 71 (25 overs: A. Birley 6-21, G. Fernando 4-43).

NESTON (3 pts.) lost to NANTWICH (20 pts.) by 9 wickets:

 Neston 122 (J. Warrington 6-51, G. Batticciotto 3-47);

 Nantwich 125-1 (J. Kettle 77no, G. Batticciotto 37).

OULTON PARK (25 pts.) beat TOFT (12 pts.) by 7 wickets

 Toft 295-6 dec. (53 overs: E. Stubbs 105no, A. Sayers 71, D. Leech 3-55);

 Oulton Park 298-3 (54 overs: L. Bentley 168no, R. Moore 86 = 2^nd wicket stand of 223).