2012 season: April 29 Newsletter Andy Birley again ace as Oxton make it two wins AFTER taking 8-52 to pilot his side to victory on the season’s opening day, paceman Andy Birley produced the goods again on Saturday with a 6-9 return in an eight wickets home victory over Didsbury. Oxton thus become Cheshire’s only ECB Premier League club to win both opening games. Didsbury were routed for 58, Oxton replying with 60-2 in 19 overs, Chris Davies 25 not out, while former New Zealand Test batsman Lou Vincent scored 17 on debut before being bowled by Jibram Khan. Unable to play because of rain on the opening day, promoted Widnes and Marple both recorded significant victories. Widnes produced a top-class batting performance to claim 25 points at Hyde after the Werneth Low side had declared at a seemingly safe 248-7, Tom Twiney 74, James Duffy 68. In Widnes’ reply, Danny Naughton carried his bat, with an innings of 95 not out including 15 fours to pilot his side to a five wickets win with eight balls left. Aussie Michael Nalesnyik scored 65 on debut and Neil Maher 44. Scoring was much lower in an 84 overs game at Marple where the home side were restricted to a modest 134-8 by tight Macclesfield bowling. Andrew Hall top-scored with 59 against Rob Porter 3-37 and Barney Cutbill 3-39. New signing Andy Wylie, the one-time Sheffield Collegiate paceman who took 44 wickets for Stockport last season, claimed 6-33 off 17 overs on debut. Helped by Andy Greasley’s 4-49, Marple bowled Macclesfield out for 95, Rob Keen 33, with just two balls to go. Chris Hackett leads Neston Neston claimed a 10 wickets home win after bowling Urmston out for 114, Lewis Jackson 47, Chris Hackett 4-14, Jordan Free 3-34. Neston knocked the runs off at 116-0 in 15.2 overs, first team irregular Hackett cracking 94 off 46 balls. “Not much doubt who was man of the match!” commented umpire Geoff Wellsteed. Chester Boughton Hall beat Toft by 69 runs in an interesting game at Filkins Lane after posting 229-7 in 50 overs, former Oxton duo Mark Rowland scoring 72 and Lee Dixon 51, plus 47 from new Aussie Kumar Sarna. Tom Atkinson was Toft’s best bowler with 3-48. Toft were all out for 160 in 57 overs, Shaun Mudalige being top scorer with 41, helped by Pat Ashling 37, while teenage leg spinner Jack Williams again showed his quality with impressive figures of 20-3 – 6 – 58- 6. Champions Nantwich had the better (13 points to nine) of an 80 overs home draw with Alderley Edge, after posting 199-9, Chris Simpson 73, Sam Hunt 43. Mark Warnes bowled well to return 5-50 and Jason Whittaker 3-67. Alderley reached 142-8 in reply, Charlie Reid 30. APRIL 28 NEWSLETTER: 2 Grappenhall set First Division pace RELEGATED Grappenhall made it two wins in two games in Division One with an impressive performance at promoted Brooklands. Grappenhall’s star turn was Queensland batsman Jason Smith who followed up his 64 on debut with a sparkling 100 off 85 balls including eight fours and six sixes to speed a declaration at 208-7 off 45 overs. For Brooklands Caleb Jones took 4-65. Brooklands, handicapped by star batsman John Birchall retiring hurt with a top-scoring 15, were bowled out for 77, Sam Guest 5-19 and Daniel Hawke 3-15. Sale impressed with a five wickets win at Bowdon, a result which would have seemed unlikely not so long ago. Melbourne-based batsman Glen Parker looked good scoring an unbeaten 51 for Bowdon, who mustered only 144-4 off their 50 overs. This was a tally which Sale overhauled with five wickets to spare, Calvin Flowers 65. Bowdon did well to get this game on after the ground had been partly waterlogged on Friday evening. Oulton Park outplay Bollington Relegated Oulton Park were much too strong for Bollington at Little Budworth with useful performances from Rick Moore and Craig Williamson, both of whom were laid low by injury for much of last season. Bolly mustered only 119 after the dismissal of promising Aussie Mike Rixon for 35, his colleagues having no answer to the spin of Williamson, 5-43 and returning paceman Guy Emmett, 4-36. Bradford & Leeds UCCE batsman Moore contributed an impressive unbeaten 80 when Danny Leech’s side went on to win by eight wickets. Moore was aided by former Toft wicket-keeper/batsman Pat Roberts ,30 not out, who also produced some nifty glovework. Oulton have made impressive ground improvements with an extended car park and new perimeter fencing. Cheadle Hulme coasted to a nine wickets win at Irby after bowling out their Wirral hosts for 56, Tom Briscoe claiming 5-32. With just 12 runs, Mike Barnes was top scorer for Irby. Cheadle Hulme responded with 57-1, Adam Wilde 38 not out. Rick Lees; 104 topped a powerful display by Bredbury St. Mark’s in a high-scoring draw against Heaton Mersey at Pennine road. Lees’ century came in a tally of 244-6, aided by Paul Wood, 53 and Darren Carr, 38. ‘Mersey responded with 166-7, Rob Greenhalgh 37, while new South African wicket-keeper Pieter Vermeulen (27) looked good. Veejay Muslapuram took 4-14. The only casualty to the weather was Bramhall v Christleton, leaving Christleton yet to bowl a ball. Five games played in Division Two ONLY game off in the Second Division was Stockport Georgians v Poynton where the decision was made on Friday evening. Hard work was required to render the remaining pitches fit and the home teams and groundstaffs are to be commended for their hard work. Congleton and Tattenhall were rewarded with home victories, Tattenhall beating new boys Alvanley by 19 runs at The Flacca after scoring only 136, Robin Fisher 5-31. Alvanley mustered only 117, Glen Pickersgill 43, Alan Block 3-32. Sam Booth 7-24 for Congleton Congleton beat Warrington by 86 runs at Booth Street when they bowled their visitors out for 55, Sam Booth claiming a best of the day 7-24. Congleton had totalled 141, smart Aussie Jye Bailey 37 and the returning Kevin Waterhouse 31, while Sam Hewitt impressed with 6-25. Malpas were dismissed for 79 at home by Upton and lost by 33 runs to their Wirral visitors, who scored 112-6, Ian Sharrock 30 not out, Patrick Mackrell 4-59. Keith Rickett top scored with 23 for Malpas whose batsman could not make anything of 2nd XI Results secretary Sharrock. Middlewich recorded an impressive 39 runs win at strongly reinforced Timperley after declaring on 155-7, James Cornford and Rob Cook-Sivewright both 37, former Urmston spinner Ian Grindley 3-53. Timperley’s batting collapsed and they mustered just 116, Mike Ness top-scoring with 26, while Steven Parry followed up his useful innings of 27 with a 3-39 return. Bob Barber hit a splendid unbeaten 133 to help Stockport score a winning draw at Cheadle. His innings came out of a tally of 192-8, Adam Wadsworth 3-33, Chris Brady 3-38. Cheadle’s reply of 114-8 was held together by returning skipper Paul Sperring with a solid 59. APRIL 28 NEWSLETTER: 3 All Saturday’s scorelines ECB PREMIER LEAGUE CHESTER BOUGHTON HALL v TOFT (won toss) Chester 229-7 dec. (50 overs: M. Rowland 72, L Dixon 51, K. Sarna 47, M. Robinson 36, T.Atkinson 3-36); Toft 160 (57 overs: S. Mudalige 41, P. Ashling 37, J. Williams 6-58). Chester Boughton Hall (25 pts.) beat Toft (4 pts.) by 69 runs HYDE v WIDNES (won toss) Hyde 248-7 dec. (50 overs: T. Twiney 74, J. Duffy 68, C. Tipper 34, S. Dean 3-58, T. Mitchell 3-81; Widnes 251-5 (58.4 overs: D. Naughton 95no, M. Nalesnyik 65, N. Maher 42). Widnes won by 5 wickets: 25 – 10 pts. MARPLE (won toss) v MACCLESFIELD Marple 134-8 innings closed (42 overs: A. Hall 59, R. Porter 3-37, B. Cutbill 3-39); Macclesfield 95 (41.4 overs: R. Keen 33, A. Wyley 6-33, A. Greasley 4-49). This was an 84 overs game. Marple (25 pts.) beat Macclesfield (3 pts.) by 39 runs. NANTWICH v ALDERLEY EDGE (won toss) Nantwich 199-9 innings closed (40 overs: C. Simpson 73, S. Hunt 43, M. Warnes 5-50, J. Whittaker 3-67); Alderley Edge 142-8 (40 overs: C. Reid 30). Game reduced to 80 overs. Match drawn: Nantwich 13 pts., Alderley Edge 9. NESTON (won toss) v URMSTON. Urmston 114 (51 overs: L. Jackson 47, C. Hackett 4-24, J. Free 3-34). Neston 116-0 (16 overs: C. Hackett 94no, A. Murphy 20no). Neston won by 10 wickets: 25 – 0 pts. OXTON (won toss) v DIDSBURY Didsbury 58 (28 overs: P. Bolton 19, A. Birley 6-9, R. Dixon 2-4); Oxton 60-2 (19 overs: C. Davies 23no, L. Vincent 17). Oxton won by 8 wickets: 25 – 0 pts. FIRST DIVISION BOWDON v SALE (won toss) Bowdon 144-4 innings closed. (50 overs: G. Parker 51no); Sale 147-5 ( - overs: C. Flowers 65) Sale won by 5 wickets: 25 – 4 pts. BRAMHALL v CHRISTLETON: Match cancelled on Friday due to waterlogged pitch: 7 pts. each. BREDBURY ST. MARK’s v HEATON MERSEY (won toss) Bredbury 244-6 innings closed (50 overs: R. Lees 104, P. Wood 53, D. Carr 38, R. Keyworth 31); Heaton Mersey 166-7 (50 overs: R.