Alderley Edge proved no match for potential champions Hyde on Saturday, as prolonged spells of skilful seam bowling from Australian Matt Hanna and ex-Alderley star Jason Whittaker reduced the home team to 113 all out.
Another dramatic collapse, from 45-1 to 73-7, put Alderley very much on the back foot, and although Simon O'Brien and debutante Ollie Pooler put up some resistance with an 8th wicket partnership of 39, this time Alderley's lower order were unable to produce the rescue mission they have frequently pulled off this season.
Faced with such a low target, Hyde's openers batted with great freedom, with David Fitzsimmons racing to 64 not out as Alderley's score was passed for the loss of just one wicket, leaving them, for the first time in a very long time, with zero points from the match.
The 2nd XI, greatly weakened by a second successive week of extreme levels of unavailability, found Hyde's fast-scoring ground a real challenge when bowling, as Hyde ran up a score of 289-3 declared. Alderley's response showed resilience, with Fesmer, Usher and Johnson all getting past 30, but the innings ended on 172 all out.
The 3rd XI, having secured the championship last week, crushed Bredbury St Mark's by 175 runs. Alderley hammered 220-2 declared from just 34 overs, young opener Henry Stevinson making a stylish 72 not out, the evergreen Jon Bean a belligerent 68 and Mike Higginson a rapid 39 not out at the end. Bredbury's batsmen were no match for Alderley's young bowlers, with the pace trio of Henry Scanlon and debutants Amay Bhamridipati and Laurence Tissington sharing 8 wickets between them at a cost of only 15 runs from a total of 17 overs.
Match report by Rick Davis.
