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Alderley Edge First XI registered their first win of the season in their third Cheshire County Premier League fixture at home against Marple on Saturday. Winning the toss, Marple skipper James Morgan opted to take make first use of the ball. The home side were making slow but steady progress at 52-3 on the back of Ed Foster's 26 from number 3 as the Marple attack restricted runs, veteran spinner Andy Greasley as usual providing great control for the visitors. Richard Wilkinson hit a solid 35 from the middle order to take Alderley past the 100 mark but when he was dismissed by Greasley with the score 106-7 a significant score for the home side to defend was looking unlikely. Mark Currie marshalled the latter stages of the innings well contributing a vital 24 in helping Alderley to finish on 133 all out in the 39th over. Greasley finished with 5-42 from 14 overs, Andrew Wylie taking 3-53 and Liam Brown 2-26 in a good all round performance from the Marple bowlers.
Alderley had the perfect start after the tea interval, Richard Wilkinson removing skipper Morgan and number 3 Conor Ramsay without scoring. Opener Andrew Hall and Paul Wood began to repair the damage for Marple making it to 39-3 before Wilkinson removed Wood for 22 to claim his third victim of the afternoon, finishing with 3-22 from 13 overs. Ed Foster then picked up the baton to decimate the visitors' middle order with a spell of 4-27 from 17 overs. After removing Hall for 21, Foster struck regularly to ensure the Marple partnerships continued to be broken slumping from 49-4 to 93-8. Jake Hill polished off the visitors' tail end taking 2-19 to hand Alderley a welcome 25 point win.
In the reverse Second XI fixture, Marple skipper Andrew Wild won the toss and elected to bat first. An opening stand of 53 between Wild (33) and fellow opener Matthew Barrow got the hosts off to a flying start, Barrow then continuing to add a further 126 run partnership for the second wicket with number 3 James Crisall. Crisall contributed 63 with Barrow hitting the knock of the day with 83. Marple's middle order came and went quickly in the search for quick runs to set up their declaration after 48 overs on an imposing 234-6. Ben Lambert claimed 3-57 off 8 overs and Toby Pickup 2-50 for Alderley.
In reply the target looked beyond Alderley's inexperienced batting line up but a gritty 45 from opener Will Valentine gave the visitors hope and despite not much attacking play from the Alderley line up they were able to hold out until the 52nd over to record a hard earned draw reaching 112-8, taking 4 points to Marple's 14.
Match report by Andrew Windle.
