Cricket: Alderley close season with a big win over Cheadle

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Alderley Edge First XI brought the curtain down on their 2019 Cheshire County Premier League season on Saturday by registering a crushing 130 run win over neighbours Cheadle at Moss Lane.

Winning the toss Alderley skipper Charlie Reid elected to bat and was rewarded with an opening stand of 91 as Calum Rowe set the early pace before being trapped lbw for 61.

Fellow opener Sam Perry batted throughout the remainder of the innings, dismissed off the final ball for a superb 130 off 153 balls, registering his second century of the season. In between, Perry was supported by 34 from number 4 Ed Foster helping to set a platform for the latter part of the hosts' innings at 195-3.

Cheadle struck back to take 3 middle order wickets for the addition of just 7 runs through spinners Will Holmes, who finished with 3-73 from his full allocation of 17 overs, and veteran Paul Sperring who claimed 2-68. But Perry found an ally to close out the innings in number 7 Richard Wilkinson who hit a rapid 27 not out from just 22 balls as the pair took Alderley to their final total of 271-6.

The Alderley attack hit their straps straight away in the second innings, claiming Cheadle's first two wickets without a run on the board, Richard Wilkinson knocking over Ryan O'Brien and Joe Prince without scoring. Wilkinson continued to dominate the early stages of Cheadle's innings and at 9-4 things were looking bleak for the visitors.

41 from number 4 Will Holmes helped hoist Cheadle up to 49-5 before he became one of two wickets for Stephen Parry. From there on number 6 Subhaan Mahmood played a lone hand hitting 60 from 85 balls to pull Cheadle's score to some respectability at 135-9 before he was bowled by Wilkinson to claim his fifth wicket of the innings finishing with a superb 5-46.

With the score on 141, Parry removed last man Hamza Rais to take all25 points in the 40th over. The win, Alderley's ninth of the season, secured a fifth place finish in what has been a competitive season in the pack chasing champions Chester Boughton Hall.

In the reverse fixture at the Kingsway Ground an entertaining knock of 52 from opener Dan Fesmer was the highlight of Alderley's Second XI's innings after Jon Usher lost the toss and was asked to bat first on a pitch with differing bounce throughout.

Cheadle spinner Tony Whitely took full advantage of the conditions to claim 7-37 as Alderley's order struggled to cope. Resistance in the form of Tom Foreman, hitting a flurry of boundaries to chalk up 25, and 24 from number 8 James Bateman helped Alderley to set a score of 143 before being bowled out in the 45th over.

Andrew Windle (1-15) and Tom Foreman (2-11) took the new ball and gave Alderley the start they needed in reducing the hosts to 15-3 in the early stages of the second innings but opener Drew Carswell survived several chances to register 52 and along with 31 from number 5 Matt Samuels steered the home side out of their early trouble. 2-25 from David Johnson gave Alderley a glimpse of sneaking a win in the later overs but a calm 26 not out from number 6 Matt Wells helped take Cheadle to their target and a 4 wicket win.

On Sunday, Alderley's under-19 team were pipped in the final of the Cheshire T20 Plate competition by 29 runs at Little Budworth. A knock of 50 from 50 balls from opener Ben Gibbon set Oulton Park on their way before Alderley hit back through Ben Chapman (2-28) and Harry Elms (3-32). 35 from just 16 balls (2 4's; 3 6's) from number 6 Ben Ainsworth changed the game in taking the hosts from 89-3 to close on 147-5 from their 20 overs.

In reply Alderley's batsmen provided a number of starts without any going on to land a match-winning score. Knocks of 25 and 21 respectively from openers George Bell and Joey Chong started the visitors off on the right foot before Harry Newton and Ben Gibbon hit back with two wickets apiece. 22 from 15 balls from Harry Elms helped put Alderley back on track but a spell of 4-29 from Nathaniel Morrey swept through Alderley's lower order giving Oulton Park victory.

Match report by Andrew Windle.

Tags:
Alderley Edge Cricket Club, Cricket
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