Alderley Edge 1st XI continued their excellent run of form on Saturday when defeating near neighbours Macclesfield by 79 runs. Batting first after winning the toss, Alderley lost two early wickets but then followed an outstanding partnership of 123 between Calum Rowe and Adam Worrall, characterised both by fine stroke play and scintillating running between the wickets.
Worrall was out for 58 and Rowe, who had already scored 80 or more on several occasions this season without quite notching up 'three figures', was out agonisingly on 99, one short of a deserved century.
Tom Foreman and Jason Whittaker chipped in with useful knocks to allow Alderley to close on 267-7 from 55 overs. The same two players then opened the bowling and quickly made inroads into the home batting. Four of the top five were rapidly dismissed as the Alderley pacemen appeared to extract more life from the pitch than their Macclesfield counterparts.
After Porter was dismissed for an aggressive 66, wickets continued to fall at regular intervals until the home team's last three batsmen mounted a brave rearguard action to allow them to reach a respectable score of 188 all out. Foreman finished with 3 wickets and Whittaker with 6, taking his seasonal tally in the league to an impressive 57. With one more week to go, Alderley will wish the season had a bit longer to run as they have displayed championship form throughout August and into September.
Match report by Richard Davis.
