With every team above them in the league table losing on Saturday, Alderley Edge had a golden opportunity to go back into second place and strengthen their title claims. However, they missed out on a victory that looked to be there for the taking at Bowdon on Saturday, 21st June
Bowdon were reduced to 40-4 early on, but after the opening exchanges, with the exception of Simon O'Brien Alderley's bowling (and fielding) fell below the high standards of the season so far. Although great credit has to go to Bowdon's veteran batsman Jon Gray who rescued his side with a brilliant 120, allowing the home team to reach 231-7 in 55 overs.
With a short boundary and fast outfield, this still looked a very chaseable target, especially at scores of 115-1 and 140-2, with under 5 runs an over needed. However, the dismissal of Mark Currie for a classy 74 batsmen gave renewed hope to Bowdon's bowlers, and Alderley's middle order never managed to establish themselves with wickets being lost at key points in the match through some injudicious stroke selection.
Alderley ended on 207-9, gaining only 7 points from a match which ought to have brought 25.
The 2nd XI have had a disappointing week with heavy defeats against Macclesfield in the T20 Knock-out and against Cheadle in the League on Saturday, but the 3rd XI stayed top of the table after a hard-fought victory at Bredbury St Mark's in a low-scoring and at times rather tetchy match.
James Scott and Ed Pitt took 3 wickets each to restrict Bredbury to 105 all out, but it took a typically hard-hitting 30 not out from Angus Muir to see Alderley home by 3 wickets.
A big weekend awaits with league matches against Toft on Saturday and a Cheshire Cup encounter at cup-holders Chester Boughton Hall on Sunday, as the season reaches its half way mark.
Member post by Richard Davis.
